Verrado High School

20050 West Indian School Road

School District

Agua Fria Union High
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:18
Type

public

School Map for Agua Fria Union High 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 21, 2022

If you have a special needs child do not, I repeat do not send your child to this high school. My child has experienced a level of discrimination and embarrassment, some would call harassment. My child was literally personally harassed by a teacher and that teacher is still employed by the school. Administration did nothing to protect my child. Administration does nothing to help or protect special needs children from adults who prey upon their short comings. There is zero communication between special needs department heads and staff and they will let your child suffer and then blame your child for not understanding or comprehending assignments. Zero support, zero empathy and not a place for children to learn ir thrive this school is an absolute joke. I beg of you please do not send your special needs kids here.
Submitted by parent on June 15, 2020

This school has helped my son grow in knowledge and experience for starting out life.
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2017

I have had 3 sons go to this school from 2011 to present. It has progressively gotten worse as time goes on. The schedule issues are constant. We pick classes in May only to get classes that my straight A Senior didn't pick. There is a high turn over of teachers as well. 30 new teachers this year alone. The school is a crazy open class room concept and is again over crowded with 2,200 kids in a school that is supposed to only hold 1,500. Some of the classes have 45 students in them. The District leadership doesn't care and just wants the school funding to open a new school. The school will also close down bathrooms in certain wings of the school forcing the students to use just one set of bathrooms. I would run from this school. My son can't wait to leave and just started his senior year.
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2016

Had two boys in this high school and one required special assistance. Everyone has been extremely helpful and VHS provided challenging educational opportunities for each of my boys to excell in their own way. Many sports to choose from and great support from staff.
Submitted by parent on August 08, 2016

Freshman enrollment process is a joke. They require all paperwork and course selection slips well over 4 months before school starts only to mess up their schedules. Then when questioned/email numerous times with counselors they give you the run around and don't respond back. I don't understand why it's not taken care of before school starts. Instead they prefer to have students wait till the first day of school then, waste class instruction time trying to get their scheduled fixed.
Submitted by student on June 24, 2016

I spent my freshman year here at Verrado High School and will be going into my sophomore year here. I have to say it was one of the best years of my life. Verrado deserves a 10/10 rating, definitely not a measly 4. All of my classes were just challenging enough and my teachers were always extremely helpful whenever I had an issue with any assignment. I was involved in plenty of clubs such as newspaper and broadcasting and also StuGo and I played sports here at VHS as well, and my experience with every aspect of the school has always been positive. Before I came to this high school in every single grade I'd ever been in there was always one fluke teacher, but here at Verrado I've had none so that's a first for me. We have a really good sense of school spirit and overall I wouldn't have wanted to experience high school anywhere else.
Submitted by other on January 17, 2016

This school does not challenge our child. The administration is unorganized and is not helpful.
Submitted by student on May 11, 2015

Over the course of the last two years, I can say my experiences at Verrado High School have not been very good. First semester of freshmen year, I encountered a close death in the family. While I was gone, she assigned a project. When I returned back to school, I was not given clarification on the project, and yet I was still not fully there from the unexpected the death in the family, I recieved a poor grade, bringing my grade from an A to a C. Even when I adressed my teacher about it and my family members death, her rude, snarky response was "I'm not a mind reader, don't know what to tell you". Overall, this resulted in me getting a C in the class, hurting my college chances (keep in fact that I am normally a straight A student). First semester of Sophomore year, I was placed with a teacher who would be unjust with grading, and multiple times I came to her for help, and yet, I still got no where. That resulted in me having to switch out of the class nearly mid-semester. And now, onto the worst experience I have ever faced at VHS, second semester of Sophomore year. The teacher I had this semester bullied my friends and I. This issue is still going on within administration.
Submitted by parent on February 16, 2015

Verrado has a race issue --- the staff and students need a course in diversity. My husband and I spent hours each month at the school addressing racial comments made by students in front of multiple staff members and comments made by teachers. If your child is Latino, African American or Mexican this is not the school for them.
Submitted by other on October 23, 2014

I am a student at Verrado and I'm disappointed on the organization of the school. I wanted to join a club and their table at open house was empty except for a piece of lined paper saying "Sign Up Sheet." I had to ask the front office about the club and go ask the club advisor only to find out the club had formed beforehand. Verrado needs to make an effort to advertise all of their clubs and sports teams. I wasn't informed on when conditioning started for the sport I was going to play until the coach told me when I was signing up. Besides the unorganization, the classrooms are just way too cold! The freezing metal seats don't help and we live in Arizona- how are we expected to be used to the room temperature! There are four (mens and womens) bathrooms outside that are locked after 2nd period. Despite the case even being featured on the weekly show, a security guard only stated that it was for security purposes.
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2014

I attended the Taste of The Arts evening last night at the school and could not have been more disappointed. It was singularly the most disorganized school event I have ever attended. The fact that it represented an evening dedicated to the fine arts and the promotion of them within the school was laughable. There were no programs of any sort, it began half an hour late, no one provided instructions on where to sit, so going to the auditorium area only to find that after the dancing began, the band began to play over in the quad. Parents had to wander around hoping to see their student perform somewhere. The "director" was choosing music as we stood there waiting. There is NO symphonic band as advertised. Having a group of brass and a group of winds, etc., defeats the purpose of the students learning to play pieces together and enjoying the sound they create as a whole. I paid to be present to watch my student perform and I am perfectly clear now as to why this has been such a disappointing class, last night was a HUGE wake up call that if you are hoping for the music program at this school to encourage and promote artistic development in your student, please look elsewhere.
Submitted by parent on January 13, 2014

