Helix High School

7323 University Avenue

La Mesa, CA 91942

School District

Grossmont Union High
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:25
Type

charter

School Map for Grossmont 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 student on August 02, 2024

Honestly an amazing school. I truly recommend this school a thousand times. Many staffs speak spanish as well which is extremely helpful for parents whose first language is spanish. They often have surveys to better understand what the students want and need. All the teachers are super respectful and friendly to both parents and students. They are very supportive and understand school is hard and students struggle, offering support at all hours of the school day. They also have lunchtime events that focus on wellness, it is called “Wellness Wednesday” and they offer activities for students that are often calming and entertaining, it is almost always ran by other students which makes it super fun! They not only offer support mentally but as well as offering tutorials for students struggling in school. They are extremely helpful and are always there when a student is struggling. And of course their amazing variety of classes! They offter AP, and College classes. Art and theatre, and music and so much more! Definitely a top school.
Submitted by student on January 13, 2020

Great teachers !! Great people !! Thanks for the times !!
Submitted by other on October 22, 2019

I just graduated from helix and honestly they prepared me so much for college. Thanks to their guidance and positive attitude I got into many UC's and CSU's. I will always be grateful for the opportunities they provided (Honors, AP, Dual-enrollment) that helped me get to where I am today. I earned so much credit at this school that I'm a freshman in college with sophomore standing! I've talked to many people who went to different high schools and I'm proud that Helix cares about it's students.
Submitted by student on July 11, 2019

I am going to be a sophomore this upcoming school year and my experience with Helix has been extremely great. A lot of students who graduated were college ready and majority of the seniors I knew got into UC schools. As a freshmen, there is a class called Helix First where students learn about what helix offers and transition from middle school to high school. Helix First also educates freshmen students on college, how to apply to colleges & what to look for in a college, planning for the future, and more. I am an involved student. I am apart of 4 clubs on campus which range from community service clubs to career clubs. I also am one of the class officers for my graduating class.
Submitted by parent on June 19, 2019

Loved this school! No school is perfect. The teachers participate in student activities. And above all they live their students and it shows. Students are succeeding because they want to be and was encouraged to be
Submitted by student on October 23, 2018

This school is incredibly over rated and doesn't deserve it's rating
Submitted by student on June 08, 2017

I would give 10 stars anyday Helix all the way
Submitted by student on March 21, 2017

It's been a great experience at Helix Charter High School!
Submitted by parent on May 15, 2015

Parents Should be Seen & Not Heard, According to the Principal A recent meeting with Principal Trevino was 1 of the most frustrating & insulting meetings ever. We started to speak. She interrupted with what amounted to I m the Principal; I m going to get my way. A Principal should have some rudimentary social skills. She has none; she is a bully. We noticed no Helix staff speak. They must know her too well to confront her. When any attendee would speak, she interrupted, snubbing us all. It's a sign of intelligence & culture to have discussions & listen to both sides peacefully & respectfully. She's incapable of that. When someone in power enters a parent meeting, having made up her mind "a priori" about the outcome, there is no discussion. That was her-no discussion, no options. The district rep was clearly on OUR side. Why stay in a school run by a bully so callous to all with independent thought & opinions? Schools are places for discussions & debate. Not Helix. We learned only to strong-arm opponents until they give up all hope. She is a bully. It's her way or the highway. Because of her, we're glad to move our child from Helix. We'd NEVER want to deal with her EVER!
Submitted by student on October 15, 2014

I'm a freshman at HCHS. Helix is a really great school with a wide array of sports, clubs, and other programs to participate in, including music. There are plenty of AP and Honors classes to challenge yourself with and the teachers really push you. The teachers will not treat you like you middle school children, they treat you like growing adults, and the responsibility comes with that too. The school is very diverse and no matter where you go in Helix, you will be bombarded with genuine school spirit, but winning nearly every football game with a shutout 42-0 will do that for you. For me, one of the best things about Helix is the bragging rights. There's no way you could say that our athletics 'suck', our academics are actually pretty amazing and most of the teachers try really hard to make their lessons entertaining. If you're thinking about going to Helix and you have an interest in culture, I'd recommend taking ITSS (Intro To Social Science), HITSS (Honors ITSS), or AP Human Geography. I'm currently in APHG and I love the class. You'll learn about population and migration patterns and why cities and rural areas are the way they are.Anyway, if you do go to Helix, enjoy it!
Submitted by other on September 04, 2012

