Suncoast Polytechnical High School - Sarasota, Florida

Daniel N.

Wonderful high school!
The "High school experience" here is something completely different than what most expect, on account of the small size of the school, the relaxed atmosphere, and it's integration of courses in cooperation with the Technical Institute next door.

The students are generally self-motivated (especially those that attend SCTI!) and help promote a closely knit, accepting community. Many students that find difficulty "fitting in" in other schools find little difficulty in making friends here (because we're all weird in our own ways)

The teachers are varied in their levels of expertise, compassion, and teaching methods (just like every high school), but most of them help in providing a caring, safe, and respectful environment.

Bumble C.

I have to second what Paul and Will have both presented with their own reviews. (Read them if you have the time) SPHS was a school I moved to after fleeing the disaster zone that is Venice High School. SPHS was not only well reviewed but had an exclusive art program that appealed directly to my own interests. Why wouldn't I go?

(I want to preface this with the statement that I am INCREDIBLY bitter over many things and this is influencing me a lot. Take some of this with a grain of salt. But I still don't recommend this school. Go to Riverview instead.)

Through this, I was suckered in immediately, even without the bribe of a shiny Windows Surface tablet. I was fed crap and went 2 years trying to force myself to believe it, up until my senior year which is thankfully coming to a close soon after posting this review.

The AGS program, while absolutely fantastic in theory, was so poorly executed. Of the teachers, only Mr. Wormington is a man who I can safely say I still fully support. Like any teacher he has his flaws but he tries so hard to keep this program alive and to its initial vision. That I can respect, even if we've butted heads in the past. Miss Janssen on the other hand, hoo boy. She has been the subject of many, many mixed reviews but as someone who has been a dedicated and successful art student in her class and passed my AP portfolio, I think I can safely call her a trainwreck. She knows enough about art but when it comes to the tech programs she teaches, she has no knowledge of actual gaming or game culture. Her degree is in /Photography./ All her tech skills come from certification tests which are effectively worthless if you can't reliably teach a class on them. That, and she's the most temperamental harpy of a teacher I've ever experienced, and the entire class I have would agree with me. She brings down the program so much by clashing with the students and the office, cultivating an air of tension and anxiety through her class that makes everyone mentally fragile and explosive by the end of the year. The AGS program is going to crash and burn after I leave. I give it five years tops. The office shows next to no care for it anymore now that Putnam is gone and is constantly pushing the trash heap that is STC (Or SCTI for those still not adjusted to the name change). We've gotten shoved into a ditch and everything is starting rot.

Speaking of mental illness, oh my god. I am not kidding when I say that the majority of the student body has some form of anxiety, depression, or antisocial behavior brought on by the toxic work environment of the school. The 9th and 10th graders usually are more okay, but the upper classmen are constantly sleep-deprived, exhausted, and immensely stressed from having to juggle classes and the ridiculous amounts of "busy work" that get thrown at us. I personally have had full on anxiety attacks EVERY YEAR. 3 of them in my senior year. I've learned to manage a better workload because of this, but god, at what price?

This school loves to pigeonhole its students and offers very little in the form of academic choices. There is no gym class and the bio-med program was cut from the school last year. There are no music programs. This is nothing but a glorified tech school with a dying art program. It either needs massive revitalization or something to put it out of its misery and just relabel it.

Yet for all my criticisms I still have to give it 2 stars for the brilliant teachers and staff I had while I was there. A good many have left and I can't blame them, but as they've gone the school sinks further and further. Miss Mills, Mr Fortner I hope you two are better off where you are. Mr Kahler, Mrs. Lowery, Mrs Calderone, Mr Cellamare, Mrs Pat, Mrs Sass, Mrs Boots, Mrs Ferris, Mr Wormington...god bless all of you for sticking it out. You made it worthwhile and helped me through some of the darkest times of my life and have helped countless students. If you truly still want to go to Polytech, please seek these teachers out. They will be your lifeline through the insanity you'll face.

Zii M.

The kids are awesome! I met some really nice people here. Teachers are kinda funny sometimes... looking forward to next year!

Adam

i love this school so much! i love the students and the teachers and everything about it i would recommend anyone to it!!!

James B.

Jeffery Kahler is the backbone, saving grace, and powerhouse of this chaotic establishment.

Cort M.

Best high school in Florida. It has all kinds of career programs.

Deb G.

Extremely dedicated teachers. Awesome programs and environment.

Zak