| Date | Who | Comments |
| 2/3/2012 | student | I love this school. But there is one problem it is in PG county. PG does not like Bowie because the students are not stupid like in the rest of the county. On the county website they made a 2 page article on on how they will make district heights elementary (the worst school in the county) better by painting it and buying toys rather than posting that whitehall elementary became a blue ribbon( only school in the county). I wish bowie could seperate from PG and merge with Anne Arundel |
| 12/29/2011 | parent | I am a mom of a 2011 Graduate and have a freshman there now. Bowie High prepared by daughter to be very competitive for college and was accepted to her first choice school George Mason. The kids that were in the Honor Classes and involved in extra activities help make the school it's very best. In sports three (3) girls from the basketball team went on to Ivey League schools, and other athletics went on to D1 schools. Parents have to be involved with their kids and help the teachers help their kids. I can truly say Mrs. Spence set a great example and was Principle of the Year for Maryland. If we help with the problems and not be a part of them then we will have great schools across America. Mr. Trustee one of the gudiance counselors that was a very inportant part of the process from freshman - senior year, making sure the kids was on track for success. |
| 5/8/2011 | student | This school is horrible. I've enrolled into the school 2 years ago. i am now a junior. The students there do not care what so ever. the teachers do not know how to control them. In my freshman year i was originally planning on going to Eleanor Roosevelt but didn't make the science and tech program. I decided not to go the regular school and instead went to bowie high school, and tried to take the test there. the guidance teacher soon told me the school wasn't in the program. Take my mistake as an advice |
| 1/28/2011 | student | Bowie High School is a very good school and the teachers try to reach everyone the best way they can.But, the classes are very overcrowded,and i feel the teachers can do better. Sometimes the teachers don't really like to teach and i am not very fond of that. The school is just very big and some of the students that attend the school do not live in the area. This is a very nice school but for me i don't think i would want send my kids here. |
| 2/23/2010 | parent | My daughter is graduation this year. I have found that the teachers always called me back and were always trying to help her if needed. Ms. Nelson, one of the guidance counselors, is wonderful. I can't say enough good things about her. Mr. Fax, an administrator and Ms. Puller in guidance I can't say anything good about other then they were the most miserable things I have ever experienced. They are overcrowded but what school isn't. I think they do the best with what they have to work with. I commend the teachers I had contact with. They were wonderful. For PG County it is a good school. |
| 8/3/2009 | parent | The teachers and programs that Bowie offers are OUTSTANDING, however, the Administration of this school is the worst I have ever seen and I am a school administrator. The Principal does not support the activities of the students, does not return phone calls and passes issues to others when things need to be evaluated. It is truly a shame that such a wonderful school with caring parents and dedicated teachers are brought down to this level because of the Administration staff. |
| 7/15/2009 | parent | Bowie High School is a good school, the counselor Mrs. Nelson is excellent and quite helpful. I do wish the class sizes could be smaller and we could build another high school so the school would'nt be so overcrowded. |
| 7/14/2009 | student | Bowie High school in my opinion is a great school there classes and other programs are well structured thanks to the Staff As a Student From the school i am glad to be attending the school. |
| 12/28/2008 | student | this school is a nice school and personally i like what Mrs. Spence is doing with the the environment. She has improved the academics and has lowered the amount of misconduct in the school too. So Mrs. Spence, keep it up and thank you for everything. |
| 8/25/2008 | parent | I think bowie is a great school to send your child too because they get to express their creativity and express their opinions. I think teachers there are nice and teach very well. My son went to Longreach high and had a very hard problem there and he wasnt happy so I brought him to bowie he has been getting 4.0 ever since thank you Bowie |
| 4/24/2008 | parent | Bowie is a good school. It could be better if we could reduce class sizes more. |
| 4/7/2008 | parent | Summit program is excellent. If you have a child who wants to achieve they can. Plenty of extra curricular activities and opportunites to shine. Motivated students and good teachers. Bowie is a great place to be!! |
| 2/29/2008 | parent | I have found that if your child is in honors or AP classes all is well but when your child is dropped into a 'regular' class, grades suffer. The classroom kids are so out of control in the 'regular' classes that the teachers cannot teach. |
| 11/15/2007 | student | The teachers are nice and can really help if you listen and do your work. |
| 9/15/2007 | student | With the new principal, the future of Bowie seems to be shaping up. Extracirruculars are well announced with posters EVERYwhere and announcements EVERYday. The school is very much overcrowded but not as rowdy as one would expect. All in all, I have enjoyed my experience here and I feel like they are too many kids who are smart but they never put in effort but the teacher's never encourage that. Also, many teachers do not put in enough towards students but they will contact parents in a heartbeat for disciplinary problems. Also, the courses offered there are soo splendid! they Offer many AP classes and many oppurtunities to think outside your box. The core courses do need work though. |