We are new to Verrado High. I am not impressed at all with the open classroom concept (no doors). The school seems unorganized and the teachers that I met seemed uncaring. My daughter is having a difficult adjustment (as a 10th grader) and I called the counselor and have yet to receive a call back. I am seriously considering moving to Chandler at the end of school year. (They seem to have the best ratings, both Great Schools and Community ratings.) I have a son who will be in high school next year and I will not subject him to the mediocrity found in West Valley schools.
Submitted by parent on December 02, 2013

We are a new family to Verrado and a bit perplexed by the open classroom Concept that is not being utilized. Safety could be a concern if an intruder entered the building. Verrado has achieved academic awards for the number of students passing AP exams. This is impressive compared to other schools in the district. However, the school missed the letter grade of C by only one point and the growth scores seem to be slipping. My daughter has bee discouraged from taking AP Calculus, because it would ruin her GPA and that her A grade in pre calculus was not a predictor for success. It is disappointing that high achieving students don't stick with challenging classes. Kids say that the teachers make it extra hard by giving problem types on tests that have never been covered in class. A math teacher confirmed this for me. My child's pre calculus teacher utilized "flipping" the class, where students would view a video of the lesson the night befor.
Submitted by parent on September 09, 2013

I live this school. School spirit seems good. VHS is alwasy receiving awards for academics and sports.
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2013

My son has gone to the Verrado schools for the last 7 years With only a handful of good teachers, The One Verrado thinking is very wrong and very much lacking in teaching all the students and placing the students need first. The sports programs are lacking coaches and leadership. The only reason I Kept him in the school is to let him stay with friends. Just beware and stay on top of the school. Verrado gets an F in my book!
Submitted by student on February 02, 2012

I am a graduating senior at Verrado and I must say I am very proud in my school and our accomplishments. Most of the teachers here are great and you'd do well to send your student here. Of course there are those teachers that are in my opinon in need of repolacement but every school has them. Do not expect a warm welcome or even any "please" and "thank you" from the front desk reception. Those people are mean, heartless, and robotic. The registrar, bookstore and the library are the places to go for good reception. The students are somewhat just like any other school, but they have thier own kind of attitude too. The school spirit is somewhat lacking but the sudent gov't is very animated about school spirit which is great. Most of the teachers love their students if the student is willing to participate. I know I loved my classes and my teachers appreciated that. The acedemics here are really top notch, but if your looking for sports, we're not bad. We just need a few years. Overall this school is the best I could have ever gone to! The teachers are great, the coaches really care, and I could not have done better at any other school. Millenium and Agua Fria pale in comparison.
Submitted by parent on March 16, 2011

Verrado s HS goal is all students college ready . I have two children that have graduated from Verrado HS. Both are currently doing well in college and one was able to achieve sports scholarship. I can honestly say my kids were academically challenged but, remained happy and achieved their full potential at Verrado. As a parent this is the most we can ask for from our public schools. The school started on the foot right by only bringing in a freshman class and built a culture of teamwork reflected in their motto One Verrado . I found a strong sense of community and partnership between parents, teachers, students and children at this school in comparison to other schools. As a military family, we were extremely pleased and I believe this school will continue to improve and become one of the top public high schools in the valley.
Submitted by parent on March 10, 2011

VHS has come a long way in 5 years. Incompetent teachers have been replaced, inexperienced teachers now have experience, some excellent progams are now well established. Was not at all happy with the Cheer program. Excellent AP Engllish and AP World History teachers. Great Science department.. Awesome Broadcast Tech classes. Parents just need to encourage their kids to take school seriously and to not leave their manners at home. Teachers lose interest in the students that have bad/apathetic attitudes. School needs to re-evaluate their ONE VERRADO philosophy and bring back some traditions to encourage school spirit and establish school pride which would translate to personal pride and self esteem.
Submitted by student on January 15, 2011

Was a student at verrado high school. Seriously parents, this school does not care about your child education, blows their money on sports and then later in the year lecture the teachers not to print so much because they do not have enough money to spend on. As a student I was very involved in my academics, they did not have textbooks prepared when I went. The principal does not want to get involved into anything. The students are very disrespectful, you have to remember where the demographics is located at. The school only cares about cheerleading and football, which both sports are not even that good in the state. I can say that there are those teachers that you can find within the school that are very supportive. Like I said, I was a student and did not like the school at all, so I left. Trust me I wasn't a trouble maker or trying to cause problems I just wanted to get done with my education and this school left me hopeless when I went.
Submitted by parent on December 10, 2010

I am generally pleased with the School, but my daughter's science teacher is wearing one of the alcohol bracelets that Lindsay Lohan wears. We did a quick online check and learned that she has lengthy arrest record from North Carolina. What kind of roll models are they providing our children? I question the School's responsibility to provide a safe environment, There are plenty of sober people looking for work.