As a past student of this high school, to start this off I am disgusted we were awarded a ribbon of excellence. From my own experiences and hearing from the experiences of other students, most of the faculty and staff do not care about their students. Many students go to teachers and other staff for help whether it be over a issue regarding mental health, safety at home, safety at school, etc., and many people who have gone to the staff for reasons like that have come back with little to no help and some have even been more scared than when they went for help. My Freshman year, Mr. Koppel, an english teacher, had said he would punch a student in the throat during a class with a full classroom of students and received absolutely no repercussions from that statement. Joke or not, it's completely unacceptable for a teacher to think that saying things like that is appropriate for a freshman class. The counseling office has almost always come off as a joke or a waste of time for students looking for anything other than academic help. They refuse to act on students who are blatantly racist, homophobic, transphobic, or those that have made threats to the safety of students and the school. The food served for lunches has sent me home sick in the past. Going out on a limb, I feel like the freshest( and for that fact the only food good enough to be served to students) is the Jet's pizza that is ordered every once in a while. I have been served sides that are expired by two weeks, I have seen other students served things even further past their expiration date. Things were also made unbelievably difficult for students who spend a half day at DACC. I chose to do full days at DACC after three weeks of my junior year, due to the fact that I saw the same thing I had seen the two years prior starting right back up again. Looking beyond that there are some amazing staff members at that school. Some of the teachers I had in my music classes and extracurriculars. Mainly those being art/music and AFJROTC. Some teachers have shown myself and other students that they truly do care and truly will help students with any problems they may come to them with. To those teachers and staff members I say thank you. I would not enroll my own children here in the future unless Hayes can show that they truly have made a change and actually act upon the things they say that they pride themselves in. Staff need to keep each other in check and listen to students more as well. read more