| 5/23/2007 | student | I am a few days from graduating Bowie High, and it has certainly been a wonderful experience. For the past four years I have been in the Summit Scholar program. There has been a maximum of 25 people in my class the entire four years. Most of the time however it was about 20 students per classroom. Bowie High School is a very good school, as long as your dedicated and willing to learn. The honors program isn't as grand as it used to be, but extracurricular activites are always going on, and advertised frequently. It's true that there is not enough parent involvement, and if parents could step in, then Bowie could be an amazing school. Not to forget, the teachers are educated, the students are just unwilling to learn. |
| 2/21/2007 | parent | We moved from the area so that my second child would not have attend BHS. I lived in Bowie for a very long time and watched as the city built shopping centers, restaurants, another elementary school, etc., and ignored the needs for a new and additional high school in Bowie. BHS is an overcrowded, filthy (restrooms), uncared for school. The teachers need a refresher course on why they got into teaching to begin with. Not once have I EVER had a returned call from a message I left for a teacher or counselor. How sad. |
| 1/3/2007 | former student | I am a former student of BHS (class of 04) I did love Bowie when i went there but i was also in the performing arts program which was wonderful the music/dance teacher at the school were awesome and genuinly cared bout the students i lived to go to chorus classes everyday. on the other hand the school was extremely overcrowded and some students like myself who were eager to learn could not always do that when there were 35 students in a normal class. extracurrricular activities at the school were good and tended to keep children out of trouble. If i was not at cheerleading practice or Choir practice or rehearsing for a show i was doing homework or hanging out with friends. Overall a good place to be but not the best school |
| 6/29/2006 | parent | The school was a bad experience. I felt like no one cared the whole time I attended. The school, dispite the addition of the anex was still crowded. Extracurricular activities were hardley ever advertised.I joined Cross Country but I had to hear about it from a friend. |
| 2/28/2006 | parent | My child is a senior this year. I agree that BHS is in need of teachers that care & make learning fun. My child has had to call teachers on the carpet several times to get the grades deserved. Teachers loose assignments & tests & have no control over the students. This makes it difficult for those who really want to learn. Uncalled for! I also think there should be more time between classes for the student to speak to the teacher or go to the bathroom. There is no time to catch a teacher before or after school if you are on a bus. Over all BHS has been a plesant time in the life of my child & a few teachers have been outstanding & we should have more of those. |
| 2/28/2006 | former student | I attended bowie high myself and recently graduated. while its true that the bathrooms are a problem and everything, i think that moving the 9th graders was probably one of the best things that happened to the school. the real problem is that most parents are not involved. if your child isnt doing well- get involved, find out what the problem is, help them. the teachers cant do everything- you need to help too. when a student is in high school, learning tends to not be their top priority and they will make whatever excuses they can about why and how theyre not doing as good as you think they should. they're teenagers! lighten up! you want them to do well? then take a personal interest in making sure that they do their work. |
| 2/26/2006 | parent | Our son is a new student at Bowie High. His progam administrators have been very responsive to our phone calls and, generally, to our concerns about his academic program. Our primary concern is about the unsanitary and unsafe conditions of the bathrooms. Our son told us he hates to use them. The toilets and sinks are usually plugged up with paper towels, toilet paper, etc. In one bathroom, one of the stall doors is missing. Apparently, the bathrooms are also a place for students to hang out and smoke. This has been confirmed to us by other students who attend Bowie High and by other parents of students who attend Bowie. Our other kids attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School which has as many students, if not more, than BHS. The bathrooms there were always clean and the staff made sure the bathrooms were safe. |
| 12/19/2005 | parent | I think Bowie is a great school. My daughter had been in Catholic school all her life and I was a little afraid of sending her to public school. She entered Bowie as a freshman this year, she loves it and I am pleased. I think it's amazing how well they manage all those children. Also, I love mygradebook.com. If your child is not doing well in school you will know well in advance, there are no surprises. |
| 11/23/2005 | parent | Bowie High School is terrible. All three of my teenagers go to different schools (DuVal,Bowie,and Roosevelt) and my bowie child is learning NOTHING. Personally i think bowie needs brand new teachers who actually care about their students education. My ninth grader is the one at bowie, he is in the annex and he says that if he needs to talk to the principal he can only do it when it is time for his class over at the main building. He also says that getting to the main building and back for his next class his hectic. When he gets over to the main building he's late for that class and when he gets back over to the annex his teachers still mark him tardy. |
