It's 7:24 am. The deafening ring of the bell reverberates throughout campus, sending student's scurrying off in all directions at once. Heavy green metal doors repeatedly clank open and shut. The shuffling of shoes on concrete, voices, musical ring tones, squeals, screams, laughter, shoving, joking, pushing, a second loud bell then - complete silence. Another school day has begun.
Horizon High School, located in Scottsdale, Arizona is surrounded by an affluent residential community. In fact, it is customary to find Mercedes, Lexus and other upscale brand vehicles parked within the Junior and Senior parking lots located on the north and south ends of the school. The gates to these parking lots remain locked throughout the day and students are not allowed to leave campus during school hours. A big complaint for students who would like the freedom to leave for lunch.
However, one school administrator feels the closed campus is a good idea, “Open campus would simply create unnecessary opportunities for students to be late or ditch class, get into car accidents, or possibly do drugs.” Some students complain that this closed campus policy adds to Horizon's prison-like atmosphere. None of the classrooms have windows and the new door-lock system, installed a few years ago for increased security purposes, requires the swipe of a card to open classroom doors.
The corridors of Horizon High School are for the most part indoors and surround an outdoor central courtyard area where students can be found sitting along the cement stairs eating lunch, socializing and talking on cell phones. Other than a few small trees the landscape is barren. Opening to the courtyard is the school store, a bookstore and food court where a mixed aroma of Subway, Samari Sams and Pizza Hut fill the lunch-time air.
The dark brown carpeted hallways encompassing the media center, flaunt student's art work, current fund raising projects and glass showcases filled with gold trophies and plaques from sports championships of years past. Between classes these halls are filled with the 2100+ students that attend Horizon each day. Many walking head down while fingers tap away on cell phones.
Horizon is a comprehensive, suburban four year high school. One of six high schools in the Paradise Valley school district with a 'Great School' overall rating of 9 out of 10. Horizon's mission is, “To provide the building blocks for the ABC's in the 21st century - Academic excellence, Belief in self and others and Community responsibility in a changing society.” But is Horizon High School accomplishing this mission? When it comes to preparing students for life beyond Horizon, is the school's focus on money sending students mixed messages?
Money Matters
The economy has played a big role in the lack of funds available for schools across America and Horizon is no exception. Recently, their popular Fine Arts department was removed from the curriculum. Restrooms are often found without soap, paper towels and toilet paper. Latches on stalls are missing. The auditorium elevator malfuntions daily. Teachers donate cleaning supplies and vacuums and are responsible for cleaning up their own rooms each day since janitor's now only service the halls and restrooms - not individual classrooms.
The campus is dull looking. The landscape void of color. The air conditioning unit is old causing some rooms to be hot, while others are freezing. So how does Horizon raise the money necessary for these much needed repairs and keep the school running smoothly? One way is by following a policy set by the PV school district: “No student is allowed to fail.” Horizon receives money for each day a student attends classes, which seems to be making students a valuable commodity.
Absences are frowned upon by the school. Too many missed days result in phone calls and letters from the administration warning parents that their children are in jeopardy of failing or ending up in court. Yet these threats of failure are mere words since the “no fail” policy has been put into effect.
Students at Horizon are being passed along through the system regardless of their academic achievements. The need for funding has taken precedence over eduation. When it comes to school work, teenagers for the most part tend to do only what is absolutely necessary to get by. Apparently at Horizon, all that's required of them is to simply show up.
Who Cares?
Horizon students are aware of this “no fail” rule and since there are no consequences for their lack of study, some students feel they have nothing to lose. Horizon security explains, “They keep kids no matter what because they don't want to lose the money. The failing kids are usually the trouble makers. If the school was able to fail them, a lot of the trouble would be resolved.” And how much trouble is actually going on at Horizon? Well, it depends on who you ask.
Faculty members believe the drug issue at Horizon is marginal with just an occasional alcohol or marijuana incident. Students have a very different perspective, claiming that 90% of their classmates do drugs and can purchase these drugs on campus at anytime. Since most kids attending Horizon come from affluent families, students claim the types of drugs readily available are also upscale - oxycodone, cocaine, black tar heroin are but a few.
Red Eyed and Weary
There are teachers at Horizon that go the extra mile and their passion for teaching is felt by their students. Other teachers seem to have given up. One complained, “It isn't fun anymore.” While teacher's duties have increased, their pay has declined.
One teacher expressed, “Kids don't have respect, work ethic or motivation. The kids at Horizon are used to 'having'. It's the entitlement generation and they know the school district won't fail them. Student's really have to set failure as a goal to fail now-a-days. Anytime a student gets in trouble there are just excuses made by the school as to why. They push medication, anything, but won't fail them.”
Rumor has it that one Horizon teacher, loved by many, was fired because she was caught doing homework for her students. Was it genuine concern for her pupils or the pressure to raise the percentage of passing students that drove her to make a decision that cost her career?
Pass Now, Fail Later
What example is Horizon High School setting for students when they make money the focus over academic success? Passing students through the system without the necessary skills needed to be successful beyond Horizon sets these young adults up for failure later on, since real life doesn't have a “no fail” policy.
Yes, Horizon claims their mission is about the ABC's:
Academic excellence.
Believe in self.
Community responsibility.
But actions speak a wee bit louder than mere words and with Horizon's “no fail” policy in effect, these actions suggest a mission far more dedicated to the $123's than the ABC's.
Original Public Interest Piece written March 24, 2010