Battlefield High School

Posted: February 3, 2025

Posted: February 3, 2025

Posted: February 3, 2025

Posted: February 3, 2025

Posted: February 3, 2025

Posted: February 3, 2025

Posted: February 3, 2025

Enormous vaping issue at school. Principal is saying we are having bigger issues to solve. According to my son, at least third of school population is vaping. If you try to report it, bulling and pure threats toward kids. Whole process of buying and selling drugs and vapes in place, including local vaping shops, where no one asks for id and sell their merch to underaged. Security is saying oh we know them but can’t catch in action. Maybe need to make it as THE ISSUE and invest into cameras in the bathrooms!! Like Gainesville High did. You should hear what parents are talking, but do not want to make trouble for their kids. My three kids went thru this school, it is getting worse and worse!! Level of education is still OK and they are still holding up to the best school in area title, but not for too long. Drugs!!! Something needs to be done!!

Posted: April 25, 2020

After being involved for two years it appears that teachers and guidance as well as office staff are very supportive of students and their issues. My student has been individually helped by teachers and guidance in spite of the ratio of students to guidance. These people care.

Posted: April 25, 2020

Teachers and guidance work with the students-sometimes above and beyond.

Posted: April 25, 2020

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Posted: April 19, 2020

10/10. Really passionate teachers, lots of clubs to get involved with, great offering of AP/Dual Enrollment courses.

Posted: April 19, 2020

Gives students flex time to complete some homework during the regular school day

Posted: April 19, 2020

Posted: April 19, 2020

Posted: April 19, 2020

Ryan Ferrera is amazing and has only improved the school since he became the principal in 2016.

Posted: April 19, 2020

Posted: April 19, 2020

Posted: June 13, 2019

At first it seemed great, then the bullying began and things got worse

Posted: June 13, 2019

Posted: June 13, 2019

Bullying is a way of life there. One student told me, "The kids here are horrible, and no one does anything about it!"

Posted: June 13, 2019

My son was bullied extensively at this school. The administration said they were concerned about it, and would "investigate". They didn't they don't care, they just wanted the situation to go away. Shame on them!

Posted: June 13, 2019

Posted: May 9, 2019

Posted: May 9, 2019

Both of my children graduated with AP college credit and went on to do very well in college. While there are problems like overcrowding and drugs, the administration and the school board are working toward solutions for these.

Posted: May 9, 2019

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Posted: February 12, 2019

Huge drug problem, yet nobody cares. Drugs are accessible to students.

Posted: July 27, 2018

Posted: July 27, 2018

The administration at this school is beyond terrible. The teachers condemn bullying and my son has constantly come home with a new situation every day. Minorities in this school are the main target. Being a predominantly white school, there is little to no diversity in the classroom. This is one of the worst high schools in Prince William county and they favor certain more than others.

Posted: July 27, 2018

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Posted: May 19, 2018

Posted: May 19, 2018

Posted: May 19, 2018

Posted: May 19, 2018

Awsome principal who is always leading by example

Posted: May 19, 2018

Posted: May 19, 2018

Posted: May 19, 2018

My daughter is a freshman and sometimes her teachers have gone out of their way to support her.

Posted: November 30, 2017

Overall, Battlefield is a mandatory stepping stool students must walk on to get to an actual life.

Posted: November 30, 2017

Students at Battlefield get a varying amount of homework depending on the course or the teacher they received that year. Even though they may be taking the same exact course as another student, one may receive a ridiculous amount like 2 hours for one class, while the other receives none and still gets the same grade. Even AP students may not be getting as much homework as someone taking a regular course.

Posted: November 30, 2017

The teachers at Battlefield are either passionate about their work, or they only want a paycheck. Like each school, Battlefield has both good and bad teachers, but the bad teachers reflect so negatively on the school that it outweighs the good. Some teachers are short tempered, careless about students, and insist on rules that don't apply to the Prince William County Code.

Posted: November 30, 2017

Posted: November 30, 2017

Posted: September 28, 2017

I have been bullied at this school for a couple of years now and I try to talk to my counselor and teachers about it but they do not do anything. I've have been verbally assaulted many times and pushed in the halls. Cyber bullying is also very common in this school and nobody does anything about it. I would not like to come back to this school ever again once I leave for college. A high school experience should be amazing and fun but it has been everything but that.