| 10/7/2005 | parent | The previous review doesn't take into account any of the many improvements made this fall in Bowie. Moving 9th graders into a separate building has significantly reduced class size. The opening of a new middle school has eliminated overcrowding and should help incoming freshman be even better prepared for the rigors of high school. It is true that Bowie has experienced growing pains during the past few years due to a building boom, but it is quite possible for students who are willing to apply themselves to get a high quality education, particularly with involved parents. The problem some seem to find most objectionable in Bowie's educational system is that the racial balance has shifted from majority white to majority brown/black. Although some acknowledge and appreciate the opportunity to interact with a diverse community and student body, it is considered objectionable by those who prefer a more homogeneous, caucasian-dominated environment. |
| 9/22/2005 | parent | I agree with the previous parent...the problem is PG-county. I went to BHS a long time ago, and it was great. Now its over-crowded (designed for 1500 kids, 3500+ kids now), and under-funded. No air-conditioning, a trailer-park-SEA behind the school for more class space. Bowie has the highest tax base in PG, yet has one of the oldest schools in PG. Bowie had to fight for 2 decades before PG would allow Bowie to have a Auditorium, the parents even offered to raise the money privately, but the county said that would not be fair to the rest of the county. It is obvious to Bowie residents that the school board has no interest in up-keeping BHS. I would think twice about sending my kids to BHS or even consider moving into Bowie, the entire area is in a downward-spiral. |
| 9/22/2005 | former student | There are outstanding opportunities at Bowie High for those parents and students willing to work hard. Yes, the facility is old. At the beginning of any school year there is a 'leveling period' where classroom size can be high or low. Some parents wait until the last minute to register their kids and it causes problems. Teachers are now required to be on email and using mygradebook.com If someone is not responding, re-send the email but this time copy their department chair, vice principal and principal. Bowie's 9th graders are now housed at a different building. This has been wonderful for everyone. There is excellent control over the 9th graders. Also this year, window air conditioning has been installed in classrooms. Reducing the overcrowding and having better climate control makes a huge difference in the educational process. Quit complaining, go volunteer in the school - see what I see: hard working students and teachers. |
| 9/19/2005 | former student | Academically it wasn't very challenging. The art music and sports programs are wonderful. I don't believe there is a lot of parental involvement. |
| 9/14/2005 | parent | With one child a current student & another a graduate who is doing well in college, I can attest that Bowie High School is providing a well-rounded, academically challenging education to students & families who take advantage of what is offered there. With almost 3000 kids, parents MUST show some interest so that their child will as well. There are very active sports teams, ROTC, art & music programs, serious student government, etc. There are academic opportunities ranging from AP to remedial & teachers who inspire. The best thing about Bowie High is that the kids come out prepared for the real world - where many different kinds of people live, where all bosses are not perfect & where opportunities are available for those who put out the effort & enthusiasm to get somewhere in life. This large public school is one of the best kept secrets in Maryland. |
| 8/1/2005 | former student | Wonderful new performing arts center. Great high school in the heart of Bowie, Maryland. |
| 6/6/2005 | parent | Bowie is a good school and the Summit Scholar Program is outstanding. Summit students are only admitted after passing a rigorous test and the curriculum and teaching staff compare to most private high schools. |
| 4/19/2005 | parent | I would have to agree with alot of the parents who are stating that the teachers and counselors do not care. My son has been having trouble since he got there and ever time I called the guidance counselor, he had a very uncaring attitude. He two told me that it would be several weeks before I could have a meeting with his teachers. And when I sent a letter to all of his teachers; instead of calling me, they asked him want I wanted. And when I did have a conference with the teachers; the classes he was have a problem with did not show up at the conference. In addition, I had to ask the guidance counselor was there tutoring. I am really disappointed in this school and really wish I could have my child attend elsewhere! |
| 3/13/2005 | student | I am a 16-year-old student at Bowie High School. Bowie has an overwhelming variety of extra curricular activites and the sports programs, as far as I know, are satisfactory, if not excellent. Although the school has hundreds of intelligent and decicated students, as well as committed and caring teachers, the population can sometimes be a stunt in Bowie's academic growth. We have about 3,000 kids and class sizes can get pretty large. However, the Advanced Placement courses more than make up for the lack of space and staff attention in other classrooms. Bowie is, by far, the best school I have ever attended and I am looking forward to my graduation in 2006. |
