Carlsbad High School

3557 Monroe Street

Carlsbad, CA 92008

School District

Carlsbad Unified
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:24
Type

public

School Map for Carlsbad 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 April 27, 2023

I have two students at CHS and it’s a great high school with seniors continuing on to an impressive list of colleges. They have a solid AP and honors offering, as well as career training for both college and non-college bound kids. Athletics are robust and the AD is fantastic- very involved and encourages character development as much as performance. Tons of clubs with something for everyone.
Submitted by parent on April 24, 2023

I sent my son here for 1 year. It was the worst experience ever. He is a straight A student and very sports oriented. He played Freshmen baseball for them but was never given a chance. The coach had a dad coaching freshmen baseball and the guy was a complete embarrassment to the school and a bad example for the kids. The head coach should had kept an eye on him. The head coach has his favorites who play to pay on his summer team the more you pay the more you play kind of team which is a conflict of interest. When my son transferred to TCC he excelled and is now in college making straight A's as a freshmen and taking engineering courses and making A's in Calc 3. They knew nothing about my son at Carlsbad and didn't really care that they were loosing a straight A student and are more concerned about their football team. This school is a joke all public schools should be shutdown and ran like a business. Their job is to educate our students not doctorate them into a failed society but teach them how to thrive and be creative and successful in the world. To be thinkers not drinkers.
Submitted by parent on February 18, 2023

Three of my children have gone to Carlsbad High School. They have all had a great experience. It's a big school, but there is something for everyone. Tons of clubs, great assortment of athletics, high ranking football team. They also have tennis, diving, swimming, waterpolo, lacrosse, dance and cheerleading, as well as surfing and skateboarding classes. There are tons of AP options for accelerated students, as well as an excellent IEP program. The teachers are connected with the student body and overall, very communicative with the parents. The Debate program has continued to rank in the top schools in the state and nationwide. Highly recommend.
Submitted by parent on September 25, 2019

Couldn’t be better! We actually changed schools to have our Son attend there... love it!
Submitted by student on October 26, 2018

Let me just say there's a reason why I, as well as many others, have switched to a charter school.The programs are nice but I can find better elsewhere and I have.
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2018

Unfortunately, our experience at CHS has been nothing but downhill since 2010.
Submitted by student on February 01, 2018

Amazing! I love this school so much and the pride and people are outstanding
Submitted by parent on December 04, 2016

I rate this school very low in athletics. They have a very low performing overall athletic program with a low effort from the current AD. For a division 1 school in the state of CA, it is one of the lowest ranking in athletics. The quality of coaches they bring in are low performers and come from very small schools. The school is not making any effort to hire quality coaches and have been hiring low-quality coaches from small programs who are in over their heads with poor communication skills. If you have a child who excels in both academics and athletics, it is strongly suggested you look elsewhere.
Submitted by parent on November 21, 2016

My daughter is a senior, having attended all 4 years at CHS. She is doing great; the honors/AP kids are generally supportive of each other so it's OK to be smart and work hard. There have been bad teachers and fantastic teachers. I wish there was a system where parents/students could fill out anonymous surveys about each class/teacher every year, as some teachers seem oblivious that what they are doing is annoying, ineffective or unfair, and it's not worth the risk of retaliation for an individual student or parent to make an issue of it. My daughter has had a decent experience in the music program and terrific opportunities in the robotics program (that didn't require parental involvement or funding!) She is a confident kid who would make friends and do well in most settings though. This is a huge school, still lots of people in her year she doesn't know, so I could see that a less assertive kid might have a different experience.
Submitted by other on August 30, 2016

I attended here all 4 years of High School, and honestly would not have wanted to be anywhere else. This school has amazing programs all around. And its incredible school spirited, plus, we have an amazing arts/music programs, and our athletic teams were great!
Submitted by other on March 17, 2016

