Branson High School

"If you care about your kids mental health, DO NOT send them here. I am using a private Gmail to avoid potentially jeopardizing my younger sibling's educational experience. Branson, out of the many schools I have attended due to moving, is the most status oriented school I have ever experienced. I, along with others, have observed that athletes have some privlage, as well. I am now a graduate, and give the school district credit for having exceptional academics. However, the partial favouritism for status and athletics is very apparent. It's all about who you are/who you know. Equal treateatment is greatly lacking. For example, students who took part in athletics, came from a rich background, or had parents who hold high social status/important positions, often got away with violating dress code, where as all other students, including myself, would be forced to change clothes, and even receive detention in some cases. I would, in all due respect, strongly recommend against attending Branson's school district. Education isn't strictly about the classroom, teacher efficiency, or curriculum. How can it be expected of a kid to effectively learn and maintain decent grades in a hostile and oppressive environment? I have yet to even touch on the fact that the administration does nothing to stop bullying if done by jocks or "popular" kids. From what I repeatedly saw, these bullies were, at most, talked to and given endless verbal warnings. To put that in perspective, I was repeatedly given detention and 'in school suspension' for excessive tardiness to classes. The "excessive" tardiness was due to the absurd policy about not going to the restroom during class. It's pretty dang hard to use the restroom AND get from point A to point B on time when given 5 minutes between classes, considering that the high school is massive and consists of three stories with multiple flights of stairs. However, I guess enforcing restroom policies are more important than putting a stop to bullying. I also attended Hollister High School, which is extremely close to the area, and though the academics weren't as highly ranked as Branson's, the atmosphere was far more pleasant and equal, how a learning environment should be. Please think twice when considering Branson Schools for your kids. It's not just the high school, it's the entire district. My younger sibling, who is even involved in a sport, talks frequently of the same thing I stated above. *** Branson has an Alternative School I highly recommend. Usually this is geared towards kids who were previously dropped out, have fallen behind on credits, or have transferred from a different School/home schooling, and aren't quite on the same page as the rest. The two teachers there, Dr. Al Lohman and Mrs. Chandra Pierce, are impeccable, all the way around. The environment is wonderful and far different from that of the actual high school, though students are still considered BHS students and can still participate in extracurricular activities. It is located just across the street from the high school. A regular diploma is still recieved when attending the 'Alt' school, and students still walk the stage at graduation. It is very common that the alternative school students finish up credits early, as I did. After being dropped out due to unfortunate circumstances, I started attending the alternative school in the second semester of my junior year. One semester in and I was fully caught up from what I had missed for two years. Believe it or not, I even became ahead of my graduating class, and after the following summer, I finished up my senior year in less than one month, in the begining of that September. I passed all my tests with exceptional scores and was, like many other alt school students, considered an early release. I still was able to attend graduation with the rest of my class from the high school, without having to deal with any of the negativity at BHS. I would highly recommend this option.*** PLEASE use caution, for the sake of one's mental health."

"My son is in 10th grade i had something come up and called the school around 1:20 to tell them that he needed to be dropped off at my work she said no we won't do bus passes after 1:00 are you kidding me emergency come up ! This school has given us nothing but problems i dont recommend this school district if you can avoid it ."

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

"Branson schools i by far the best school I've been at (and the only one). Ive seen how other schools works, but this one stands out.many of the teachers make it as easy as possible to get work done,they utilize every type of study method, and the use of staff is great, the staff thrive to do the best they can to make sure you succeed, there programs are great, and many after school activities to do. I have a lot of fun at this school. 20/10 rating."

"Branson is a great school to go to...if your parents are made of money. I graduated from there nearly 13 years ago and still have the scars of the bullying that I endured while a student there. I was made to feel like I didn't matter and the faculty was more than a little uncaring. I guess since my parents weren't wealthy, I was just another tax dollar to the school. I felt like I was worthless and the fact that NONE of the teachers I had did anything to build me up only worsened my emotional state, so much so that I contemplated suicide. I hated my experience so much that I would not wish it on my worst enemy."