While I had an alright time from 4-8th grade, despite the bullying and class work struggles, high…read moreschool was a pretty poor experience. I was never a popular kid, which makes it harder in these schools as I felt that the popular and rich kids were always the better treated. I and a few others had an unfortunate experience at GHHS with an administrator who illegally kicked people out of school because of their mental health, or because she didn't like them. There is no proof of it happening, because she went against the district guidelines for handling "expulsion" type things. She was discriminatory and two-faced. Two years later after being in a better situation at Henderson Bay, the alternative high school, I felt ok to report what had happened and was essentially brushed off and invalidated. I emailed the Superintendent, at the time knowing she would've cared, only for her to tell me that I should work on that with my teachers in college to ensure that will not happen again. It is unfortunate that unless it is for sports, the district probably won't help you in these complaints. I had some wonderful teachers, and a few were mean, practically bullies to the entire class, blaming them for failing a test after everyone failed, so it was bittersweet. My mind really changed on this school district, after feeling it was good, once I graduated. It feels like they only REALLY care about the kids in sports, the popular kids, and the kids with rich families. Being an adult you really see the reality.

We moved here from Mercer Island and have been quite pleased with PHS. The teachers have been…read morebetter than I anticipated, my daughter has been very happy and says the chemistry teacher is excellent. Overall it has been a remarkably good experience, which I was not expecting because of the general state of public schools and covid. I am very grateful for this. I gave 4 instead of 5 stars as there was not much help for newcomers in transitioning- we had to hunt down the bussing information, I had to ask for info on how parents connect, etc. they ought to have a newcomers packet!

I was bullied a lot by others, but I had some of the best teachers ever. My band director taught me…read moreso much and was my absolute most favorite teacher. Another staff member helped me with all of my math after the previous year I was with the wood shop teacher, and we got to build things to learn fractions. I still suck at fractions, but I loved that class. I also had an amazing science teacher who makes science fun, even when it's difficult. I was sad when on March 12, 2020, school was cancelled, and I only returned to give my things back, but not to learn. A math teacher bullied my entire class and constantly yelled at us, but I liked most of my other teachers.

Lighthouse is not only an amazing school but a great community of families, faculty and admin that…read moreteach the truth of the Gospel of Jesus. The truth of scripture is laced throughout everything that they do. The academics are EXCELLENT. The accreditation that the carry and the high expectations of teachers and families pushes kids to their full potential. I highly recommend this school.

Lighthouse has been an incredible gift to our family. The school challenges our children…read moreacademically, encouraged their spiritual growth, and provides ample opportunities for well a rounded education. Lighthouse is helping them build a firm foundation in Christ while building confidence in who they are academically. We could not imagine a better setting for our children to grow and flourish.

The booster club hosts a viewing of 10 Things I Hate About You here and I LOVE it! The school looks…read morejust like in the movie, maybe even more magical. The water view and beautiful architecture are just amazing. We were in the stadium and the stairs killed us- these students must be in great shape! Lots of steps from street level down to the field. I was very happy to support the booster club and watch one of my favorite movies. They have a great parking garage with several entrances, and also some great street parking. Lots to do nearby- so much great food and wine. Excited to come to more events here someday!

Just enough parking around this high school, but beware for the staff parking spots if you are just…read morehere to tour. The football team was playing on the field while I was here, but it was really neat to see the waterfront view just there with the popularized cement stairs from the 10 Things I Hate About You movie. The high school is so rich in history on how the architectures came about, its original vision, and how it became a high school thereafter. Recommend that you read up on it online before you come by here because it is pretty interesting and not a long read at all. The high school is really beautiful outside, but I wish that we are able to enter inside like the high school in Utah where High School Musical was based would host for guests during after school hours, which are 0600 to 1500, or 6AM to 3PM. They had a scavenger hunt so you could go to all the film locations within that Utah high school, which I wish this high school could do for 10 Things I Hate About You. Nonetheless a pretty sight and the house of main characters', Kat and Bianca's, house is like a 1.6 mile drive away from here.

ETA: The new leadership team is amazing. The school went through some challenging times, but it's…read moreback to feeling like a home away from home again.

