Berkeley High School

1980 Allston Way

School District

Berkeley Unified
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:19
Type

public

School Map for Berkeley 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 11, 2024

There were constant issues with bullying and hazing that were not addressed by the administration. Kids were worried that older students would throw eggs at them or beat them up because it was a specific day (there apparently are days when upperclass students torment, chase down, and beat up the underclass students and the administration turns a blind eye to it - my child was TERRIFIED that this would happen to them and it disrupted their learning - how is this OK in 2024?). There were threats of gun violence, there were shootings in the park across the street, there were students constantly pulling the fire alarms (again, why weren't there cameras near the fire alarms to catch the kids who did this?) and causing upheaval during the school day. We dealt with bullying from the teachers, teachers who were snide and unkind to students, teachers who made race-based comments in class, teachers who did not honor the 504 plan we had in place for a minor physical disability, teachers who overshared and gossiped about other teachers with the students, and a generally chaotic environment. By the time we left for the independent study program, the damage was done. I wish I'd have sent my kid to a different school from the start.
Submitted by parent on April 25, 2023

If you’re interested in a Wolk environment, that places social issues above education, this is the place for you. It caters to the lowest common denominator at the expense of serious students. If you’re a self-starter and seriously motivated student, you might survive. It can offer a quality education, but those opportunities diminish year-by-year as political agenda takes hold. There is little to no repercussions for violent behavior.
Submitted by other on August 13, 2022

Solid they passed me let’s goooo bro
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2022

This school is too focused on social issues. And it’s huge and under funded.
Submitted by parent on April 11, 2022

This school offers incredible options for students to explore high level academics, other career pathways and really great club/extracurricular activities and sports. Kids really need to self-advocate sometimes to get what they need but the administration has been responsive to kids if they are persistent, in our experience.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2020

Our family had an awful experience at BH, my son attended BH, and would advice any parent to think twice before going into the "diversity" the school sells. Do your own research and don't be fooled by the few items that are positive about the school, while it is true that the school prepares your child for life, so does the jungle, so think twice.
Submitted by parent on January 22, 2017

Berkeley High is a wonderfully diverse institution that thoroughly prepares it's graduates for life.
Submitted by student on January 29, 2016

I am a current student at Berkeley High and it has been really hard. Teachers could care less about my thoughts and opinions in the classroom and discussions are rare. I mostly learn from packets, textbooks, and worksheets. I'm in IB and the kids are competitive and close-minded. Everyone only cares about themselves and their own grade and don't really care about what they're learning, as long as it gets them into a prestigious school. Dominant students get A's and introverts or students with learning challenges don't get any attention. If you are looking to send your child here, I would suggest looking to a smaller school if they genuinely love to learn and appreciate community-like learning.
Submitted by parent on May 03, 2014

Berkeley High is amazing in so many ways. Students are able to find such interesting classes: afro-hatien dance, video production, computer programming, forensic science. My kids (a junior and a sophomore in AC) have had an amazing experience overall. The principal is very engaging with the students and very communicative with parents. The staff, counselors, and volunteers are very helpful. Many of the teachers are excellent. The down sides are that it's an enormous school, so you really need to watch your kids on powerschool and communicate with them about typical high school problems (drugs, feeling lonely, trying to fit in, and so on...). If you advocate for your child, they will come out of Berkeley High being independent and worldly.
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2014

BHS is diverse; racially, economically, immigrant and intern'l (children of foreign scholars, expats), whose mastery of English is developing. This nuance is not reflected in the test scores, but it is one of the things that make the school and community rich and amazing. The extensive offerings of AP, honors classes ensures that the smart kids that test well of all backgrounds will be engaged and challenged. The sports, arts, and language programs are beyond belief in the many opportunities from beginner to advanced levels. Each year, 100s of college admissions counselors from all over the US and foreign arrive to meet with and recruit BHS students. Our student has attended both private and public schools, and I can say that BHS offers a world-class private school education for free. The extra taxes that Berkeley homeowners pay ensures class size reduction, full-time librarians, field trips and more. It's very easy to get involved at the school as a volunteer, so you can see for yourself. It's a large school and at first very confusing to sort it all out, but after 2 yrs, I can say that we're thrilled with the academic and citizen of the world experience our student is receiving.
Submitted by parent on September 28, 2013

BHS has many students from outside the district who are there without permission and contributing to overcrowding. They do help raise test scores, so...there you go. They are mostly in IB and AC. The school has many good, committed teachers, and are terrific examples of their profession. The principal is an excellent communicator and seems to really care about the well-being of the school community and stakeholders.
Submitted by other on September 27, 2013

My granddaughter is a freshman . I am a retired teacher (from another school district) and really impressed with the leadership, the extensive programs offered by Berkeley High school and the amount of parent and volunteer participation. I just attended Back to school night and the quality of the curriculum and the teacher koowledge and organization of the curriculum was outstanding.
Submitted by student on June 22, 2013

I thought that this school would be good because it was near UC Berkeley. But it is not. The teachers here give out packets and the students do drugs.
Submitted by other on January 21, 2013

I've heard great things about this school! I know someone who used to teach here and has spoken highly of the small school movement.