Posted: September 28, 2017

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Posted: March 4, 2017

I have been at this school for a year before transferring to Osbourn Park High school. It is absolutely terrible, there is a huge lack in diversity and the teachers are very rude. Bullying is also a huge problem in this school and I was made fun of for not being able to afford new pairs of shoes. A lot of the students are also drug addicts and some of them would even come to school high. Comparing this high school to osbourn Park it is absolute trash, so far at OP I have experienced none of these problems.

Posted: March 4, 2017

Posted: March 4, 2017

As an asian student, I speak another language at home. So whenever I would present projects I would get made fun of for my accent.

Posted: March 4, 2017

The principle seems okay but hardly focuses on bullying.

Posted: March 4, 2017

Respect is nonexistent in this school. Anybody who is not white would not survive at this school for a day.

Posted: March 4, 2017

My teachers rarely assigned homework and when they did it would be all at once. They are very inconsistent with their work.

Posted: May 23, 2016

It depends on the teacher and the track the students take. One kid has 3 hours a homework a night (for pre-ap/ap). Another child never touches homework and probably never does it in class(average non honors classes)

Posted: May 23, 2016

The administration is not responsible for this. The students either chose to be honest and ethical, because the The students know about the unfair practices that take place and either chose to be part of it or stick with their integrity.

Posted: May 23, 2016

Teachers are wonderful. They care about the students and the majority do make themselves readily available to their students. Administration is lacking consistency, equity, and communication skills. Administration does not handle the serious issues well. Although my kids do not participate, they talk about the crowds that drink and do drugs on a regular basis. Traffic is a major issue coming in and leaving school. Accidents are regular part of the day. Office staff is abrupt.

Posted: October 2, 2015

I do believe BHS has some of the best teachers in the area. Too bad PWCS won't pay them enough to stay. Many teachers are going to other districts. It's a shame to lose them ...but somehow we can build a school with two indoor pools but can't afford to pay our teachers

Posted: October 2, 2015

Busy work anyone? Do the teachers understand the student has more than one class ...or even after school clubs?

Posted: October 2, 2015

PWCS code of behavior makes students responsible for other student's behavior. If the staff of BHS thinks your child had knowledge of a student having drugs or being on drugs they will suspend your child for 5 days. Your child is supposed to be a DEA agent and have the knowledge of all drugs and how a person acts while on these drugs

I had to fight tooth and nail to get this over turned for my child. She has a 3.9 GPA & the administration wanted to suspend her for 5 days because a friend she met at a basketball game was high. Even though, PWC police said my daughter was sober and had nothing to do with it. Basically, BHS and PWCS wanted to ruin my daughter's chance at a 4 year college because she didn't tell administration her friend was on drugs.

I still struggle to understand how my daughter was supposed to know and why it was her responsibility. So BHS & all of PWCS score a big fat zero on ethics, fairness and honesty in my book

Posted: October 2, 2015

If your student is college bound they may have a chance at BHS. Otherwise, it's easy to get lost in the sea of teens. I wish PWCS offered more vocational training inside the base schools. It seems if a child doesn't fit the college bound curriculum they're shipped off to the alternative school. There they just pushes them out the door with their diploma and no skills to gain employment.

Don't let anyone fool you, the drug community is larger than they'll (administration) admit. And it's not just marijuana. Prescription & OTC drug abuse is rampant. Sadly, PWC has a nasty heroin issue to deal with too. If your child attends BHS they will witness or know someone arrested for drugs while on school property.

And for the love of all things holy, be super nice to the office staff or you'll never get anything done

Posted: May 29, 2015

I'm rating this school "bad" due to consistent lack of communication and extremely poor effort at updating the parent portal. If you never need to speak with someone or check grades, you would likely rate the school "good" +. However, parent portal is always outdated and bad data is worse than no data. If it is too much effort to update, get rid of it. Many teachers are unresponsive to email from parents. I don't know if they are overwhelmed or just don't care, but it's frustrating. A couple minor notes: The lunches are so crowded our kids have to carry their lunch or won't have time to go through the line and eat. Also, there is a constant lack of toilet paper and my daughters have to pack their own.

Posted: May 24, 2015

This school has a place for everyone and is tops academically whether you are in the IT program or not. Your child has much from which to choose in both academics and clubs so they can find their place. As with most other high schools, they will be subjected to seeing or hearing about those who are involved with drugs, but it is your child's choice as to how they respond!!! Even my test school in Boston had kids using drugs, but it was not in your face, nor is it here at Battlefield. Finally, as with ALL schools, there are those teachers who are great and others who are not.