Helix Charter High School, is one of the best schools in the district. I am currently a junior and i feel as though i could go off to UCSD right now and be fully prepared. helix is a charter school so its standards are a lot higher than any other school. unlike other charters, we actually live up to ours and put a lot of effort into what we do. Some of the teachers here are also professors at colleges and in the honors program we are doing college level work. one thing i love about helix is that finances are never an issue because when there is an opportunity, helix gives you that chance in having it, and wont let anything get in the way of your aspirations. People i know from other schools in the district are exposed to many drugs but at helix that is not an option because we have drug testing for sports and a trained dog on campus for those purposes. i feel completely safe here with the narks who secure the campus and keep us on track. Also, Helix football and our sports program is huge, Reggie Bush, Alex Smith, and some up & coming stars Sam Meredith, Darian Hancock and base ball player Jake Reed, come from helix, just to name a few & were ranked 5th in CA for football
Submitted by parent on July 22, 2012

My child is starting his second year at Helix....I love this school its amazing. There are so may opportunities for kids at this school. My son has done very well at this school. I really enjoyed the meeting with the councelor for his classes she was amazing. She gave him so much information and guidance for his sophomore year. The only problem I have ever had with this school is the attendance clerk...she seems to have an attitude. I try very hard to be kind but she is alot younger than I am and tends to be condesending. Wish she had better customer service skills.
Submitted by other on November 10, 2011

I am a sophomore at Helix this year, and so far my experience has been excellent. As a sophomore I am currently enrolled in two honors classes and two AP classes for my first semester. The classes truly challenge me, and on top of two sports a year, Helix teachers and counselors push me to do my very best. The thing that I like most about my school, though, is its tolerance. No matter your race, gender, sexual preference, or ethnicity, Helix High is the most accepting school out there. With clubs such as YBS, GSA, MASA, and MECHA, Helix teaches you to be proud of who you are. Many of my teachers are Helix graduates themselves, and each and every teacher wants you to succeed. Helix Charter High Schoo is an excellent school.
Submitted by parent on June 08, 2011

Amazing school on many different levels. I have three children. All from brilliant (4.0+) to IEP needs. The teachers are a combination of strength and compassion towards all the students. Always responding to parents in a loving and effective way so that kids succeed. Just awesome.
Submitted by other on February 12, 2011

This school is ok at best. The school vibe at first is all about "ACADEMICS", but obviously a pitch just to think there kids are getting the best education there. At first the atmosphere feels nice, once two or three weeks go by, you feel like you are in jail. everything seems repetitive. Not a lot of extra curricular activities when I attended. Students tend to just stick with there group of friends. Not really a friendly atmosphere. I noticed that athletics were the main deal in a way over shadows most students. Teachers I had were disrespectful and rude. This coming from a good student. The teachers I had lacked the charisma to teach and true desire to help a student. Only a select few teachers were very caring. Another thing I did not like about the school was the grading system, I felt that the homework grade should of at least been 25 to 30 percent of a grade, tests were way to high of overall percentage. This meant was that if a struggling student that was truly working hard to get a good grade and did not do good on 2 tests then the student would barley pass a class or not even pass at all including doing all homework. I felt this was very unfair. Lunches are another issue
Submitted by parent on May 26, 2010

My daughter has been a Helix student for the last 3 years and I've stood behind them because academically they've been pretty strong. But with all their legal problems in recent years I question the judgment of their leaders. The local news is frequently at the school reporting on the latest scandal, which is disruptive to students. The district recently threatened to revoke their charter, which it looks like they have avoided this time. Another issue is their arbitrary policies that both my daughter and I have grown tired of. They kept her from going to homecoming because she had TWO tardies ("too many" they said) and put her on an attendance contract for too many absences last year, which included a trip that THEY approved! My daughter is a B student and deserves better, so we're done. She's transferring out next year.