Hi, I’m Hannah, and I’m an American. (Pause for boos.) I grew up going to public school in Massachusetts, but I’ve lived and traveled all over since then, and I have friends in many different states. One thing that’s always struck me is how different my experience growing up was compared to that of my friends, especially those from other states.
Graduate smiling, holding diploma, wearing graduation cap surrounded by celebratory crowd
Turns out, things are MASSIVELY different in different states and even different schools within states. Public schools are publicly funded, but since part of that funding comes from local property tax, places with residents of higher tax brackets will end up with much nicer schools. Beyond that, industry, cultural, and political differences will have a huge influence. While some things feel universal to the American public school experience, other things — like sex education, arts and theater programs, what electives are offered, and even what buildings look like — are extremely varied.
Empty science laboratory with wooden cabinets, black countertops, and storage shelves. The room is clean and organized, awaiting use
My high school was in a fairly wealthy town, and it had great academics, but it was also a one-story building (except the library) that was overall wildly outdated. (They’ve since torn down and rebuilt the school.) I remember learning my California friends had high school “campuses” with classes in different buildings — meanwhile, we had three minutes in between classes and didn’t even have time to go to our lockers, let alone another building. Also, I had friends who could leave for lunch??? We had like 25 minutes and there was nowhere even to go in my small town. We also had a whole area of our school that was just modulars. We had a pretty standard gym, but we spent most gym classes doing ’80s workout videos in the hallway and sharing one Wii to do Wii sports on a tiny TV the teacher would wheel in. We certainly didn’t have a pool or a whole sports stadium, though we did have a football field and some other sports fields with metal bleachers. I’m not trying to complain — many public schools are far, FAR worse — but it was also wild to hear about schools with million-dollar stadiums, gym equipment (we didn’t have anything even close to a weight machine, to my memory), and multiple floors.
If you want to see some photos to demonstrate, keep on scrollin’!
1.Check out the gym of this public school in Illinois.
Side-by-side images of upgraded high school sports facilities: a spacious gym with a basketball court and a fitness room with treadmills and bikes
2.This Texas school literally built its school building around the football field.
Outdoor stadium with a marching band setup. Large historic building in the background under a dramatic sky
3.Money spent on sports facilities does not mean any money is spent on the school building, though! Check out this school in Ohio.
School hallway with orange lockers, a damaged wall, and exposed ceiling. A fire extinguisher is mounted on the wall
4.For example, here’s where the budget for a planned renovation at a public school in Minnesota is going.
Pie chart showing allocation: 49% Gym Addition, 41% Stadium & Fields, 10% Wrestling Room
5.The rural Midwest is a whole different experience. This public high school in Ohio has a “drive your tractor to school” day.
Several tractors parked in a school parking lot with a building in the background
6.Some public high schools are so nice that they look like castles, like this one in Washington.
Historic, castle-like brick building with tall turrets and detailed architecture, under a clear sky. People and trees visible nearby
7.This public school from Virginia is also pretty beautiful.
A large crowd gathers around an elegant, multi-story building with a grand staircase and lush greenery, likely for a significant event or ceremony
8.As is this public school in Arkansas.
Historic school building with an elegant facade, surrounded by trees and a reflective pool in front
9.Then there’s this public Colorado school with, according to this article, “five buildings, a quad for outdoor gatherings, eight tennis courts, pickleball courts, two large soccer/football/lacrosse fields, three full-size basketball courts, a softball field, and a baseball field.” Oh, and “Performing Arts Center includes a theatre with a music classroom, rehearsal spaces, and a stagecraft workshop for building sets.”
Aerial view of a large modern school campus with multiple buildings, green courtyards, and nearby residential area
10.On the other extreme, there’s this strip mall public charter high school in Florida, though, to be fair, this appears to be more of an alternative program to gain a high school diploma than a traditional high school.
Shopping plaza at night with Sheeler High School sign lit up on a building
11.Going to public school in the South seems like a gamble. You get massive sports stadiums, or you get a Confederate flag on your doors, like at this Virginia public high school.
Two images of Hurley High School with Confederate flags on doors and a sign, labeled “Home of the Rebels,” noting donor clubs and class of 1978
12.Public schools should be nonpartisan, but that didn’t stop teachers in Texas from writing this after the 2012 election.
