Hickory Plan in Gordon Village by McGuinn Homes
Camden, SC 29020

My son’s experience at Camden High has been mostly positive. Most teachers genuinely care about their students and give kids opportunities to challenge themselves. The school has strong safety measures, including buzz-in access and metal detectors. The counselors have been amazing. Clubs and sports are supportive, especially the bigger programs like football, baseball, volleyball, and basketball.That said, the JROTC program has been a bit of an issue. The instructors play favorites and can be negative toward students who don’t dedicate every second to the class. Administration doesn’t always fully address it. They are one class I say if you have your child do this, keep a close eye on them because things can change very quickly and dramatically.The student environment can be challenging. Some students cheat, steal, vape, or bring substances to school, but staff are very strict about phone use — which can feel inconsistent. I also wish there were more field trips, especially for seniors.Overall, Camden High has strong academics, great extracurriculars, and caring staff, but like any school, there are areas that could be improved.

My son went here for 7th and 8th grade and we had a pretty good experience. The principal at this time is amazing and he is also a coach for certain sports, so he is an all-hands type of person. They have a pretty good atmosphere; it is a middle school so even if you have some great children obviously some like to push it. It's the age and time these kids start testing boundaries and I believe the school handles it well. There was an incident about a child making threats to my son and the school quickly took charge and they were the ones to contact me that these things were happening, and they quickly involved law enforcement as needed. This shows that they don't take bullying lightly. Sports, the kids are all very tight knit in sports, and their coaches hold them accountable and display great sportsmanship. Teachers will communicate with you and were great teachers.

My 2 children have both attended CES since K4 with no issues. We have always been strong supporters & volunteers. That has since ended with the hiring of the new Principal, Mrs. Pryzbyla, we have seen a downward, negative shift in the school environment to the point we & a few other families have removed our children from the school. Mrs. Pryzbyla does NOT care to get to know the children or the parents, & when parents bring concerns to her multiple times (by appt) she does NOTHING to address them. We asked to have our son switched to another classroom & was told she REFUSED to switch ANY student NO MATTER WHAT the situation was. We also went to the KCSC Office looking for help & spoke with Mr. Hopkins who tried to resolve the problem but for a PRINCIPAL to tell a DISTRICT DIRECTOR she won't do something- should be classified as insubordination. But it was never even blinked at. I am writing this because I want other parents to know how we were treated. How CES & KCSD did nothing to help. Change needs to happen at that school & it needs to start with hiring a new Principal.