Posted: March 9, 2015

I am currently enrolled as a freshman at Battlefield High School, and if I had to summarize my experience thus far, I would have to say downright amazing! The offer a wide variety of classes, for any type of person interested in any type of field, there are up to around 70 clubs, and sports year-round. I can't see many things wrong with this school, and the people that are complaining seem to not fully see the big picture, which is hard to do if you don't even go to the school in the first place. I am happy to be a part of this amazing school, and can't wait to spend my next 3 years here. Great, great, great school... cannot emphasize this enough!!

Posted: October 13, 2014

The school is alright. It could do better. They should the students wear hats in school. Front office is rude. Some people are used to calling the school and telling them that their child is absent. But when you call the lady yells at you and tells you to bring a note. This school needs better staff. And the desk are horrible. Every time you try to move it there's gum under it. But the cleaning staff are really nice. They deserve more than the people at the front desk to be honest.

Posted: March 30, 2014

I have one issue with this school in general. Communication is real problem. I don't enjoy getting random phone calls from the school, with no message of what is going on. I call back and am told by office staff that I will have to wait until the school calls again to figure out who and what the call was about. I also find the office staff very unfriendly and not helpful. I work 1 hour away from my daughters school and never know when I receive a call if it is an emergency or something that can wait. This office staff is extremely rude and should find other positions that do not require interaction with the public.

Posted: February 23, 2014

I'm not very happy with majority of the teachers at BHS. My child is one year ahead, in 3 pre AP classes, in SIGNET, honor society and still receiving poor grades in 2 classes due to the teachers. It seems like they set children up to fail. They have zero communication with the parents and the staff refuses to switch classes. It's probably similar with most schools...luck of the draw, some of the teachers are awful and other's are fantastic. IT Program is very archaic and not worth attending for that specific program. So far my child has learned very little "real world" information.

Posted: January 2, 2014

I am a former BHS student. BHS is an alright school, its rating should definitely be lower. There is no focus in individuality, and typical troubled students get sent off to alternative school instead of them trying to help students work through issues. That may be a reason why test scores are high, because if a student is struggling they send them away. Many of the staff gossip about students and make bad reputations for them. The staff is also very stuck up you could say. Many students struggle with drug problems and therefore the school is filled with drugs. There has been a lot of work to get rid of them though. With so many students it is hard to ever get a meeting with a GC or an Administrator in a timely manor. Many teachers have carts they wheel to classroom to classroom because they dont have their own.

Posted: September 15, 2013

I have never had a complaint about PWC until this year. Today I learned that my kid in orchestra was told to bring her cello in daily - well - that's great if you can afford to stay at home, but the school buses don't allow large instruments on board. Then, despite what I was told at the beginning of the year, the ONE time in 13 years that we asked for a class change it's a problem. The administration seems to be sinking quickly, and good teachers are leaving.

Posted: April 13, 2013

I agreed with that parent's comment, the principal is poorly doing her job. I have so far seen her once in the AP night and have never seen her walking around to check on the students. All her communication with the parents are on papers and she seems far more busier than an university president...Certainly, meetings with parents and understanding the students' need are not part of her job. That is my impression of the principal at Battlefield HS.

Posted: January 29, 2013

In the grand scheme of things, Battlefield has the most well-behaved students you will ever find in a high school. Although one could say the administration is hard to communicate with, and incredibly strict, they do a great job running one of the greatest public schools in Virginia. Sometimes they are much too hard on students, but they keep us safe and they keep us learning.

Posted: June 4, 2012

You might want to think about getting rid of the bad apple (or apples if there are more like the teacher that teaches Algebra II) at your school. It is pretty pathetic to have a teacher that sets her students up to fail. The job of teacher is to teach and to at least have the respect to respond to e-mails and questions a parent might have.

Posted: March 8, 2012

Battlefield high school is fantastic because of the school's robotic coach. I think my teachers should get the raises they deserve.

Posted: March 8, 2012

This school has a stellar robotics program that is coached by a very elite IT database teacher who not only gives her students the opportunities to use their minds outside the school, but also provides students with life lessons, leadership skills, and experiences for a lifetime.

