Atlantic High School

2455 West Atlantic Avenue

School District

Palm Beach
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
Type

public

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 January 09, 2025

Worst school ever... this place should be shut down. It should be illegal how they treat students and parents. I'm horrified in how the teachers speak to students. My daughter came home in 10th grade w homework for math all about the game UNO. How is this math? How is this what's being taught? Another teacher has been harassing my daughter. School board has done nothing. The principal backs this teacher and all the other disturbing things I have brought to her. Zero education unless your in the IB program. Those kids are the prize possessions at the school. They are kept separate. The other kids are walking through fights left and right. The amount of racism I'm this school is gross. I went to this school as well. It was just as disgusting then. My daughter had no other options. Thankfully she will be graduating early because of Florida Virtual. Do not sent your kids here. Unless you want them to be sexually harassed involved in a fight or have some kind of racial issues. Atlantic community high school ypu should all be ashamed and embarrassed to work there.
Submitted by other on September 09, 2024

Mrs. Edwards the principal treated me horribly and even lied to me. It is very disappointing when school leaders are dishonest and treat people of the community poorly. I would never recommend this school and it's no wonder why the schools in the Palm Beach district are mostly poorly rated with low test scores with leaders who treat people so badly. I am still shocked at the behavior of school administrators here but it makes sense as to why these schools aren't rated well. I would recommend a private school over Atlantic High, this has the worst and most incompetent administration of any school I've ever dealt with.
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2023

I go here (iB class of 2025). It's aight.
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2022

My daughter goes to Atlantic High, and has had some of the worst school experiences in all her years of being at a public school. She is in the class of 2025 (currently a sophomore in the IB program) and absolutely despises it. Most of the classes are reasonably challenging, but her biggest issues with the school are regarding the administration. Despite the information stated here about the school, they’ve now implemented an unreasonable and SEXIST dress code. On the third day of school this year my daughter was dresscoded and I had to come to the school to give her an extra shirt. Her outfit was high waisted jeans that completely covered her belly button, and a normal white shirt covering her entire mid-section. I was told the reason why she was pulled from class, coded, and brought to a sitting room (with at least 15 other girls) was because when she “lifts her shirt, her skin is showing”. It was ridiculous! She lifted her arms to show me and nothing was showing except for less than a centimeter of her stomach. I was astonished at how they handled this; how are they going to take students out of their own classrooms and prevent them from learning? I understand some clothes are not fit for school, but her outfit was fine and I’ve seen other students walking around with their bottoms hanging out! They are asking girls with jackets to UNZIP THEM and show what they’re wearing underneath, which is disgusting. Additionally, much of the student body does not care about their education at all and neither do their teachers. The horribly low test scores show this, and few teachers even in the IB program actually do care about their students’ learning. Fights occur incredibly often and the administration tries to cover them up by preventing kids from recording them. I was told by my daughter and a large amount of her friends that the campus is dirty, and bathrooms constantly smell of marijuana due to kids smoking. Though a majority of the student demographic is black, there are huge streaks of racism all around, especially against Latino/Hispanic and Asian students. I have spoken to the administration multiple times, including the principal, Sandra Edwards, and they’re all rude and unprofessional. My daughter is in the IB program at Atlantic because she is zoned for the school and cannot go anywhere else. The only good thing about Atlantic is IB, otherwise, don’t send your kids here. They will end up stressed and unhappy with their high school experience.
Submitted by parent on April 19, 2022

The very low test scores here are well below the state average. It's very concerning that the test scores are so low at Atlantic. It shows that the students are not getting the education and learning the information they need here. If the information they needed was being taught then they wouldn't be scoring so low on the state tests. When you compare this school academically to others in the state it is well below the majority of schools which is very concerning. My child was also assaulted by another student and the administrators didn't care because the bully was a student athlete so he got preferential treatment. We need better education and equity here.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2022

I went to this school for 3 years, upon moving to a different state. IB program is wonderful and the choices for sports are endless. I made so many great friends here, would recomend.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2022

This school and its ib program are great. My son has been going here for 2 years, and he's been doing amazing in each and every one of his classes. This school wouldn't be as great as it is without its ib program. Overall, great school!
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2022

I sent my child to this school for all 4 years of high school. She enjoyed every single moment there. She made the best friends, who she is still friends with to this day. She had great grades, never had issues with students or teachers, and was even on the track team. She was also in the ib program, which opened her up to many options for college. Great school.
Submitted by other on October 07, 2021

I am very concerned that the principal and administrators of this school and south area superintendents have allowed this school to get so bad. There is no excuse for the low test scores and daily incidents that occur here especially since it was a good school a few years ago but due to poor leadership has gotten to this point. Our students are simply not getting the education and safe environment they deserve. Judging by the low test scores, they are not learning very much here. It is very sad and hopefully the state will take over this school since the Palm Beach school district obviously doesn't care.
Submitted by other on September 02, 2021