| 1/27/2005 | student | Bowie would've never even been an option for me, if I had not discovered the Summit program. The class sizes are realtively small, the teachers are intelligent, and personable, the curriculum is interesting, the level is hard, the workload is immense and I'm loving it. The faculty teaches us on a higher level and treats us like the adults we will soon become. Now, as far as the rest of the school goes... I wouldn't know. Summit students are kept within their kind for all core classes. The brief experiences I have in elective classes show the teachers to be competent. The class sizes are quite large, though, and as far as safety and discipline is concerned, it's hard to keep nearly 3,000 teenagers under control. The hallways are a daily struggle. The principal? I think I've seen him twice. The bathrooms, cafeteria, etc.? Disgusting. Main point: Summit? Definitely, absolutely. Bowie itself? Eh... decent. |
| 1/13/2005 | former student | I went to Bowie only for about 4 months but I found no problems with 'gangs' and I got in trouble and they called my parents each end every single time I got in trouble. |
| 12/11/2004 | student | I go to bowie right know I'm having a grate time but the one thing I don't like is that it is very overcrowded I do like all my teachers and i have sraight A's. |
| 11/15/2004 | parent | My son is in the SUMMIT program at Bowie high school and is getting a great education. This highly competitive academic program offers a select number of students the opportunity to have advanced level classes and thoroughly prepare for the advance placement exams. Granted there are many things wrong and other things could use serious improvement, but if your child wants to learn, the teachers at Bowie high will teach and administrators are very responsive. It is really up to you the parents to give your child a learning environment at home. This will translate to a lifelong pursuit of learning. |
| 11/13/2004 | former student | BHS is an not as good as they say they are the over population in the school is obvious as soon as you step foot into the building as many have said teachers will never return phone calls until their is no chance to assist your child meaning they'll wait till the end of the quarter every since the work to rule was in place their are no longer tutors and all the teachers have to say is their not getting paid enough I myself was on the football team something I noticed was how half the team dropped out because of grades. |
| 8/22/2004 | parent | You have to use very hard core tactics with the faculty at BHS. I had to frog march my daughter to the Principals office and demand that she be put into detention when I caught her skipping school. Wish we had an alternative, but I refuse to go to the base school, Duval, which is even worse! As a parent, I want to collaborate with other parents to make things right. We just make sure we stay ontop of our daughters curriculum and maintain a one on one email relationship with as many of the teachers as possible. The key is to become a real aggressive nuisance to the faculty. Worked for us! |
| 8/22/2004 | parent | Being affiliated with Prince George's County Public Schools is the biggest problem with BHS - end of the list for improvements/needed supplies. New schools are built yet students in some BHS classes are lacking in basic needs like text books and even having a desk to sit in! I believe most teachers at BHS do their best to deal w/difficult situations that the PGCPS administration chooses to ignore by being 'politically correct' and catering to the district majority. |
| 8/19/2004 | parent | This will be my child's first year at Bowie High School. So far, the staff has been very helpful and efficient. Ms. Millstead, the guidance counselor, is very organized and registered my son although his transfer paperwork was incomplete. She told me not to worry and that she would take care of what's missing. I really hope that more parents can add positive feedback about Bowie to this website. Its up to the parents to get involved in their child's school, period. Stay positive parents and let's make Bowie High one of the best high schools in PG County this year and beyond. |
| 5/11/2004 | parent | We move to Bowie for the schools. Big mistake. While the cost of housing is raising, the education is going down the hill. Bowie High School is an example of it. Teachers don't care, they don't like their jobs, and it shows. Students in trouble get no help, the curriculum is very poor, excellent students are not challenge. You can call and call, they will never answer the phone, if you leave a message, they dont call back. Communication is definetely off in that school. I wouldnt recommend this school at all. Headaches and more headaches, very similar to Largo and Suitland High School. The principal and the administrators are very careless about your child. Do not make the mistake of putting your child there. You will regret it. Your child will be bored and turn to the wrong crowd, that it seems like it is in every corner of that school. |
| 3/29/2004 | parent | Bowie was at once a good school but now they have a lot to hide. class size is 35+ many times they don't have enough desks for students. Assaults and other crimes are not reported to the parents and they never want to use the word gang. It's just a group of kids. Kids are being hurt, they won't admit there is a problem, so the problem continues to get worse. Good luck! My daughter is coming out now while she's still alive! |
| 2/14/2004 | parent | My son was not doing well so I called the guidance dept. to set up appointments with his teachers. Guidance told me it would be 6 weeks before the meetings could take place. |
| 8/11/2003 | former student | I went to Bowie and things were very shabby. The counselors never saw their students and the teaching staff is very limited. They school participation is very low |