Posted: January 19, 2012

Battlefield is a school which has both strengths and weaknesses. Originally built as a state-of-the-art facility, it was soon realized that the building and resources were inappropriately allocated and not balanced to all student needs. Because of this the school has had to repurpose spaces. Teachers are overall competent, but many lack dedication to putting time outside of the basic requirements. The exceptions are the best in the county however. The administration is not very effective, undermining the trust of the faculty. The strength of this school comes from the students who make the school successful and continue to improve its reputation, in sciences, robotics, music, and athletics. Unfortunately despite a strong (and large ) student body, the school lacks effective traditions due to issues within the administration and faculty. Overall the school is above average, because of its test scores and extracurriculars, but these results are not the result of the school but rather the caliber of student attending the school, a factor caused by the surrounding social-economic climate.

Posted: January 9, 2012

Battlefield HS is an incredible school, the staff does a stellar job keeping our kids safe, the teachers are very high quality, they serve our children well, as evidenced by a 98% acceptance rate to Universities and Colleges each year. The counselors are very responsive to our kids, they use email predominantly and reliably to ensure we have solid communication between office visits. The Marching Band is led by one of the very best directors in the country, and they are now National Champions due to his incredible work ethic and dedication to our kids.

Posted: January 8, 2012

Overcrowding at BHS was only slightly relieved with the opening of Patriot HS this past fall. The principal just received the PWCS Principal of the Year Award, and I had to laugh when I read that she is "approachable and accessible." I tried to get a meeting with her at the beginning of the school year to discuss a time-sensitive issue, and it was like the staff created an impenetrable fortress around her. I did receive some short email responses making sure my concerns were being adressed by the five or so other staff members I was directed to, but I never met or spoke with her personally. Nice.

Posted: November 27, 2011

My son is a sophmore at BHS and we absolutely love this school. I believe the negative comments are based on parents whose children have academic or emotional challenges that would probably be better served in a different type of school setting. Our son loves the academic and athletic programs (football, wrestling, and lacrosse). We would not dream of sending him anywhere else in Prince William County.

Posted: September 17, 2011

Community wise this school is great, it gives the local area reasons to go to the games and fundraising events. However, the staff severly lacks in communication skills resulting in unruly behavior from fellow students. Teachers are defensive and closed off when it comes to talking with students and quick to use disciplinary action on rather small accounts of misconduct and do not care much to fail a student. The selection of extracurriculars are outstanding and clubs like DECA give the community a positive outlook on the school.

Posted: September 17, 2011

If you're interested in sending your child here be very wary and alert. This school has poor teacher quality who will fail your child like its their calling in life, and the administration is just as poor. Don't get me wrong my child is enrolled there and is currently involved in many after school activities that lots of colleges love to see BUT as a parent frequent trips to the school are vital teachers will NOT email you even if you staple a note to their hand that reads in big sharpie letters " Please contact me". One thing you can count on though is the teacher/administration teamwork who will try to the best of their ability keep you from making the school look bad. Teachers will tell you after they have failed your student that its the parents fault for not being involved, after not sending a single email to you throughout the school year.

Posted: August 25, 2011

So glad that the new HS is opening this year and we are in that district. The administration was awful and I agree with the comment about the security staff as well. The teachers were very poor communicators, which I think is reflective of the poor administration. So much potential and resources, just not enough good leadership!

Posted: July 21, 2011

Our oldest son was a student at Battlefield. There are some great teachers, but they also have some very poor, overly defensive faculty who seem to be there for a paycheck & not the desire to teach. The principal & leadership were disapointing compared to other schools in the County. If your child is learning diabled, locate another school as Battlefield is simply ill equipped & has proven that the focus is on the child that is doing well, not on the child that needs additional resources. Many teachers would rather fail a child having difficulty than spend the time to encourage & help a child learn. Discipline is a joke & inconsistent. The security staff is incompetent with little grasp of state law & authority. Mind you this is coming from a person with a law degree & 24 years in law enforcement. There are wonderful, polite, and friendly students at the school, however, there is a rampant drug & alcohol problem within the student population. The sports programs are on par with other schools. They have a great IT Department. Based on my experience the school was sub par & a disapointment. My two younger children will most likely attend private school as opposed to Battlefield.

Posted: February 28, 2011

We have a son at Battlefield HS. The teachers are responsive and proactive. When issues arise we are notified and coarse correction is suggested. Not sure how much more you can ask from the teaching staff. Very happy so far.

Posted: November 11, 2010

We have an award-winning marching band. They tell us that just about every day, because pretty much everything else about the school is extremely average, or even below average. The football team is actually pretty good, and the word on the street is that cheerleading is getting there, but there are no senior traditions and the rules are strangely enforced only during Spirit Week. It's average, but we have an award winning marching band.