M 32 W W
Alpena, MI 49707

I transferred out of this school. The hallways are crowded and at lunch time if you are running behind, you will not have a good selection of food. They will not give you food unless you can pay. I would have friends begging me for my lunch. Additionally, this school has a LAUGHABLE policy on bullying. If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community (ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE TRANS) then you need to stay in the closet. The staff do nothing to protect it's students. There is no repercussions for bullying, they tell you it's your fault for being x,y,z. And if you are suffering from mental illness, they are incredibly uncaring of it. Dress codes only apply to those who are deemed unattractive, and a friend once got kicked out of a dance because the "rash" on her arm was "obviously scabies". It was eczema. The nurse will ignore you, and if you open up to the counsellors, they will make your life miserable. They force you to go off site and pay $300 for a counselor. They don't always let you get your inhaler if you need it, and they count each class against you instead of a day. I transferred out of that horrible place to the alternative school and instantly went from failing to straight A's. If you require any amount of compassion or have issues with high stress environments, you need to run as fast as you can out of this school. The building is always cold in the winter and they refuse to use AC in the summer. You will NOT have enough time to go to your locker. Many people never go to it because there is no time. When the last class ends, you have approximately 5 minutes to get from one end of campus to the other and on your bus, otherwise they will leave you there. Bus drivers are also jerks in this town. It is 50/50 if you will get one who doesn't mind kids or one that will forbid ALL speaking. The only upside to this school is that is is not religious. Some of the teachers in this district are questionable, a few have been accused of, shall we say, "inappropriate relationships with students". Some of the teachers are amazing, but only some. If you are attractive, straight, and sporty, you will do well here. If not, good luck. I personally hated every second of this school district, and I am so thankful that I transferred out of it.

If you're considering Ella White, I'll save you the trouble. Far too many issues to deal with and they lost their principal who could have turned it around. Far too many problem students and outnumbered/under sourced staff. Not worth the risk to your child's safety, social/emotional well-being and love of learning.

I love the teachers at TBJHS and the support staff! Most of them are very caring and engaging with their students and families if you wish to be. I have 2 children that have gone through this school. Junior high is tough. The staff there made the struggles easier and were very responsive to any inquiries or concerns i had. Transition to high school was tough after being in such an engaging school.