Van Buren High School

2001 Pointer Trail

School District

Van Buren
Grade

10-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
Type

public

School Map for Van Buren School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 07, 2023

If you happen to be a foster parent, your child already has a target on his back by school officials. One of my teenage boys was immediately placed in a special education class at Thicksten Education Center which is equivalent to a detention center without cells. He was placed there to get caught up on only One Subject. Yet he was there the entire school day. He was suspended for 3 days for disruptive behavior. When children aren’t given medication for ADHD it should be obvious that they won’t be focused. Administration should be more tolerant. Due to his suspension, he had to go to summer school where within 2 weeks, he passed. He didn’t have the distractions that he was exposed to, in the regular classroom. His teacher wrote me this which said in part… I am so proud of how hard he has worked! …the sheer quality of work that he has accomplished is impressive, but the quality of work is even more astounding. I asked her if she could give him a letter grade (School Policy is to submit Only PASS/FAIL) it would be a low A or a high B. After he was suspended, I told him to write a letter of apology. What he wrote was more than incredible. Yet the principle showed no emotion while reading it. He never apologized for his role that escalated the problem. When the principal told me what was said by my foster son, rather than to talk about in his office he chose to share the profanity in front of a female associate. Other teenaged foster sons also were suspended while attending the high school. Again, due to lack of proper medication or a misunderstanding of which I was told about it a meeting with a principal and a group of decision makers, who chose to upheld the suspension for the boys safety as well as the students. I have supported documentation of all that I shared here. So far, the Freshman Academy has shown no bias and I would rate them with 4 stars. When I had my adopted son had to forego soccer practice so he could get help in a class that he wasn’t doing well in, the soccer coach marked him absent for the week he didn’t attend. Presumably, I thought he would had been told by a school official. My son has reported the use of vapes at school. I brought it to the attention of a school official. I was told that nothing can be done. Bullying is also against school policy yet it happens in class rooms. I’m sure that their aren’t any perfect schools. That doesn’t bother me. Fairness Does.
Submitted by parent on August 22, 2023

Van Buren High School is excellent. Really the entire Van Buren education system is wonderful. All the teachers and staff we have encountered care deeply for our children!
Submitted by parent on August 21, 2023

This school pushes students along regardless of if they can read. Absolutely awful.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2014

VBHS..Mu child was dropped from a class and made by the school to sign the consent agreeing to be dropped from the class. The school never contacted us to inform us. We found out the day it happened from our child. I called the school and requested he be put back in class and was told no because he may fail the class and not graduate. On September 26 they decided my child had to be put in easier English class because he may fail in May.They made this decision because he did not turn in one essay as well as other students but they were not dropped from the class yet they said my child was not singled out. When we met with the principal basically was told he will hear me out but he will make the decision as to what is best for my child's. We talked to assistant principal..He agreed with principal..They all agreed we should have been notified and they were sorry that we were not but we are not changing our decision..
Submitted by student on August 01, 2013

As a current student at VBHS I have to say that I absolutely love my High School. They have an excellent music program. I am a former member of the band, I am going into the 11th grade I decided to get out because of the stress involved in marching band. I had the best biology teacher ever, Mrs. Gail Saifi is such an awesome teacher and she deserves the respect. I am a choir member going on my second year, Mrs. Kathy Hoover is the best ever and I love her a lot :) As far as education wise with me in marching band it was a little stressful to get my home work done and get all of my stuff done in time and work around band schedule. I had the best experience my 10th grade year. I loved band, but in my opinion grades and school work are more important than extra curricular classes :) I love I can be in chess club and in choir too :) and still have a music credit. I hope to graduate with at least a 3.8 GPA. I want to be a music major and I feel like I can achieve that at VBHS :) It is a great school, and a lot of people talking negative about because of what they see on the news about it. But the VBSD staff and facility take extra good care of us students and makes sure we are safe :)
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2012

This school can be great or horrible depending on where your child ends up, with what teachers, in what social group, etc. I attended this school myself and found the administration to be severely lacking but the teachers to be excellent and I succeeded in school. My first two children didn't do as well. The middle child fell into drugs bad at that school and told me of how easy it is to sneak off campus and how much the teachers just goof off and encourage the kids to in class. Also, he was a good kid making good grades and never affected by peer pressure but he said he was surrounded with the drug pressure constantly. He is in a better place now. My last child will not be going to that school. I saw for myself after repeated visits the lack of caring for the children there. They are just numbers now.
Submitted by parent on January 18, 2012

Very disappointed in the lack of communication from teachers and administration. Totally understand time constants in education; however, a number of parents are very frustrated with the lack of professionalism and responsiveness among some of the faculty and the administrative leadership at Van Buren..
Submitted by student on January 17, 2008

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