I attended Catholic school all my life. My sister attended Uniondale High for her senior year. Life is very different in Uniondale High at the honor student level. I'd say most schools out in suburbia are better than the city with the exception of Roosevelt, a slice of NYC life, I like to say. My sister taught there and it's just sad.
I went to Cardozo HS in Queens. Back then (good Heavens...is it THAT long ago?!!), there was still quite a bit of racial tension due to recently-implemented busing.
The locker rooms were gauntlets for the white girls (can't really speak for the boys). They were routinely spat upon, slapped in the backs of their heads, pushed, shoved, and beaten up. I myself had more than one incident, and I am six feet tall, was in excellent physical condition, and am fast, strong, and mean as a snake when pushed. Additionally, I also already had a bit of a reputation, i.e., "Better leave her alone; She's a crazy white girl and will beat your ass."
The other, smaller, shyer girls...they had a REAL hard time in those locker rooms.
Back then, they used to let the kids go home or out for lunch. ALL the white kids left the school at lunchtime or simply didn't take lunch at all. They never EVER went into the cafeteria. It simply wasn't safe for them.
I don't know what they do these days to separate the honors students from the rest of the school (I know many schools do that now), but even though Cardozo continues to have a great academic reputation, I can't imagine that things are any better than they were more than 20 years ago.
As for the suburban schools, well...I've seen the little darlings get released from the local High School, and I'm not exactly impressed with their behavior. I've seen plenty of bullying, though not typically along racial lines.
Regards,