Valencia High School

Valencia High School claims to be the best academic school in PYLUSD, but it's not. There are some good teachers but the most of them don't really care about their students and refuse to help. If students don't have good connections with certain groups of students or teachers, you are pretty much doomed. The information and opportunities are only given to certain students. It's not fair and not transparent. For those parents and students who praised about VHS it's probably because they were in the inner circle and got all the benefits from it. In order to keep students from going to their neighbor high school, VHS starts several programs like IB, Tech, Cambridge, SciOly, Robotics. Academic Decathlon.... But VHS doesn't really put much effort in them. If you don't have the connection with the certain teachers or upper class students, you will probably not get into those competition teams. And their goal is not to win the competition. They just want to sound nice to have those programs and teams in their school. If you want your kids to keep good grades, make sure to sign your students up with outside school review programs or hire tutors. VHS offers a lot of AP, IB classes but doesn't have good teachers to teach. You will have a student receive As in the AP classes but won't pass AP tests. Or teachers just gave a lot of homework to make the classes "harder" but don't really care about the quality of the homework. There are teachers who won't update the grades and grade students base on their impression. So the student either get a surprised A or a surprised B or C. Most of my friends who sent their older child to VHS do not send their younger ones there. The only few stay are those who have good connections with the school or their kids insist to go there with their friends.

Valencia offers perhaps the best academic programs in the PYLUSD school district, encouraging students to enroll in IB, Cambridge, and ValTech courses. The bulk of the student population consists of minorities, and such diversity contrasts with other schools within the district, ones that particularly have a prejudiced student population. The diversity within Valencia prevents such racial issues and promotes students as individuals to accept their identity.

Overall good and sometimes bad for average and above-average students. But I am assuming it can get worse somewhere else.

There aren't too many high schools where you can experience a diverse student body combined with a strong academic program that allows access to ALL students. Amazing teachers, quality athletics, amazing clubs, and a strong instrumental music program. The drama program and school newspaper are the only things that suck.

On my fourth year at VHS, I can say with certainty that this school is AMAZING Nowhere else will you find such great opportunities for your student, as well as true diversity and great academics. This school prepared me for a bright future. Thank you VHS :) Go tigers!