Whiteboard text: Students with 85%+ grades give 30% of their grade to those with 65% or lower
13.This Texas school was straight-up sexist.
Quote on wall above lockers: “The more you act like a lady, the more he’ll act like a gentleman.”
14.The rules seem a little more…well, evangelical in the south. This public school in Texas punished students for “PDA.” It was two kids holding pinkies.
School note: Student held pinkies with another student in the hallway, during passing period, without causing injury. No demerits/points given
15.And this public school in Mississippi sent a letter home after a male student wore earrings.
Text notification reminding that male students cannot wear earrings at school, requesting adherence to this policy
16.These pamphlets were given to a kid who went to middle and high school in Virginia, but really, they could be from any state…and not just in the South.
A collection of pamphlets about abstinence and healthy relationships, featuring various headlines and images
17.Here’s what a library in Florida looks like after all the book bans.
Library shelves covered with blue sheets, labeled “Biography” and “Fiction”, with a colorful reading chart on the right. Banners hang from the ceiling
18.Here, you can also see banned books being removed from a public school in Texas.
Two people in casual jackets walk through a bookstore entrance, carrying a wheeled container
19.Other schools actually label and celebrate books that have been banned in other parts of the US.
Library bookshelf with “Banned Books” sign and caution tape. Several books displayed behind, hinting at a banned books theme or event
20.California was the first state to offer free school lunches to every public school student, and honestly, they look delicious. Why can’t every state do this?
A bowl filled with rice, edamame, cucumber, red pepper, marinated beef, shredded carrots, radish, and topped with sesame seeds and green onions
21.Here’s another free California public school lunch.
A person holds a cafeteria tray with cucumber slices, radishes, avocado, grapefruit, and a foil-wrapped item, possibly a sandwich
22.This is another yummy-looking school lunch, this time from a public middle school in Vermont that makes use of farm-to-school initiatives.
School lunch tray with salad, bread, pasta with sauce, milk carton, orange, and a serving of cauliflower on a green tray
23.Meanwhile, here’s a school lunch from New Jersey.
Plates of tortilla chips topped with melted cheese are lined up on a counter
24.I may have gone to school in Massachusetts, but this Illinois public school lunch looks extremely familiar to me.
A slice of pizza with melted cheese on a plate next to a small packet of dried cranberries
25.I was today years old when I learned some public high schools have literal stores in them. (We just had a couple of people in hairnets.) This one’s in Texas.
Interior of a mall or school with a closed pizza and sandwich shop, a few people standing near tables in the background
26.At this school in North Carolina, if kids don’t have enough money, they can’t eat. And their food will get THROWN AWAY.
Summarized text content: Starting Tuesday, November 1, 2022, high schoolers cannot charge meals in the cafeteria. If unable to pay, trays will be discarded unless saved items are allowed
27.This school in Arizona is treating kids like cattle.
A person’s arm with a faint tattoo of the letters “MUNCH.”
28.This Texas high school literally has a shooting range.
A hallway with a warning sign on a door; a separate image shows stacked boxes of rifles in a room
29.And this public elementary school in Texas has a sign that the staff is armed.
Sign at Wills Point ISD warns staff are armed, trained, and will use necessary force to protect students
30.They also have signs like this in Ohio.
School zone sign warning that staff members are authorized to carry firearms
31.Other public schools, like this one in New York, check every single student’s bag for gun safety…because our country won’t pass actual gun safety laws.
Notice sign stating “Attention: No vehicles on sidewalk.” People are lined up along the building, and someone is walking on the sidewalk with a backpack
32.This elementary school in Oklahoma deals with school safety by having bulletproof shelters.
A small interior room with sturdy walls, resembling a personal storm shelter, is situated indoors with visible ceiling lights above
33.This school in Alabama has a corporal punishment consent form for parents to sign. For ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.
Corporal punishment consent form with options to permit or decline the use of corporal punishment as discipline, and a guardian certification checkbox
34.Sticking with Alabama, this Alabama school raffled off guns in a school fundraiser.