Think hard, don't lie to yourself... Does your child need a bit of support academically? Do you…read morethink they might? Do you want small class sizes? Are they on meds that need to be administered at school? Are they Neurodiverse (Dyslexic, Anxiety, ADHD, Autistic, Dyscalculia, etc.)? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, this school probably isn't for you. We really loved the school when the kid was younger. But, partway through the lower school, supports and amenities suddenly got a lot more scarce! The Middle School is even worse. Were the staff at fault? Usually not. Decisions were made and the kids that needed a bit of help paid the price. There isn't a school nurse. They have remodeled some of the specialist-type classrooms to convert them into classrooms. There has been quite a bit of staff leaving in the last 5 years. There isn't a real 9:1 kid to teacher ratio in practice, they use alternative accounting practices including counting staff members like the librarian (kids see the librarian for an hour or less per week while most teachers rush back to their rooms for preparation time leaving the librarian often alone with the kids). Teacher assistants in the lower school are not necessarily full time and are often pulled from class to cover teachers and things like playground duties. The administration is actively trying to add more students per class, and more classes overall, as all administrators are prone to do. In short, while it is a beautiful school, it isn't for everyone. Try not to be dazzled and ask the hard questions. See if this is right for your family. It is an expensive question to get wrong.

This is a small college which thinks it's a big one. Students. therefore, get the worst of both…read moreworlds. Like a bigger school, faculty and staff are uniformly too busy and important to be troubled by anything as inconsequential as students. Why treat them well? There are lots more where those came from. Even the work-study students who work for the school have a very definite "us - them" mentality. They're all way too cool to give you the help or service you need. Also like a big school, be prepared to have you registration and/or other records lost or otherwise bungled (I was issued 3 different student ID numbers in about 2 weeks) If you have any concerns or problems, expect to be bitterly scolded by the bottom-feeders at the lowest rungs of the admin ladder. They're the only people to whom you'll have any access, and it they will be utterly useless you're trying to give yourself an ulcer. Just like a big school. Be prepared to feel belittled and rejected. The worst features of a smaller college are also numerous: substandard faculty can remained there for years, doing untold damage and wasting students' money and time as fast as they can. (In bigger schools, ineffective teachers are often shunted off to administrative positions; TCC cares more about keeping its thin-skinned and frankly incompetent instructors happy than serving its students. After all, there are always more students where those came from, so why bother?) Also like a smaller school, instructors are often subjective in their assessment of student work, and with no apology. Apparently, "Because I think so" is a perfectly reasonable basis for a grade, which will be vigorously defended by all relevant administrative personnel. Do not expect any academic standards. Depending on your teacher's personal preference, you may not even do anything related to the catalog description of the course. If the teacher fancies an 11-week long, solo, rambling reminisce about her childhood, that will be course content. Again, you will only create more problems for yourself if you bring this to the attention of the administration. The take-away? Don't waste your time and money. You can get the same classes at other CCs. They may be farther away, but you'll definitely get a much better academic experience.

TCC is a small college which thinks it's a big one. Students. therefore, get the worst of both…read moreworlds. This attitude pervades the main campus and is even more pronounced at the Gig Harbor campus. The satellite campus is used as a "rubber room," to which underperforming faculty and administrators are banished if they can't be fired. Like a bigger school, faculty and staff are uniformly too busy and important to be troubled by anything as inconsequential as students. Why treat them well? There are lots more where those came from. Even the work-study students who work for the school have a very definite "us - them" mentality. They're all way too cool to give you the help or service you need. Also like a big school, be prepared to have your registration and/or other records lost or otherwise bungled (I was issued 3 different student ID numbers in about 2 weeks) . If you have any concerns or problems, expect to be bitterly scolded by the bottom-feeders at the lowest rungs of the admin ladder. They're the only people to whom you'll have any access, and it they will be utterly useless you're trying to give yourself an ulcer. Just like a big school. Be prepared to feel belittled and rejected. The worst features of a smaller college are also numerous: substandard faculty can remain there for years, doing untold damage and wasting students' money and time. (In bigger schools, ineffective teachers are often shunted off to administrative positions; TCC cares more about keeping its thin-skinned and frankly incompetent instructors happy than serving its students. After all, there are always more students where those came from, so why bother?) Also like a smaller school, instructors are free to be subjective in their assessment of student work, and with no apology. Apparently, "Because I think so" is a perfectly reasonable basis for a grade, which will be vigorously defended by all relevant administrative personnel. Accordingly, depending on your teacher's personal preference, you may not even be presented with any materials related to the catalog description of the course. If the teacher fancies an 11-week long, solo, rambling reminisce about her childhood, that will be course content. Again, you will only create more problems for yourself if you bring this to the attention of the administration. The take-away? Don't waste your time and money. You can get the same classes at other CCs. Go anywhere else and you'll definitely get a much better academic experience and better value for your investment of time and money.