Welcome to Hillside High School

Congratulations Mrs. Bullock

Mrs. Ronda Bullock  was honored as the Teacher of the Year.

“This award could have gone to a number of teachers because Hillside is a home to great educators. It is truly an honor to be chosen as Teacher of the Year by my colleagues. I am blessed to be among a supportive faculty and staff”

      -Mrs. Bullock
Read More...   Congratulations Teacher Of The Year

Why Choose Hillside

Hillside provides a comprehensive instructional program to meet the demands of its students. The school offers a wide range of Advanced Placement courses and the International Baccalaureate Programme. The Science department maintains an active relationship with several Research Triangle facilities. The school is also the site for a specialized Business and Finance Academy. Students may study electronics, food service, cosmetology, and child care through the Workforce Development courses, as well as traditional business classes. Highly specialized or advanced courses which may not be available to most high school students are taught electronically through the Distance Learning Lab and the Virtual High School. The Arts Department enjoys a fine reputation, and Hillside students have performed nationally and internationally. For the most part, classes at the school follow a block  schedule, although a few specialized classes are on a  modified block schedule.

Hillside: The Real Story

Talk with Student Government President Racquel Bethea and you will hear about caring teachers who push students to succeed.  Listen to new Principal Hans Lassiter and the commitment to accelerating progress for all students is evident.  Read about Hillside graduate John Lyons and his Harvard scholarship and understand that students can and do get a great education at this high school.

Hillside High School evokes conflicting thoughts.  At one time a judge threatened to close the school for poor performance on certain state tests.  In 2008-09, the school made expected growth and it was no longer in danger of being low-performing.

It has one of the most rigorous academic programs to be found in high schools—the International Baccalaureate program, and students are completing that program and earning the IB diploma.  At the same time, the low-performing label the school wore at one point is still present in the minds of some in the community. 

Those who think that Hillside students drop out at a much higher rate than other schools may be surprised to learn that Hillside’s numbers are in line with the rest of the district and in fact, two other traditional high schools in Durham have higher dropout rates in the last reporting in 2007-08.  Eighty Hillside students dropped out in that year. 

The same hold true for school crime and violence numbers.  According to the state report, Hillside had fewer incidents of crime and violence than four of Durham’s other traditional high schools. 

We encourage anyone who is interested in Hillside to contact the school to arrange a visit and to talk with parents and students who actually have experience with the school.  It’s a new day at the school, and you’ll want to see it for yourself! 

Links

DPS Parent's Home Page

The Hornet's Sting

Webmail

National Alumni Association of Hillside High School (NAAHHS)