VVHS FAQ

FAQ for VVHS

  1. What is Valley View High School (VVHS)?
    1. Valley View High School is an alternative education setting for students in the Blue Springs School District, housed at the Hall McCarter Education Center, 5000 NW Valley View Road, Blue Springs, MO 64015. Valley View serves students grades 9-12 with a focus on upper classmen.

  2. What does “alternative setting” mean?
    1. Alternative setting means many things; VVHS has a much smaller environment than traditional high schools with a student body of 200 students. This unique opportunity allows staff to focus on relationship building with students to really get to know them and support them in the most effective individualized plan for each student. Additionally, VVHS is a trauma sensitive school with each staff trained to support students with a variety of needs.

  3. Who attends Valley View?
    1. Any student who attends grades 9-12 in the Blue Springs School District is eligible to apply. The majority of VVHS students are credit deficient and need an alternative setting to graduate on time. Students who are struggling in the traditional campus setting of the larger high schools might also be good candidates to attend Valley View.

  4. What do I do if I want to attend Valley View?
    1. The first step is to speak with your current high school counselor to discuss if VVHS may be suitable for you. If a decision is made to move forward, you and your family complete a simple application process and confirm with counselor.

  5. What are the times for VVHS and is transportation provided?
    1. VVHS starts at 7:45 am and dismisses at 2:00 pm. VVHS follows the district calendar for attendance days, holidays, etc.
    2. For students needing transportation, bus service is provided. Students will ride the bus to their sending high school and then ride a shuttle bus to Valley View. This process is reversed in the afternoon.
    3. Students with transportation are allowed to drive to school and park in the north lot spaces. Students must purchase a parking pass and/or transfer an existing one. Parents are also allowed to drop off/pick up.

  6. How long will I attend Valley View?
    1. When students transfer to Valley View, they are committed to attending VVHS for the remainder of the current school year. At the end of the year, if a student would like to return to their sending school the following year, both schools will complete an evaluation to determine the best option. Students currently attending VVHS have a spot as long as they are regularly attending.

  7. What about graduation?
    1. Students who attend VVHS will participate in Valley View’s graduation ceremony and activities. The only exception is students who have completed 7 semesters at their sending school, these students can participate in their sending school’s graduation ceremony. ALL Missouri Option students participate in Valley View’s graduation ceremony. All diplomas are issued from the sending schools, not VVHS.

  8. What about lunches, grades, extracurricular activities?
    1. VVHS has a regular school cafeteria and BSSD lunch accounts are the same.
    2. Grades are entered into PowerSchool and are updated weekly. Parents are able to log in to access accounts, contact teachers, and see student grades.
    3. Students are eligible to participate in any extracurricular activities at their sending schools as long as they meet participation criteria and requirements set by the sending schools/DESE/MSHSSA.
    4. VVHS students are eligible to apply for and participate in Blue Springs CIC and Ft. Osage CTC programs.

  9. I just moved to the Blue Springs School District; how can I get my child enrolled at VVHS?
    1. A student will first need to be enrolled at his/her sending school based on home address, either Blue Springs High School or Blue Springs South High School. Once enrolled, contact your student’s sending school counselor to discuss the need to attend VVHS. The counseling team will discuss the request and make a recommendation.

  10. Does Valley View offer virtual learning?
    1. No, there is no virtual learning option offered at Valley View.

  11. Does Valley View have summer school?
    1. Yes, VVHS has summer school sessions aligning with BSSD schedule.

  12. We have submitted a VVHS application, what happens now?
    1. Students transfer to VVHS quarterly. VVHS will contact you to set up an orientation meeting with the student, parent and VVHS staff. Both parent and student must attend the orientation before starting at Valley View.

  13. How does Valley View help credit-deficient students get back on track and graduate on time?
    1. Encouraging both academic and personal development, VVHS utilizes a variety of approaches to create a supportive learning environment and reduce obstacles to student success. VVHS provides all school supplies and most student work is completed on campus. Attendance is crucial to a student’s success at Valley View High School.
    2. Unlike the traditional 18-week semester, VVHS rotates classes quarterly (every 9 weeks) which allows more credits to be earned in a school year than a typical high school. VVHS also offers credit recovery opportunities and other methods to get back on track.

  14. What are the different programs and services at Hall McCarter?
    1. Hall McCarter Education Center is home to several district programs and services. All programs operate independently, are separate, and do not interact.
      • Valley View High School, including Missouri Option
      • Blue Springs Adult Education
        • Community program for adults (age 17+) who are preparing for the HiSet tests
      • Applied Innovation Middle School (AIMS)
        • Alternative program for 8th grade BSSD students, focusing on experiential, and/or hands-on learning
      • Suspension School Program
        • Middle and High School program for BSSD students placed on long-term suspension, allowing credits to be earned in a school setting
      • Nail Tech
        • Ft. Osage CTC program for students working towards their Nail Technician license