705 Douglas Dr
Johnson City, TN 37604

Overall, Science Hill is a pretty good school, arguably the best in the area. They have a lot of different opportunities and very diversified academic paths and clubs. You can definitely tell that most teachers really care and want to give you the best education possible. Their AP and Honors classes are very good, rigorous, and can really help prep you for college (although that also depends on the teacher). They also cover the cost of AP exams if you take the class, which is quite helpful. (I personally chose the AP route, but you can also do DE.) They also offer a wide variety of clubs & extracurriculars, so it’s pretty easy to find something you’re interested in. And if you can’t, you can always start your own. Their facilities have improved a lot since I started, and they have done a lot of renovations in recent years (science labs/classrooms, bathrooms, safety, etc.)That being said, SHHS also has it’s faults. They place heavy emphasis on their CTE classes and athletics. They focus’s excessively on their recognition of athletics and don’t do a very good job at recognizing academic achievements. Their recognition is rather selective and subpar at best. Counselors are hit or miss, and mine wasn’t very helpful. There were several times Sr. year where I’d stop by to ask him a question and he either wasn’t there or wouldn’t know, and I had to ask my former counselor. A lot of my questions were also time-sensitive, so it’s not like I could just wait several days. The NiswongerCARE meeting (mandatory FAFSA/aid meeting) was rather useless, and I - personally - found it pointless.Furthermore, while they’ve been heavily stressing safety in recent years, it’s still rather flawed. The hallways are too small to accommodate the 2200+ students (overcrowding is an issue), and despite the I.D. crazy staff and hall monitors, it’s easy for anyone with enough basic knowledge of the school and it’s safety precautions to bypass that. Communication is also lacking, and has been for years. It was especially lacking my first 2 years, and - hiring someone just to improve communications has only somewhat helped.All in all, I’ve learned a lot over my 4 years, grown more independent, seen both the good and the bad of such a large school. Despite its flaws, I would still choose SHHS over the other schools in the area, and I strongly believe that it has the potential to make college a lot easier (I can earn a double major in 4 yrs).

TA offers strong academic rigor, making it a good fit for students who are traditional learners—those who excel with bookwork, follow directions, remain quiet, and have no disabilities. Students who fall outside this profile may face challenges, primarily due to inconsistent communication.Grading and TransparencyIn grades K–2, students do not receive letter grades. Third graders do, but parents cannot view individual assignment grades—only the overall average. Missing or incomplete assignments are often unknown to parents until midterm or end-of-quarter reports unless they proactively ask teachers. There is no policy requiring timely teacher responses, and in my experience, communication delays (3–5 days or no reply) made it too late to address issues. Even after multiple requests and having my child ask for missing work, we received no timely follow-up. Other parents in our class reported similar experiences, with some noting the teacher was selective in who they responded to.Grades 4–5 offer more gradebook transparency, allowing parents to view all assignments. However, these grades are described as stricter: teachers discourage parental inquiries on behalf of students, and students can lose conduct points if parents do so. Conduct points may also be deducted for behaviors tied to disabilities, such as ADD/ADHD, even when a 504 or IEP is in place. Communication and Teacher Follow-ThroughThe most significant concern was the lack of reliable communication. Our child’s teacher often presented one approach during in-person meetings but failed to follow through afterward. Email responses were inconsistent, sometimes taking several days or never arriving.School Environment and ProgramsFor students who are quiet, compliant, and require no additional support, TA can be a positive experience. Most teachers are friendly, and peer relationships are generally good. We experienced a few racial incidents, but the principal addressed them promptly.Specials are modest: art consists largely of coloring and painting, and music involves one performance per grade level.SummaryIf your child thrives under high academic expectations, learns independently, and you are comfortable with minimal or inconsistent communication from staff, TA is a strong academic choice. If your child requires additional support, accommodations, or more consistent engagement from teachers, be prepared for potential obstacles.

So far the teachers I've had have always been super sweet and kind. They're very lenient on pretty much everything from missing work to due dates for slips to dress code. They have many advanced classes like pre algebra, algebra, and honors English. Everyone there is respectful and pretty goody-goody. The school is very supportive of special needs and disabilites!