Palm Harbor Middle School

Reviews

• Submitted by parent on July 14, 2024
  My daughter transferred in during her 8th grade year. At first, it was a little rough socially since a majority of the kids have been together since 6th grade, but after a few months, she found her group.Academically, she did well. She was in a couple advanced classes and was appropriately challenged by the work. She noticed a lot of her peers did not seem to care about their grades or paid attention in class and it disappointed her. I told her to just worry about herself. Who knows what is going on in their homes.Otherwise, I recommend this school. You get what you put in.
• Submitted by parent on January 09, 2024
  Middle school always a tricky age to navigate, but so far have been happy with the classes, school environment, and electives. My son is in advanced classes and his course-load is appropriate with a good balance of self-led initiatives. Again, happy with the environment: organized, excellent school to parent communication, attentive admin, somewhat of a 'classic' public middle school experience.
• Submitted by parent on April 21, 2023
  This school is not meant for students who want to learn, As A parent myself my child has been beat up, bullied, and many more by kids in this school, so if I was any of you parents out there i would advise you to not bring you child to this school.
• Submitted by parent on November 06, 2022
  They have the same after school program as My kids schoool i will put my son there next year hes in 5th grade
• Submitted by parent on May 18, 2020
  Overall we are pleased with PHMS. The size is a little overwhelming for a middle school experience but when you are actively involved in your childs life and staying on top of their experience, work and social interactions you can help them adjust. Just like every day parenting, middle school has it's challenges. The staff and teachers have always been supportive of any needs/questions. They are friendly and willing to help. I was disheartened to see some of the comments here. As parents, WE are our childrens advocates. The expectation to leave that solely to a school is not realistic. If you are reading this to decide on an area to buy a home with good schools, Palm Harbor is a wonderful place to live. Remember that people will complain 10x's faster than give a compliment. I would suggest a tour of the school to make sure you are comfortable with the size. PHMS is a solid choice in this area.
• Submitted by parent on August 06, 2019
  Overall we liked this school. My kids have had wonderful teachers that have really tried to make a difference. This is our first experience of a US public school so I was pleasantly surprised at how well things went, while also horrified at the disrespectful behavior of many of the students and many parents.
• Submitted by parent on July 16, 2018
  My daughter just finished 8th grade at PHMS. We transferred in from out of state and was accepted very well. YES the school doesn't have a "formal" teacher conference unless one is needed but for the years she was there I have NEVER had a teacher or principal not return my call. I was VERY impressed with her teachers. She actually was lucky enough to have a "teacher of the year" teach her for math. The teacher CLEARLY deserved the award!!! I had also joined the PTSA. I can honestly tell you that there were VERY FEW parents who joined or cared to participate for most events. Fundraisers were "for elementary kids" and "I don't have time" were common excuses. The school even tried to actively solicit suggestions of what parents wanted and I witnessed a parent refuse to give her suggestion!! So if you are reading these evaluations please realize this is a BIG middle school. Personalized immediate attention (non emergency type) is challenging but the issues ARE addressed and taken seriously! Parents can choose to sit in "the back seat" and let the school "handle" things and complain or they can be involved and be part of the solution. The opportunity to be involved IS there. As for my daughter she LOVED the experience overall. She participated in several activities and clubs that they offered and was on National Junior Honor Society. She DID have a few incidences where she had to defend herself. It's an introduction to LIFE. Not every child that leaves middle school remembers a bad experience. We heavily researched all of the Pinellas School District schools and found that PHMS was the best choice for our daughter. Best of luck to you!
• Submitted by other on May 03, 2017
  This school is not designed for parents who care about there kids. They do not have regular parent/teacher conferences so communication with parents is minimal. If you try to set up meetings with the teachers, they require you to do it through the school counselor and it becomes a nightmare of emails and communication issues. If your child is struggling academically or needs extra help, communication with teachers and staff is so difficult, it makes it almost impossible to get the help for your child. I have lived in a lot of states and had my four older kids in a lot of schools and I have never had my kids in a school as bad as this one. Good luck if you want to send your child here. Hope they do not require any help.
• Submitted by parent on December 12, 2016
