5671 Willowmere Ln
San Diego, CA 92130

Great high school. One of the best in California. Had two students recently graduate and the transition to college was easy, both scholastically and socially. A very well-balanced high school that simultaneously excels in academics, social, and athletics. Very highly recommend Torrey Pines HS.

Coming from a former student, PLEASE do not send your kids here. I went here for a year and it was by far the worst experience I've had among any of the schools I've attended. During the year I was there, multiple teachers made hateful, sometimes even racist and homophobic comments towards students in my classes, admin did virtually nothing about people's concerns, and the quality of education and food was very poor. I specifically remember an incident in which there were threats made and admin assured everyone that nothing was wrong only for the school to go on lockdown a few days later. The police showed up to search everyone and parents were given zero communication for upwards of an hour about the wellbeing of their kids. This happened at the end of the day and I don't think they let anybody go until around 5pm, and my mom was waiting outside for over an hour with no idea why I wasn't leaving.PE Class was also bad, I remember coming home from PE class often with a bruised spine because the teachers had us doing upwards of 50 curl-ups on the concrete pavement every class, and we spent maybe 30 minutes/class playing actual PE games. In general I often found the content I was learning across all classes to be too easy and there was a lack of challenging work, even in honors classes. The campus security/staff seemed overly focused on the wrong issues while letting bigger things slide (For example, I got punished multiple times using my phone for legitimate reasons, and they made having no phones a huge deal. On occasion, I also saw staff members looking through the cracks of occupied bathroom stalls to check if people were using their phones.Having said all this, it's been a couple years since my time here, and I hope that with the changes in admin over time, things have changed, but from my experience there, your kid is infinitely better off at Pacific Trails.

While there are dedicated teachers in Sage Canyon, the overall environment of the school does not always feel safe or nurturing. Physical fights and bullying are constant, and the principal often dismisses it as nothing more than "rough play."Even worse, there are clear double standards. Some families seem to get special treatment, while their children's harmful behavior is overlooked. Meanwhile, many parents--especially those from minority backgrounds--see their concerns brushed aside. This lack of accountability has created a culture where bullying thrives instead of being addressed. It's troubling that by sixth grade, some students still struggle with basic reading and writing, yet they've already mastered bullying and hurting other students.Sage Canyon desperately needs stronger leadership, real accountability, and a genuine commitment to student safety.