Two raffle tickets offering chances to win firearms or a suppressor, benefiting a school trip to Washington D.C. in April
35.Schools have huge differences regarding the quality of the books and supplies. Here are some textbooks from an Oklahoma public school.
Stack of worn, damaged textbooks titled “America: History of Our Nation” on a wooden table near a white wall
36.Other schools, like this one in New York, are just throwing away their perfectly good books.
Multiple dumpsters filled with discarded algebra and geometry textbooks outside a building
37.Teachers are usually responsible for providing their own classroom supplies in any state in the US. Sometimes, schools will do some sort of fundraiser for them — like at this South Dakota school, where teachers competed in football helmets for dollars with their hands tied. I don’t know about you, but this photo feels dystopian to me.
People in helmets and casual outfits gather on an ice rink, collecting money scattered on a carpet
38.In other cases, parents are expected to buy all the supplies, like at this school in Ohio.
Kindergarten Supply List 2023-2024 with general instructions and itemized lists for all students, boys, and girls. Includes specific notes about donations and packaging
39.Having teachers and parents provide supplies doesn’t always mean the school doesn’t have the money. Sometimes schools are overspending on sports facilities or gadgets. Like this school in Tennessee.
A large blank display screen mounted above a set of double doors in a public building
40.Conservatives are soooo worried about bathroom safety — and then this is what their school bathrooms look like. This one is in Ohio, which went for Trump in the last election.
Public restroom stall with an open door, revealing a toilet with a black seat. The floor and wall tiles are light-colored
41.I don’t have the state for this one, but it’s apparently in a top public high school in the Midwest. Maybe this is the kind of bathroom issue we should be focusing on.
Accessible restroom with toilet, sink, grab bar, soap dispenser, and paper towel holder. Concrete floor; items on counter
42.In a happier photo, this public elementary school in Colorado makes sure kids feel welcome.
Classroom entrance with welcoming and inclusive posters on the wall promoting diversity, human rights, and kindness
43.On another positive note, public schools in New York are required to have free pads and tampons for fourth grade and up.
Sanitary pad and tampon dispenser on a brick wall, offering free products
44.Some schools care about the environment, like this public school in Massachusetts that uses electric schoolbuses.
Yellow school bus labeled “Amherst Public Schools” on a street; a sign reads “100% electric.”
45.Other schools care more about their state economy…and not in a good way. If you go to a public school in Kentucky, you might get coal propaganda in your homework.
Activity sheet titled “The Advantages of Coal” with illustrations about coal as an energy source. It includes text and a fill-in-the-blank exercise
46.Back during the pandemic, some schools did NOT take social distancing seriously. This photo is from a public high school in Tennessee with no distancing and very few kids in masks.
A crowded indoor space with people talking and mingling
47.This public school in Texas is wildly packed not just during the post-pandemic era but at all times — and it looks like a major safety hazard to me.
Crowded school hallways filled with students walking and standing, creating a busy and bustling atmosphere
48.Some schools are teaching things that are vastly out of date. This school in Nevada is using BILL COSBY as an example for Black History Month.
u/Januszek_Zajaczek / Via reddit.com
49.Other schools are just blatantly teaching using AI.
Hand holding a paper with text about improving audience engagement and evaluating pacing and emotional appeal in a scene. Note: “ChatGPT can make mistakes.”
50.Or they’re teaching straight-up religious misinformation, like at this private school in Texas.
Summary of a document discussing scientists’ claims about dinosaurs, evolution, and God’s creation, referencing John 1:3 from the Bible
51.This Florida school is apparently helping eighth graders become eligible for their hunting licenses. (This kid also said they live in a city.)
Letter and ID card regarding completion of a Florida virtual hunter safety course, mentioning opportunities for outdoor activities
52.On the other hand, some public schools in California teach you actually helpful things, like how to file taxes, and I wish my school did this.
W-2 form for 2008 showing wages, tips, and other compensation, with personal and employer details blurred for privacy
53.And finally, I’ve found that different high schools present different after-college options VERY differently. For instance, many high schools really, really push joining the military. This high school in Ohio is constantly advertising joining the army to students, including on their parking passes.
Card in car with text: “Earn Up To 100% College Tuition” and contact number for more info
What was your American high school like? Let us know in the comments!
