Pace High School

4065 Norris Road

School District

Santa Rosa
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:22
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 teacher on January 12, 2025

This is where good ideas go to die. The books are outdated, students are tested on curriculum that is not in their old, outdated textbooks. FYI Google chrome books have been given to each student in Escambia county for 8 years now, a chrome book cost less than a text book.
Submitted by parent on December 04, 2022

My daughters love this school! As a Christian mom I was wary about putting them into this school, but they are thriving here. There are lots of extra classes. Both of my daughters are taking a cooking class this semester. I’m very glad I made the decision to put them in this school. Compared to a lot of public and even private schools in the area it’s incredibly enriching and inclusive of my beliefs.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2020

We are very happy with our student’s growth and progress at Pace HS.
Submitted by parent on June 19, 2019

This school was very accommodating for academics and sports.
Submitted by other on June 19, 2019

I am so glad we moved to Pace. We moved for the high school. It has been great.
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2019

This was by far the best year my kids have ever had at a school academically. The staff was amazing and really surpassed my expectations. This was the first school I have not had to fight in order to get teachers and Paras to follow the IEP. By far a great year. I'd give these teachers a gold star.
Submitted by parent on March 29, 2019

A large school with so much academic potential. Sadly, offering so few AP courses for a school this size. Mediocre is my most accurate description overall. No creativity at the administrative level to make this school what it could be - the most academically competitive high school in the panhandle.
Submitted by student on July 25, 2015

I have attended this school for the past two years, and as I am a military child, I have been lucky enough to experience other, more culturally and academically advanced schools before it. As said in another review, Pace High School was a culture shock to me, and I can honestly say that while my time there wasn't Hell, it is by far the worst school I've ever gone to. I feel extremely sorry for the students who have no choice but to attend this school and haven't had the opportunities I have had to see better schools and better programs. I have seen multiple roaches at this school, and they are positively HUGE, and the school overall is filthy. I haven't seen any rats like other reviews have stated, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they were running around as well. Some teachers are UNCOMFORTABLY personal with certain students, but few are even willing to offer help to students academically. Memorization rather than the actual understanding of a subject is what students learn, and some core subjects are not even taught until Junior/Senior year. I hated the academics of this school and felt that I was wasting my life and not in any way preparing for my future, college, or any sort of life outside of Pace with this school's way of running things. I learned absolutely nothing in this school, and I definitely found it to have strong senses of favoritism both socially and academically. I found some diamonds in the rough in terms of teachers who actually put effort into their classes (and were professional about it) and students who weren't completely mentally isolated by their small town and their smaller school. I wouldn't recommend this to another student or their family, and would be glad if I never had to spend another day in its filthy, biast halls.
Submitted by student on July 14, 2015

I absolutely hated this school. My entire freshman year was miserable. I moved to Florida the summer I would begin my freshman year. I had came from an art's school up north so, I already had high expectations. I did not like that part of Florida in general. It was nothing how I expected Florida to be. Pace high school is NOT diverse at all. The school I went to up north was extremely diverse and, I absolutely loved that. This school is full of country rednecks. I have seen so many roaches at this school. Not little roaches, HUGE one's. This school should have been kept more clean. The biggest problem I had with this school was dress code. Coming from an art's school, we believed in freedom to express ourselves. Now, I do understand that there should be some dress codes but, pace took it to the extreme. They would get on me about any little "dress code violation" I also believe they showed favortism. One of the staff member dress coded me for wearing a crop top. The next day that same staff member walked pass a girl wearing the littlest shorts and, did not say a thing. I know she saw her because, she looked right at her and, her friends and, smiled. I also don't know if race played a part in this as well. Speaking of race, many of the students would use the n word which they had no right using. As far as academics goes, I feel like they dumbed down the classes. I took an honor's class and, it didn't even feel like it. The hope teachers definitely showed favoritism. Also running around in hope everyday in the hot heat was miserable. There should have been more options. Running is not the only physical exercise. There should have been more options such as dance, yoga, basketball etc. The homecoming was so whack. Pretty much no one danced. Everyone stood in there little circles. People barely knew how to do the cupid shuffle. This school was just not for me. If you were raised near here then, it may not be as much of a culture shock for you. Someone who is use to the finer things in life will probably feel the same way as I. I am just so glad that I moved back up north and will never have to see that school again.
Submitted by other on January 16, 2012

This is the best school i ever went too!!! I hear some other reviews that are not true like "there are rats running around the school" or "theres to many christians" or "too much drugs" but thats not really true. First of all, rats running around? Okay, that was the worst lie i ever heard pace is the cleanest school ever. To many christians? Yeah, sorry were a people who like are religion and go to our church, i dont even know how you can complain about somthing that isn't even aloud in school anyway. And the drugs? Well, every school has drugs, but schools up north and west are worse. The only reason you hear about drugs hear is because the staff actually catches kids when they have them, unlike the majority of other schools.
Submitted by student on August 05, 2011

As a current student some of these reviews are apalling. Drgs- just as much as any high school. Teacher quality- very good, unless you happen to get the occasional lazy teacher. The two main problems are the hugely Christian bias and the clique-ish attitude of students. You rarley see students interact with others who differ in opinions. Sports are also a VERY big impact on student life, especially football (like most high schools) Socially the school is on the lesser side but academics are very well done.
Submitted by student on May 09, 2011

Pace High School is the best School I have ever attended. It is better than some of the private schools I have even gone to! There isn't a day where I don't have fun! The teachers are very understanding and will work with you on whatever you need help with. Unlike what the person below be posted(P.S., go back to where you're from if you do not like Pace), it is a very clean environment. No rats, whatsoever. As for being overrun with drugs, I have never seen one type of drug on that campus before, and trust me, I know more than 80% of the student body. I am very happy with my time I have spent there.
Submitted by parent on March 02, 2011

We moved here a little over a year ago from a very highly rated school. We are very unhappy with Pace High. They have very few extracurricular activities outside of sports. The school is overrun with drugs and there doesn't seem that there is anything to do in town to keep the kids busy. The school has a coffee shop but didn't have a school library part of last school year. The gym is the smallest school gym I have ever seen and we came from a fairly small town. It is filthy and I was afraid to sit down. My son said you can sometimes hear rats running in the ceiling during classes. Overall, not a good experience. We are trying looking to relocate to get our children out of this school system.