We are very happy with CHS for our son. He is challenged daily and the teachers and kids there are great. My son has never had any issues dealing with 'druggie kids' or bullying of any kind and there are no gang problems at this school either. (Perk of living in Carlsbad is a higher quality of kids and families IMHO.) The coaching staff for the football team is beyond amazing and very fair in how they play their players. (Some coaches are former NFL players- WOW!) My only complaint is that I have had a bit of an issue communicating with the guidance counsellors. I feel that they should have more knowledge of the kids that are assigned to them, I'm not sure my sons counsellor could pick him out in a crowd. My son is an average student, does not take AP classes, and is not as great academically as some kids. However the school does a great job with providing free tutoring and doesn't degrade or look down on the 'regular' kids. All in all I think this is a fantastic school!
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2015

CHS--Disappointed and disappointing. Turnover of athletic directors, principals and yet no turn over of awful teachers and there are many. I know, the union doesn't allow firing of teachers but it's something that will need to be addressed in the future if the public education system is to thrive and survive. There is no reason with the kind of funding this district has that our students at CHS should lack good teachers in most subject areas. CUSD needs to remember that teens are old enough and smart enough to assess what's going on with their education and CHS is failing many students hence the exodus we are seeing to home schools, charter schools and private schools.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2015

We've had two students at CHS with good and frustrating experiences. There are some great teachers, but not as many as the mediocre ones. There are some great, unique classes and extracurriculars, as well--Honors and AP classes, Show Choir, Lacrosse, Rugby, Dance Team. But when Principals and teachers only last a couple years, there are issues. This year, my daughter's Statistics teacher left under questionable circumstances a few weeks into the 2nd semester. To that point, the teacher had not been effective, and then provided little instruction for 2 weeks. Following a 2-week Substitute, a contract teacher came in to finish out the year--all this in an AP Statistics class! The school was very flexible and helpful during the awkward transition and has tried to make amends. My next child is a 9th grader at Sage Creek High School nearby. The trimester schedule with more room for a variety of classes and the STEM focus are a good fit for her.
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2014

Class sizes of over 40. only 6 subjects taught. no emphasis on arts. No, repeat, no, parent conferences. Culture of parental disrespect. A great principal who just arrived, is leaving already. why?
Submitted by other on August 16, 2014

I'm a sophomore at carlsbad and I hate everything about it. The teachers don't teach, the students are mean to everyone, and it's just an absolute joke. If you want your student to have a good education, send them to Oceanside high school or la costa canyon high school.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2014

CHS is located at great location with new football field and buildings. School is safe and students could participate different activities with their own interests. Teachers are also great!
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2014

It's a great community. Unfortunately, the teachers at Carlsbad High School are not the greatest. They teach from a text book instead of engaging the students. The school does absolutely nothing about the mediocre quality of their teachers yet they expect so much from their students. They boast high test scores and being an AP school but that's because most parents get outside tutoring for their kids. Many families cannot afford the additional cost of an outside tutor...besides, teachers should be doing their job. I don't understand why the district/school is so afraid to get rid of horrible teachers. Example: My son has asked for help and they either work out the problem for him and won't show him the process OR they accuse him of not listening. He goes to school "tutoring" and it's the very same teacher that teaches the subject. If you can avoid sending your kids here, do so.
Submitted by other on June 15, 2013

I am interested in knowing more about this school, especially the AP and honors programs.
Submitted by other on May 10, 2013

I went here last year, and it was mediocre. The English 1 (9th Grade English) education recieved here was so easy, i got an A-, and you aren't challenged to your full potential (unless you take AP or honors classes). The academics (even though with a block schedule) feel extremely slow and unstructured to me. Last year, CHS students had to suffer the symphony of saws and hammers of the construction of the new buildings. Many kids here like to skate and tend to drop out and do drugs on campus. Bullying here is a big issue, and are judged by everything. I got so upset here that i had to visit a psychologist 3 times a week. Sports are mostly funded on football, where most other sports are neglected. However, thanks to Sage Creek, CHS will get smaller, and it will have more of a community feeling, and it might get better. Its a shame that in such a good community that the majority of carlsbad teenagers have to attend this somewhat misguided high school.
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2013

Excellent teachers and facilities. The number and quality of AP and Honors courses exceeds or is comparable to other highly rated high schools. The number and variety of extra curricular programs is impressive.