The U.S. is a huge place, and the quality of schools both public and private varies considerably depending on where you look. I went to public schools in Lansing Michigan, which is the capital but not a big city at all. Our school was old, it was mostly minority students, and in a crappy part of town. I still liked going, for all the reasons I gave before. I got to play music, I got to see my friends, and I pretty much did what I wanted to do. Yes, I had to be there, for a minimum of six hours a day or whatever. So fucking what? So did everyone else.
School, like anything else in life, is what you make of it. There are things you cannot control, but you alone decide what attitude you're going to take with you into any situation. I decided that I was gonna have a good time, and dammit, I did.