Windsor High School

"Challenging school district and academically rigorous. My 5th and 9th grader were pushed to excel or fall behind. I will put this suburban school district up against any school district in Jefferson County and other districts in metro STL."

"It's a great school on the surface with a variety of problems underneath. The faculty has done a great job in creating a safe, enjoyable environment for their students. Nearly all faculty is nice, caring, and willing to help students. But Windsor fails at one thing: being a school. It seems that graduation rates and arbitrary features seem to take priority over actual academics. For one, Windsor's STEM department is abysmal. With the technological revolution in full stride, lacking in any credibility in science or mathematics is a fatal flaw. AP science classes? Non-existent. AP math classes? Well, you have Calculus AB and Statistics, both being taught by the same teacher (which I happened to like very much, but the same can't be said for everyone). Sure, you could take a class called "Honors Advanced Physics," but that's taught by someone with a degree in biology. As a result, the one AP math teacher had to come in and help with arithmetic several times a week. That's just one of the many examples of the laughably subpar academics at Windsor High. However, it's not all bad. The school is constantly getting up to date technologies. The library has a 3d printer, each student gets a Chromebook for their studies, WiFi is available on school grounds, and outlets are plentiful. Another awesome feature was what they called OWL Time, a one hour free period for students to do whatever they deemed fit—whether it's eating, playing basketball, talking with friends, or doing homework. This period allowed students to have more freedom than the average school provides, giving them the ability to be as productive as they please. But none of these features really matter if the school can't properly prepare their kids for college. Let me elaborate. Standardized tests are the bane of my existence, but they're important. VERY important. The only ones that are even mentioned are the ACT and the AP test. PSAT is taken but it's fully voluntary, and they don't tell the students what the benefits of taking it are (very important!). As a student, I was never even told about the existence of the SAT, or more importantly, the SAT subject tests. The subject tests are a key component to applications to prestigious universities, as well as a good benchmark for the subject. I was given very little help, only from those who took it. I attended Windsor from kindergarten all the way through my senior year. If a higher education to a private institution is your goal, you should look elsewhere. Otherwise, the flaws don't hold as much significance. This school has a very easy curriculum compared to other high schools, however the environment is a lot more comfortable and inviting. If anything, it's better than a handful of schools in Jefferson County."

"Wow, and I thought Fox was bad. The principal here does not care about students that are struggling with home issues."

"Beautiful school and a very good football team"

"Great high school! Good teachers!"