Atlantic High is a rough school... the regular classes are out of control and have incidents such as fights, students cursing out teachers, etc. The IB classes have lowered their standards to the point where they shouldn't even be considered IB anymore.... The principal, Sandra Edwards, was very rude when I talked to her and doesn't seem to have control of the school as judging by the current very low test scores when this school was rated relatively highly in the past... I moved to Boca and my daughters are doing much better at Spanish River now.
Submitted by parent on January 22, 2019

If your child is gifted, they should be fine givin the various programs PBC has. If your child has any type of disability I would NOT send him to this school.There is a strong racial stemming from the black community in school. The administration won’t address it because of legalities or just fear. Don’t buy into the hype. Look at the demographics and talk to the law enforcement IN the school.
Submitted by other on December 24, 2018

My experience at this school was a 10/10. I can only speak for students who are in the IB program. If Atlantic did not have the IB program, I would not go there period.
Submitted by student on September 21, 2017

IB is too much and not worth it. Joining the program is like quicksand, it is slowly killing be and I can't get out of it because of my parents unless I get kicked which would look horrible on my records. Don't make the mistake I did.
Submitted by student on July 19, 2017

Amazing school where I learned so much, got into an amazing college and grew as a person tremendously.
Submitted by other on November 30, 2015

I remember the day I went to the IB open house and felt excited to attend this school, boy I was so wrong. The students in regular have the worst attitudes and always get in trouble. The good kids never get recognition and the support needed. Clubs like Key Club and Model UN never get the funding needed. We missed multiple conferences that nearby schools went to. IB isn't worth the trouble. Just take AICE and AP classes at another school with a foreign language; has identical rigor and recognition as IB. I'm transferring next year.
Submitted by student on November 28, 2015

Please take yourself to another school. Regular, Honors, and even IB is overrated. I took online courses over the summer because I wanted to graduate early. I was told I had to stay in the IB program for 4 years. If I went to a school in Boca, I would've graduated a year early and still would've taken advanced classes. Besides the IB program, the attitude of some students here are horrendous. I've been in classes where the police aides have been to remove students. This environment is basically toxic
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2015

Atlantic High School is a school on the rise! It is diverse because Delray Beach is diverse, but the school is aware that balance is necessary and with the expansion of the IB program, balance gets better every year. It has a fabulous PTSA which unites parents, teachers, and students BUT also connects the school to the local community. Grass roots support of the many wonderful programs that Atlantic Community High School offers. My son was a freshman this year and was a little overwhelmed by all the OPTIONS for sports and clubs. Quality of education is as excellent, admittedly better in the challenging IB progam, but the vibe is good on campus and there is no reason to run to Boca for your high school years.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2015

Atlantic Community High School has so much to offer and I am very impressed with the choices my daughter has there. She started in the IB program and then moved to the Honors curriculum where she can choose from a variety of AP and AICE classes as well as Honors classes. I like the well-rounded experience she is getting at Atlantic with all the different electives she has available to her. And although she isn't currently on a sports team, Atlantic has a great offering of football, lacrosse, track and cross country to name a few. Her teachers have been wonderful and the student body is diverse on many different levels which has added to my daughter's great high school experience.
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2015

My younger son is currently in 10th grade at Atlantic and his brother graduated from Atlantic last year and is attending the University of Florida. Both have had overwhelmingly positive experiences at the school, in the classroom (both in and out of the IB program) and playing on sports teams. Not everything is perfect at Atlantic, but I don't believe my kids could have a better experience or get a better education anywhere else in Palm Beach County. It frustrates me that families who live in Delray Beach are afraid to send their kids to Atlantic. I've had many conversations with parents who think IB is too hard for their kids, but honors or regular classes at Atlantic aren't good enough. I've found that to be simply not true. It's a big enough school that there's a place for everyone. The school offers IB diploma and career certificate programs, AICE, AP, construction & criminal justice academies, JROTC, and more, and teachers and staff at school are supportive of all kinds of students. High school is a time and place for teenagers to learn how to become competent and resilient adults. Atlantic Community High School is a great place for them to do that.
Submitted by student on September 10, 2014

I am currently a Sophomore at Atlantic in the IB program. I enjoy going to Atlantic and would not want to go to any other high school. In the IB program, everything is run well and you are getting a top notch education(not to mention it's free.) But, on the contrary if you are in the Honors or Regular program you will barely be getting an education. The kids simply do not care about their education and its quite sad. And when you have students that don't care, you have teachers that don't care. So, if you are thinking about going to Atlantic, go into the IB program. The program is super rigorous(there's not one day a week I don't have homework.) But, you shouldn't let that scare you away, because it all WILL pay off at the end. Also, you don't have to be the smartest to be in the IB program, you just have to be determined and be able to keep up with all the work. Hope this helps :) And to the comment below, the school is not "badly run" nor is it "hugely disappointing." They drop students whose grades are bad, not because the department wants to keep their average, but because there is no room in the program for students who aren't willing to put in the work.