Portola High

1001 Cadence

School District

Irvine Unified
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:27
Type

public

School Map for Irvine 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 student on October 25, 2024

Personally I think I've had the best experience in this school out of all the other schools I've attended here in California, as well as back in my home country. It might not be fair to compare schools in Glendale and the post-soviet elementary schools from my childhood to a neat and well funded school in Irvine, but I truly didn't have that many negative experiences here (by my own standards). Frankly though, if you were to ask some of my friends and peers, they might give you a very different answer, but that's their story to tell and not mine.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2024

The teachers and administrators don’t care about the students. The principal and vice principals are apathetic and will just tell you what you want to hear to get you to be quiet. This school is already overcrowded and doesn’t have enough tables, shade, space for the ever growing number of new students moving to the area.
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2024

My child quit the instrument he’s been playing since he was four because the music teachers (Traska and Stevens) are so mean. They don’t help or teach the kids. They yell, embarrass and belittle them until they fear the class and the assessments. He didn’t think my child was paying correctly so he singled him out and made him play in front of the class. He’s not the best but there is no room for different ability levels in this program. I regret encouraging him to play with the school program. My kid came home in tears that day and no longer has any interest in playing. It’s really sad that a lifetime of something he took so much pride in could be ruined by a couple of power hungry high school music teacher adult bullies.
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2023

Both of my kids are going to this school and they are happy and thriving. School is safe, staffs are always helpful and supportive and I know many kids who got accepted to Ivy League and other highly rated colleges who graduated from this school. It’s a great college prep school! The campus is very modern and new, it’s a top notch state of the art! I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a great college prep school that is also in a safe neighborhood setting.
Submitted by parent on March 21, 2023

This school is fantastic! It would be further improved through broader funding for extracurriculars and addressing access issues (as the community in great park grows drop offs are going to get crazy) but overall, staff are engaged and the quality of the education received is excellent.
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2022

Non supportive teachers, counselors and principal. Non compassionate towards the kids especially during these extenuating circumstances that covid has caused. My child's voice has been ignored and when brought to the attention of the principal, he was quick to support and defend his staff, without even bothering to look into the situation. Instead his response to our concerns was that he had been in his position for over 35 years and would never hire staff that would be unsupportive towards students. I had high hopes for this high school, thinking that the staff would be there to help support the kids in this time in their lives, but really our experience has been otherwise, and that they really don't care much about the kids at all. I would not recommend this school.
Submitted by other on June 04, 2020

Recently purchased a home in the area with two young children. After researching different parts of Irvine, my real estate agent and family decided this was the best fit for us. It is a relatively new school and the potential is limitless. It is a beautiful campus and neighboring families are involved/supportive of schools and education. I am looking forward to sending our kids to Portola. Proud to be part of IUSD.
Submitted by parent on March 01, 2020

Wonderful school with good academics and sports. Purchased home in the area just to be able to send my son to this school.
Submitted by student on December 05, 2019

I honestly love this school. I am a freshman and I am taking choir, dance and theatre. The courses are amazing and I aint gonna lie but there are some teachers that really don't give out hw. But the electives and courses are really good.
Submitted by student on January 13, 2019

I hated this school, I hope that it shuts down