Father Ryan High School

700 Norwood Drive

Nashville, TN 37204

16 Reviews

School District
Grade

9-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on March 19, 2024

We had 2 of our 3 children attend Father Ryan High School in Nashville. They both excelled academically , socially , spiritually and athletically. They made life long friends and still keep in touch with a few teachers & coaches over the past 8 years. The majority of the staff are exceptional , caring , bright and welcoming. Of course , every institution has a coach or teacher that doesn’t gel with your child but overall each teacher /coach /administrator have the best interest of your child They truly are loved and meet individual needs. The various levels of academics offered from college prep to AP can meet any students academic needs. The Senior Year Service Project is also a great way of teaching our youth the importance of volunteering and giving of themselves. . My only suggestion of improvement would be that Ryan is a “bit lagging” in technology (at least when my kids attended) and they had some coaches whom should have never coached females. Children should be able to engage in multiple teams and not be penalized. Overall , our experience was exceptional My children flourished and excelled in college We would highly recomend Father Ryan to any family that is looking for a faith based & academically strong institution. We did scan some of the other comments and also agree that students not coming from feeder parochial schools should feel included in a more streamlined fashion. There definitely is a distinct feel & culture that could change in a more positive manner Of course , once you join a sports team , band , play , club or whatever you are interested in that does change, quickly. Finally , we would love to see a larger chapel built where students can pray together as well as return someday to marry.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2024

I have been a parental member of Father Ryan for over 13 years. I have had a child who overly succeeded both academically and athletically, I have had an average child and a child on the spectrum. In all three cases, the faculty and staff have gone out of their way to ensure that all three of my children received what they needed to succeed. There have been a few bumps along the road, but that happens at EVERY school. The experience you receive at school is as much what the student and parents put into it as the school. All three of my children were prepared for college and received out-of-state scholarships. My child on the spectrum was given room to grow with a safety net when needed. I fully believe that all three of my children are successfully where they are today because of the guidance they were given at Father Ryan along with that of my husband and me. It takes everyone to ensure a student succeeds, not just a school. Thank you Father Ryan for ensuring that all of my children were known and loved!
Submitted by other on July 14, 2023

I interviewed to be a high school science/biology teacher at Father Ryan. I was incredibly pleased by the interview and the kindness I was met with. This was until I heard nothing about the interview and whether I would be moving forward as a hire or not. I, more than once asked and was met with "I will contact XYZ and let you know as soon as possible", 5 months later, I have heard neither a "yes, we will move forward in the interview/hiring process" or "no, we are moving forward with other candidates". This is extremely disrespectful as I took time to apply and interview, especially coming from such a prestigious school, I expected communication to occur
Submitted by other on July 12, 2023

It is hard for me to understand how they can support staff that don't follow catholic values. Even more frustrating is when you take your concerns to school leaders and they leave you with no response. At the very least a "We're looking into this" would do. But that doesn't happen with Father Ryan.
Submitted by other on July 11, 2023

Unfortunately I had an experience with a teacher here that was reported to administration and administration choose to take no action. The teacher is a long time person here apparently and doesn't get in trouble. What is most troubling is that this is a catholic school and they should be upholding and hiring those with christian values. This is not the experience that I have had with this school. They do not care if their teachers are unethical or if they practice what they preach. Save yourself the headache and use your tution money for a better place.
Submitted by parent on April 04, 2023

If your children have any type of social issues (anxiety, difficulty making friendships, struggle with effective communication when dealing with student to teacher relationships), then this is not the school for them. The school struggles in dealing with the social and emotional growth of the children in its care, and the school is particularly lacking in its dealing with children that don’t fit into the mold as to what qualifies as “normal”. If your child is on the quieter side, is not the star athlete, is not one to advocate for themselves, then I urge you to look into other education options in Nashville. Your tuition dollars can be applied to any number of private school choices in Nashville that would be leaps and bounds above this school.If you’re looking at private schools, look for one that advocates for the child as an individual. There are lots of other options in the area that would handle the well-being of your child, and the needs of the admitted family as a whole, much better.One star. Do not recommend.
Submitted by other on June 02, 2021

Fifty year alumni of Father Ryan. Molded me into the person I am today. Was well prepared for college and life. Love Father Ryan!!
Submitted by student on May 29, 2019

Very negative, the students were very rude towards me, calling me bad things
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2016

I was so apprehensive about high school for my child. She desperately wanted to go to FRHS, but I was worried that it was too big. I could not have been more wrong! This school feels so small and individual, because every teacher genuinely cares about the student, her success, her challenges. And because the school has different academic levels in each area, you can find the perfect fit for your child. It has been a wonderful experience for us.
Submitted by parent on December 05, 2016

The people at this school truly care about our kids! The academics are very challenging. The school has 5 academic levels and 26 AP courses. It's the best deal in town for the money.
Submitted by parent on December 05, 2016

This school is the most caring, academically challenging, and Christian school in Nashville. I am thrilled my child attends. They are turning away current applicants because so many wish to attend.
Submitted by parent on December 04, 2016

I am never surprised to see the school still follows the "who you know or are related to" philosophy" in all matters. Academics are weak to say the least and many personnel are juvenile and quite uneducated themselves. They treat people who aren't the in-crowd very differently which is to say the least very non-christian. Its sub par at best. Needs major adjustments starting with stale, old administration.
Submitted by parent on February 12, 2016

After reading some of the reviews below I feel like my child I going to a completely different school than the one mentioned! He is an advanced minority student, Father Ryan both challenges him academically and socially. He is in many clubs and has friends from many different backgrounds and cultures. We just found out he received a full ride for pre-med to the college of his choice. I feel like this is exactly what Father Ryan set him up for. Having three boys there now, I haven't had any issues with bulling or social problems. I hope we are the norm and not the exception to the rule when it comes to being treated with kindness. We did not attend Father Ryan so I can not assume it is an alumni thing as stated below. Excellent education and environment, beautiful large campus that rivals some colleges, and a great many social activities, plus amazing faith based teachers/staff. Will be sending my last child there definitely as well! Thank you Father Ryan!!
Submitted by student on June 11, 2014

The school? Very nice. The students? That's a different story. After moving across the country, my family decided to send me to Father Ryan. It was very unwelcoming. I tried to be friendly and talk to people everyday, but it just felt like the students ignored me. I just felt like I didn't fit in. At my old school, I had nice, caring friends. Here I didn't ever even make one. It made me just feel lonely and depressed. I don't recommend this school for people who aren't from Tennessee. It seems like nearly everyone went to Elementary school and Middle school together. Therefore, they already had there group of friends and didn't want new meet new people. Hopefully this problem can be fixed for future students, because I would hate for others to have the same experience I did.
Submitted by parent on February 18, 2013

My son has attendended this school for a year now. This is probably the worst school you could possibly send your child to. It has little to no diversity in their students making "most" of them very similar. No one stands out in any special way. Just a bunch of preppy athletes as my son says. Some teachers single out students and make other students seem lower when everyone should be equal. Teachers dont follow policies by only applying them to some students. My son left and is now attending Hillsboro. Its not a good school and he loves it. Thats what matters. I highly recommend public school if your child isnt really having that great connection with a private school.
Submitted by other on November 02, 2010

FRHS is an incredible school. I transferred there my junior year in 2006 and was astonished by the strong community and spirit of the school. Father Ryan focuses on producing well-rounded young adults and the things I learned there go far beyond the classroom. Also when I entered college I discovered we were far more prepared academically then the vast majority of our peers. I look forward to sending my children there.