Pacifica High School

6851 Lampson Avenue

School District

Garden Grove Unified
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:23
Type

public

School Map for Garden Grove 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 10, 2024

This school does provide a good educational environment for my child. The Sciences, English, and Math are pretty good. There are many clubs and activities for your child to participate in. The parents are pretty involved depending on the clubs. My child was in the NJROTC program who got 2nd in the nation. Their program is very good but you would need to put in alot of time and effort. Just like other sports, you will need to put in the time. If you plan to do this, try not to commit to other sports. As for the Calculus teach, she was able to prep the student for AP during the weekend many weeks before the AP test. Not many teachers would put this much effort to do this.NOTE: DO NOT take any computer science classes at this school. I am a softwar engineer and I had my student take the class and they didnt learn much. The teacher is rude and doesnt understand any coding at all. How can you help the student if you dont understand the stuff you are teaching? The lab is nice, but what is the point when you child is not learning? I spoke to a couple parents and they were NOT fond of this teacher. This teacher doesnt even help your student to prep for AP.. He basically just told them to get a Baron book and practice. NOT Sure why he even here...
Submitted by parent on June 20, 2022

My child attended here from 9th to 12th, he transferred over when we moved from a different school district. He attended a jr high school that was not very supportive even with having an IEP. He was struggling so much I honestly felt my son would not do well at Pacifica. Finding himself in a new school and new peers, my son had a ruff start freshman year. My son has a good heart and showed he wanted to learn and become someone important. He got along well with his peers and teacher’s. A polite kid. All four years at Pacifica my son had all great teachers but one. He gave my son a hard time but my son did not let that teacher get the best of him (there is always one or more in any school). My son did great with the help of his teachers, counselors (especially Mr. Ocean) all staff, principals( Mr. Osborne will be missed, happy retirement) and peers. It takes a great village to help a child succeed in school. Class of 2022!! Pacifica Mariners all the way!! Nothing but great memories of Pacifica for my graduate! And his education continues…!
Submitted by parent on November 27, 2018

Excellent. 2 children attended. An average student and one with learning disabilities. Both treated equal.
Submitted by other on February 12, 2016

I attended Pacifica from 9th grade until 2nd semester of 11th grade. In my 3 years there I had absolutely no encouragement from my AP or teachers. I actually had a teacher tell me he isn't dealing with my "bullsh**" and accused me of things I did not do. Two other teachers told me that taking my final is pointless because I will fail anyways. I transferred to Hare Continuation when I left Pacifica and got straight A's, which continued once I started ACCESS. I did better on my own than I ever did at Pacifica. In my opinion they just don't care about the students that are struggling because it makes them look bad, which they should because they did not take the time to help me rather than putting me down. I know other students that have said the same so it is not just my own personal experience.
Submitted by student on January 20, 2015

As a student who transferred into Pacifica this year after spending my freshman year at a different school, I've found that Pacifica offers a very different high school experience as opposed to what I had before. Pacifica is a very small school in comparison to the one I came from, and I've been happy with the clean atmosphere and generally well-kept image of the school. However, the entrance I use to get into the school has no side walk at all and forces students to walk in-between cars coming in and out of the school's lot. I find that to be really poor design, and dangerous. The teachers I have now as opposed to the ones I had before are not as good at what they do. Some have very poorly planned classes, Some are not very interactive with their class at all, and are very vague with help when asked for it.. Most are not very clear when it comes to instructions. The school spirit here is a joke- we never have any pep assemblies and most students generally accept that our sports teams are terrible. All in all I've found it to be a downgrade, and though there are things I enjoy about Pacifica, I've been pretty disappointed with my new school.
Submitted by parent on April 21, 2014

My student is an IEP student and has difficutly keeping up with some of his classes. He has always been taught to ask for extra help before and after school. Yet, this year he has several teachers who have not been willing to meet with him, even by appointment and he is now really struggling in that class. It's very sad to see students try to obtain the help they need and have teachers unwilling to help. I understand they have lives and families, however it seems to be more and more of the teachers are showing less care for their students at this school, which is very sad to see. Not sure we will be sending child #2 to Pacifica in the next year.
Submitted by parent on April 16, 2014

Just like any HS you have your teachers that care and teachers that don't. It is our job as parents to let them know that you are on top of things and to ask questions if your student doesn't get the right answers. And if you don't play baseball or softball forget it the sports programs are a joke from an old boys soccer coach who usually has talent but can't do anything with or the girls soccer coach who is a club president and coach and only uses the school to farm players and forget about football it's just not gonna happen they don't even have there own stadium. But they take the whole bullying thing very serious and have lots of parent seminars and such for a variety of different things. Relatively safe I guess.....
Submitted by parent on May 23, 2013

I would like to see what percentage of students have to REPEAT classes at Pacifica vs. the California average. I notice my son passes the science and math benchmark tests with ease - but struggles mightily with Pacifica's teacher's own tests in geometry and chemistry. Same for his friends - many of whom will have to take Chemistry twice to avoid killing their chances at college. Why is there such a difference between student's performance on benchmarks vs. in class tests? What does that tell us? I think the teachers aren't getting the more complex issues into the students heads - a substantial amount flunk tests - and the teachers don't care - just move on. Everything seems to be in a mad rush. GRADING homework would be a good change. My son's geometry class gets full homework credit - just for turning it in. But are the students doing the homework correctly? Who knows - until you FAIL a test. Ugh. Private school - I wish I invested in it. the teaching is so much better. The caring is so much higher.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2013

Make sure your student gets involved with clubs, or any sport, that builds camaraderie that helps focus study habits.
Submitted by other on May 02, 2013

The school could have a better school spirit if it isn't demeaning and that it does not make students feel uncomfortable.
Submitted by parent on February 18, 2013

I have had two kids go through this school, the first one had bad experiences with teachers who wouldn't help or answer questions and I had a poor impression, however, when the second one entered and had some of those same, tough teachers I learned that there is more than one perspective as she was able to relate and work hard to get good grades -- this first one, not so much and now three years later admits she didn't work very hard, so I know not to take anything on face value.. The staff if courteous and the campus pretty safe, don't hear much of bulling nor fighting for the most part and the students seem very tolerant of each other, no matter what their differences. The school could use some revamping and it can be quite crowded and small. They could also use some new full-time math teachers as every year my kid has had some terrible substitutes teach classes abandoned due to personal situations, however those situations were handled with re-grading and/or re-testing and the outcomes were more than satisfactory -- given all of that, I think Pacifica offers a solid education and recommend it wholeheartedly..