The Center School

This is a Seattle hidden gem! Most don't know that it is a public school. The size of the school is so small in comparison to standard Seattle public high schools. For all grades combined, the student population is anywhere from 165-226 - depending on the school year. My child entered the school as a sophomore - having attended a much bigger high school in the area where they were not known by teachers, lost in the hectic energy of the environment and overall anonymous. The location is on the third floor of the Armory which is located in The Seattle Center. There are so many advantages of this location - the extra layer of safety from the Armory security guards, the variety of food options, and the access to on-site theater and art events for student field trips. The transportation can be a challenge but many have learned to use the Metro bus - often meeting up at bus stops and traveling together to- and from school. Others are dropped off/picked up by caregivers or do a mix of public transportation and car rides. The teachers are warm and welcoming and I would say are excellent at reaching kids who may be neurodivergent, formerly bullied or simply introverted. The principal and staff are responsive, approachable and accessible. A few things to note - there is no P.E. (credit can be earned for extracurricular sports or simply logging the student's daily walks to the bus); there is no orchestra/band; and there is no after school sports. Send your artsy, fun-loving, introverted/extroverted theatre/art kids to this school - they will thrive here.

My kid has been thriving at Center, and we're really happy with our choice to send her here. Unlike my own large highschool experience where I felt quite anonymous, the teachers seem to really know the kids, and my kid has not had a teacher yet that she doens't love or like a lot. She is advancing well in all subjects, including subjects which are not her favorites (A's in math and science - a first). I like that student leadership is encouraged, and there is a rich array of clubs and activities. I was worried that as an academically strong kid a small school might not have enough challenge, but I'm finding that the teachers are doing a good job of giving her extra challenges when needed. My kid is an artist, so the arts integration is also a huge draw. I love the diversity of the school in terms of sexual orientation, student expression and neurodiversity; my introverted, neurodiverse kid feels very at home here. The only thing I wish could be improved is more regular communication from the principal, however, there is a great little PTA and they do their best to provide communication and build community. Do check out TCS!

Terrible school with a few really good teachers and a terrible principal that ruins it all. She never takes ownership of the mishaps that occur in the school and thinks she’s above it all. Negative experience after negative experience and my child is miserable. We were really excited to be at this school but the management of it ruins it and that can only fall on the principal’s feet and of course she takes zero responsibility for it. Huge disappointment. 1 star only for the few good teachers we have had.

My twins started out so excited to be at the this school. It sounded good on paper. The kids in the program were creative, interesting and smart but many are drug involved and we learned that the school does very little to supervise and support them. One parent told me he didn't know his kid had a problem until the principal produced documents trying to get him kicked out of the school instead of informing him when the issue was originally discovered so the dad could have sought appropriate support for his son. The Spanish teacher was terrible and they learned almost nothing in his class. The principal would not address my concerns about him and was rude and dismissive. One of the humanities teachers gave writing assignments that were very difficult to understand. My child said she always seemed too busy and stressed out to answer questions. She took forever to return rough drafts so my child had little direction on how to improve. They LOVED the science teacher and he was the reason they finished out ninth grade. On the few occasions I interacted with the guidance counselor she was rude and abrupt. I know know that option schools are not necessarily better. Since we moved to another high school in the district, my kids are much happier. The administration at their current school is warm, caring and goes the extra mile. I'm sorry we wasted a year on the Center School.

My in law had a terrible education here. They didn't know how to write an essay until I showed them how! Math and science were terrible as well. This person had even told me the school does alright with testing because the teachers help them on the tests. If I were this person's parent, I would be appalled that they let my child graduate with a failing report card. They gave this person "extra credit" for things they didn't do just so they would "pass" and the school wouldn't have to deal with yet another drop out. NEVER EVER SEND YOU CHILD HERE!