  Exactly as the other reviews have stated. The teachers here are the type that give public schools a bad name. They don't care and won't communicate. The administration is just as unhelpful. Bullying and theft are not even punished. We moved to Palm Harbor because we thought this was a good school district. However, we've found this school's rating is a product of the area it's based, not because the school itself is any good. In fact we've lived in three different states now and across several school districts I can say that this is easily the worst we've had to deal with by almost every measure.
• Submitted by parent on April 16, 2016
  My biggest problem with this school was the teachers, they are just going through the motions, they don't want to be there, don't care about the students. It's just sad. My son hated there, luckily we were able to get out for 8 th grade.
• Submitted by parent on March 20, 2015
  Teachers refuse to keep in contact, administration denies requests to resolve issues, and students whom choose to hurt & bully others are not counseled. Zero investment is made in inspiring and cultivating our children's talents & gifts. This school has zero leadership. The staff are unprofessional, rude, and lazy. Do your child a favor & send him/her elsewhere. This school is a complete and utter NIGHTMARE.
• Submitted by parent on October 06, 2014
  This is probably a great school if your child is a self-motivated, above average learner and you love to let them walk to the bus and walk home at the end of the day...no involvement and no worries. However, if your child has any special needs, gets bullied or has an IEP, this school is a nightmare. They simply wont deal with you or the situation. Also, traffic, parking, drop-off and pick-up are the worst I have ever seen.
• Submitted by parent on October 01, 2014
  This is my son's third year at Palm Harbor Middle and every year it gets worse. The principal is rarely on premises and when she is she refuses to attend meetings or return phone calls even when my son was attacked by other students! In the three years my son has been attending this school she has never once returned a phone call or shown up to a meeting even when she was scheduled to attend! I am absolutely appalled at the lack of leadership and common decency this woman shows. The few teachers here who actually care, are few and far between but there are some. The main office staff is absolutely rude beyond belief. We are currently looking for a new school. I would ABSOLUTELY NOT recommend this school to anyone who cares even the tiniest bit about their child's education.
• Submitted by parent on May 22, 2014
  My son likes it there. He has made new friends. There was a bullying situation but the 7th grade assistant principal handled it right away. My son is no longer bothered by the kid. Office staff is friendly. Teachers seem receptive and willing to help. I like that they provide after school tutoring for kids who are struggling.
• Submitted by parent on February 20, 2014
  Staff are rude, teachers don't care, behavior is out of control. This school has no leadership whats-so-ever.
• Submitted by parent on February 14, 2014
  The staff is very rude and the teachers are arrogant. I guess this use to be a good school but I don't see signs of it now. They are to arrogant to allow parent involvement. Watch out for health class they show a diagrams of a penis and a vergina in a mixed class. No notification given to parents so we can decide to opt out.
• Submitted by other on November 06, 2013
  This school is terrible. The kids hurt and make fun of one another and the teachers do not care.
• Submitted by parent on January 01, 2012
  My son has been very happy at this school. He has asperger's and tourette syndrome and is treated very well by all the teachers and students. He feels loved and accepted by all! He even had kids from this school ask to come to his birthday party. The teachers all tell me he's a wonderful boy. They have wonderful programs for kids with Autism and kids with Aspergers. They are separate and offer appropriate classes and help for each group. I love all the teachers and most all have experience with special needs kids. I am blessed to have him in this school.
• Submitted by parent on March 15, 2011
  This is an exceptional school! As an educator myself, in another District, I know first had how effectively it performs & how dedicated is the staff in this middle school . They have very high standards & an incredible staff! This school has been consistently high achieving-I've watched it since my own children were too young to attend (neighbors/relatives told me of its successes) and I see it now with my 7th grader attending (& a 10th grader who went through it & is now in an Engineer high program.) What troubles me is that this rating is based reviews dating back to '03 & '04-penalizing Palm Harbor Mid. for class sizes- which is not a fair accusation . Our "class size amendment" was not in effect until 2010 when it was decided 22 students was the class cap & PHM did EVERYTHING is had to & is currently in compliance in all its 'non-elective' classrooms. In response to the parent saying the school was crowded even w/ "Choice"...the fact that this school is so coveted & popular is testament to how great it is! Just like a crowded restaurant is usually indicative of how great the food/service! Kudos to all the PHS staff-keep up the great work! Thank you!

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