Westside High School

8701 Pacific Street

Omaha, NE 68114

22 Reviews

School District

Westside Community Schools
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on October 01, 2023

Love the Westside school district. Teachers and administration is excellent. They are better funded than OPS and have high standards for the children & parents. If your child isn't academically inclined or you have no interest in having an active roll in your child's education, go somewhere else. If all you want to do is make excuses for your child for why they aren't doing well in class, go somewhere else. This is a school with HIGH standards for the students & the parents.
Submitted by parent on January 11, 2022

Both my daughters are excelling, as long as they do not get behind and put in the hours. I am proud to say where they go to school to my co-workers. Mike
Submitted by parent on March 10, 2021

Very proud to be in this district. Excellent caring staff.
Submitted by other on March 04, 2021

Westside does a good job of elevating hard working children and teenagers, and prepares them to excel at the next level. It provides excellent opportunities for those who are willing to take advantage of the opportunities
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2020

It's not a school, it's an overpriced daycare for teenagers.
Submitted by parent on October 15, 2019

I can think of no better place to prepare my child for college and the real world. Westside's teachers are committed and passionate. The modular schedule is a structured taste of college- and our kids make easy transitions to four-year schools. Our son is taking AP/dual credit classes and understands the rigor required at the next level. He's been active in sports and activities. The schedule helps active children balance academics and extracurriculars. I'm excited for our other kids to attend!
Submitted by teacher on March 30, 2018

Who else thinks Half-Life 3 is coming out in the 20's?
Submitted by parent on March 21, 2017

My daughter graduated from Westside in 2013; my son will graduate in 2017. They were both involved in many different activities throughout high school, and both have loved their high school experiences. My daughter has said she feels Westside prepared her very well for college, more so than many of her peers. The school provides a multitude of opportunities for students and benefits from a great deal of parent and community support.
Submitted by parent on August 15, 2016

My daughter has had an excellent experience at Westside. Her AP courses and dual enrollment have made her feel far less intimidated about going to college.
Submitted by student on January 17, 2015

I love this school my view of life would be completely different if I went to a different school I just can't imagine anything better! I love the 5 star healthy food and love having open modes and all of the staff members they're all just phenomenal! I'm currently a junior and graduate in 2016 and my favorite teacher is my Honors American Literature teacher Mr. Sayre because he's so inspirational! I love the Apple Macbook Air laptops and the Caffe Express and GOSH! I definitely love this school. I guess my all time favorite thing about Westside High School is all of the AP and Honors classes.
Submitted by student on December 11, 2014

I go to Westside and honestly it is not the best school in omaha. The deans will say they will help you with a situation but they really don't. I believe Westside is also really racist. If you aren't white you get treated differently. The deans let kids bully you and they let people torment you. People have tried or have committed suicide that went/go to Westside because when they tell someone that they are getting bullied or that they feel suicidal they don't do anything except run there mouths saying everything will be okay and not to stress about it.
Submitted by parent on March 27, 2014

Anybody notice that the Superintendent Blane McCann just repeats the same stories from Shore wood and Kanosha Wisconsin? He's a babbling brook of cliches and tired stories. And like most small minded people you had better agree with him. Good things will happen here but not because of him.
Submitted by parent on December 01, 2013

I will add my voice to those expressing concerns that Westside is failing students who are not interested in a traditional 4-yr university. With both my sons their claim of opportunity for all learners was hollow. The courses and support for skilled tradesmen is limited as these students seem to be written off as second-class citizens. If your child is scholarship or advanced placement focused this is the right place. If your child takes high school as a necessary stepping stone to a trade and the real world they will likely struggle. I have four degrees to include graduate levels; my son is passionate about turning wrenches. This would have been a great school for me, he has been through four years of hell. This school has a lot of work to do to keep from losing non-college bound students and become an all around good high school.
Submitted by parent on July 06, 2013

Been in higher ed for over 25 years. Sent my children to WHS - arguably the best public high school in the Midwest. High quality teachers, counselors, administrators, programming. The community supports it big time educationally and athletically.
Submitted by student on June 03, 2013

I attended Millard North Hugh School for my freshman and sophomore year and I can tell you first hand Westside is head and shoulders over MNHS. The scheduling gets you prepared for college while the student body supports one another even though they have differences. In my time at Westside I was able to truly come out of my "shell" and be who I wanted to be and still I was more than accepted by everyone. The staff is tremendous! In my time at the school I came closer with some of the teachers than I did some of my peers which sounds wierd but they are very down to earth people and are open for discussion at all times. The last thing I will say is if you attend the school you should definitely take a marketing class! The teachers are fantastic and the environment is more than welcoming. I feel as though you wouldn't get the true high school experience without having marketing without Mrs. Harmon or Mrs. Schau!
Submitted by parent on April 10, 2013

I agree with the previous parent posting. Westside has enough money to give each student a laptop. Yet when my son took a carpentry class a few years ago, the students weren't allowed to use the table saw because the on/off switch didn't work. My daughter is naturally organized, and so she excelled. Mod scheduling allows students huge flexibility in course selection. However, the schedules are so convoluted that any students who struggle with organization will face extra challenges just keeping track of which class they are supposed to be going to. Additionally, sometimes students have to miss one class each week because of conflicts. Because of this schedule system, it can be harder for teachers to get to know their students. It was the rare teacher that I felt really knew any of my children at Westside. It may have changed, but when my students were there, the math, science, arts, and foreign language departments were strong. The English department was extremely weak.
Submitted by parent on August 17, 2012

Westside is a great school if your son or daughter is going on to college and is self-disciplined. Modular scheduling does prepare your child for college but for the students who need structure and motivation, modular scheduling can be a nightmare. Also, the school is not for those who aren't going on to college but instead seeking a trade. My four children all attended WHS. Two were very successful and two were not due to the reasons above.
Submitted by student on February 23, 2012

I go there now and we are 10 times better than OPS high schools. I had to choose between Central and Westside and I'd made the perfect decision going to District 66.
Submitted by student on August 10, 2011

After graduating from Westside last year, I can honestly say that the school prepared me for college. The modular scheduling put me ahead of my college peers in that I know how to manage my free time and I'm not dependent on others to get things done. Also, teachers helped prepare us for college coursework (Westside's AP classes were very helpful and got me ahead on credit hours). Of course, there are flaws with the school (occasional unfair discipline/rules and unnecessary required classes) but the programs are great (especially the fine arts) and overall Westside is a great school.
Submitted by other on March 31, 2011

Westside is a relatively strong school within the public school system, but for young men it pales in comparison to Creighton Prep, which provides a far better academic and community environment. If your son is accepted to Prep, by all means you should do whatever it takes to see if you can make it happen -- there is no question that a Prep education is truly a transformative experience not just academically but on the so-called intangibles that make a fully-formed human person, whereas 4 years at Westside should not be expected to provide much beyond academic preparation (and then only if the student is completely self-motivated). At bottom, Westside is merely adequate.