Adolescence is the toughest phase in the human life cycle. Suicidal ideation is not uncommon amongst this age group, especially in the state of WA being vitamin B and D deficient for half of the year due to its weather. With that said, I had to remove my youngest child from Emerald Ridge HS as she attempted suicide herself. I had no support from the school counselor, principal, or other faculty. Kids are cruel just about everywhere you go, but the demeanor of kids at this particular school is very dark. Racism, gender confusion, materialism...all hot topics at this school. My child is multi-ethnic. We had relocated to Puyallup from Tacoma in hopes for a better educational opportunity. I have 3 other children that have survived Emerald Ridge that are now young adults. When they learned that their baby sister attempted suicide due to the way she was being treated by the "elect white" children, they were not surprised, nor were they surprised that the faculty provided no support after reporting the incident to the counselor. South Hill is a yuppy, materialistic town and has always had this reputation. You cannot change the ignorance those that live here, but you can certainly expose the schools lack there of addressing suicide prevention. The suicide rate at this school in particular is certainly high compared to schools in nearby districts. Something is not quite right with those that oversee this campus. This school is far too large with an imbalance of student body to teacher ratio. I'm a nurse...I get it. Too many people for one person to manage. So get help. The district prides itself on its budget. Instead of high tech tablets, get an actual human being that can get the job done. Increase face to face teaching time, and teach kids how to communicate effectively instead of digitally. By the school providing radioactive devices that has its own health hazard on an individual, replaces effective means of teaching. Pass a policy prohibiting kids from using personal electronics while at school. Screw these entitled minded parents. Their children are following in their footsteps. Emerald Ridge...how many more children have to die at the hand of suicide from your school? Get more help and get these kids in a healthy learning environment. Sincerely, One Concerned Mom read more

I attended this school for the entirety of my highschool experience. Racism and misogyny is very apparent in this school. Multiple Sexual assault claims and accusations come out every year with the superintendent and staff failing to do their jobs. Saying it's "too much paperwork". Racism is a normal here. It is a predominately white middle/upper class school. I can't even count the amount of times white students have acted out directly against black, Asian, and Latin students causing physical fights only for the students of color to be expelled. Not to mention the amount of racial and homophobic slurs that get thrown around with no consequences. Racism thrives here. There are many instances where the specifically white senior boys have assaulted other women sexually and physically with no repercussions while their friends shun the women constantly. IF YOUR CHILD IS NOT WHITE, I recommend finding a different highschool. Though this is a highly funded school, it is only safe to those that fit the suburban normalcy. read more