Benicia High School

1101 Military West

School District

Benicia Unified
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:22
Type

public

School Map for Benicia Unified School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 15, 2023

If you are looking for mediocre, this is the school for you. If your kid is a B student, with no issues and no need for advanced classes, BHS is a perfect fit. If your kid doesn’t want to go to a top college, you’ve found your place. In the three years my daughter has attended, the school has gotten worse and worse. There are a few standout teachers, the rest are underpaid and underwhelming - some outright racist, sexual and insensitive. And now, for my kid’s upcoming senior year, they have decided to schedule almost all the AP classes available to seniors into 2 or 3 periods - meaning they cannot take more than 2 or 3 AP’s. If you know how competitive UC’s are right now, you know this is a huge misstep. So even though technically the school offers many AP’s, the kids don’t actually have the opportunity to take most of them. Colleges will see a school profile with 25 AP’s offered and a kid who only took 8. How are they to know the school wouldn’t let them take more? They are telling my high achieving kid who had finished all the calculus and is in the top 3 in her class to take ceramics in her senior year. 11 years of hard work ruined by incompetent administrators who refuse to even allow any flexibility in scheduling, college classes, independent study, etc. A disappointing end to a disappointing academic experience. Do yourself a favor and move across the bridge. Our property values are sure to go down soon enough given the joke of an education this town provides past the very wonderful elementary schools.
Submitted by student on November 10, 2018

With amazing resources to colleges, forums for the students to voice their opinions, multiple tutoring programs, and teachers that truly want to further your knowledge, I can say without a doubt that this is the school I would want to send my kids to when I am older.
Submitted by student on October 17, 2018

Every time I think this school can't disappoint me any more it manages to surprise me. Teachers are generally ok but I've definitely had some who shocked me with how disrespectful they would act as well as their willingness to lie. Other school staff seem incredibly incompetent. Students are not treated equally. There's an organizational problem. This school's employees do not have the students' best interests in mind. Attending this school disadvantages students compared to the other schools in the area.
Submitted by other on September 30, 2018

this school is great and stuff and
Submitted by parent on September 01, 2017

This school gets high marks from me overall. Both of my two students that have gone here have been happy with the excellent band program. I think that the staff is good, and the students are prepared for collage at a high level. One of the issues has been a change of administration over the past few years, and my hope is that once the school settles on a policy with the administration and district that those policy changes will be complete. There is also a very good community support system here in Benicia. A lot of parents get involved. The teachers can be as diverse as the students and can take different styles like you will see in a collage setting. There has been an effort to make this teaching fair to everyone, and there are many electives to choose from.
Submitted by parent on July 10, 2017

Great school, our son came as transfer student starting with Benicia Middle School.... our son also had also been Crohn's Disease and the administration, his teachers and the district were extremely helpful in making his experience a positive one. He also loves the school environment.
Submitted by other on September 12, 2016

I like Benicia High School. Yes they are going through changes all schools do. Do I agree with them all, no but I do have the opportunity to help with the change. As a parent of a junior at the school right now, I feel we all need to work as a team for the success our children.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2015

Benicia High School is a school where the adults are always right and the kids are always wrong. I had a teacher lie directly to my face without flenching. If your child is able to exist there without rocking any boats, then your child will do well there. But if your child asks questions or has an issue even as an "A" student, they will be trampled. As I was told "adults can do what every they want".
Submitted by student on July 18, 2014

Benicia High School is an average high school. Its not completely run-down like those in inner cities though not as great when compared to other towns. Most students are completely unmotivated towards the virtue of public education and unwilling to act mature for their age. The latter is not helped by the teachers' visible despondence. 'Let kids be kids.' is conventional term greatly endorsed by the school body. Maybe its that 'laid-back' ambiance this small town produces. I am speaking from a student's view when I write this statement; therefore, my words should provide insight yet are subjective. So take these comments with a grain of salt. The students are truly unmotivated to learn. They rather talk about gossip, sports & other topics in television, social media, and drug use which seems predominant in this high school community. All these aspects provide an hindrance towards education. Sadly of all, there is neither academic discipline nor 'segregation'. AP & Honor classes do not help. It is clear that intellectual integrity and distinction are not celebrated here. Only menial athletes are exalted.
Submitted by parent on October 08, 2013

The director of special education, Carolyn Patton, created a lot of conflict and did not know how to implement special education services in Mount Diablo School District. She had to leave Vacaville, to go to Mount Diablo, and she only lasted there 2 years.