Valencia High School

500 Bradford Avenue

School District

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:24
Type

public

School Map for Placentia-Yorba Linda 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 June 27, 2023

Valencia High School claims to be the best academic school in PYLUSD, but it's not. There are some good teachers but the most of them don't really care about their students and refuse to help. If students don't have good connections with certain groups of students or teachers, you are pretty much doomed. The information and opportunities are only given to certain students. It's not fair and not transparent. For those parents and students who praised about VHS it's probably because they were in the inner circle and got all the benefits from it. In order to keep students from going to their neighbor high school, VHS starts several programs like IB, Tech, Cambridge, SciOly, Robotics. Academic Decathlon.... But VHS doesn't really put much effort in them. If you don't have the connection with the certain teachers or upper class students, you will probably not get into those competition teams. And their goal is not to win the competition. They just want to sound nice to have those programs and teams in their school. If you want your kids to keep good grades, make sure to sign your students up with outside school review programs or hire tutors. VHS offers a lot of AP, IB classes but doesn't have good teachers to teach. You will have a student receive As in the AP classes but won't pass AP tests. Or teachers just gave a lot of homework to make the classes "harder" but don't really care about the quality of the homework. There are teachers who won't update the grades and grade students base on their impression. So the student either get a surprised A or a surprised B or C. Most of my friends who sent their older child to VHS do not send their younger ones there. The only few stay are those who have good connections with the school or their kids insist to go there with their friends.
Submitted by parent on January 18, 2023

Valencia offers perhaps the best academic programs in the PYLUSD school district, encouraging students to enroll in IB, Cambridge, and ValTech courses. The bulk of the student population consists of minorities, and such diversity contrasts with other schools within the district, ones that particularly have a prejudiced student population. The diversity within Valencia prevents such racial issues and promotes students as individuals to accept their identity.
Submitted by parent on January 28, 2017

Overall good and sometimes bad for average and above-average students. But I am assuming it can get worse somewhere else.
Submitted by student on August 30, 2015

There aren't too many high schools where you can experience a diverse student body combined with a strong academic program that allows access to ALL students. Amazing teachers, quality athletics, amazing clubs, and a strong instrumental music program. The drama program and school newspaper are the only things that suck.
Submitted by student on September 18, 2014

On my fourth year at VHS, I can say with certainty that this school is AMAZING Nowhere else will you find such great opportunities for your student, as well as true diversity and great academics. This school prepared me for a bright future. Thank you VHS :) Go tigers!
Submitted by student on June 29, 2014

Valencia HS provides a lot of diversity, rigorous academics, and helpful teachers. I had a great experience in this school and still am. The sports I hear are great, the involvement is hands on, and the learning is fantastic. The people are really nice here and some teachers really care about the students future. You can get great advice from some of the counselors( AVID COUNSELOR was the best) and helpful tips for your future. The surroundings in the school are great, I really love that trees are around you and the campus is different. It has a little twist to your typical school campuses. The lunch food is not that great and I believe not healthy, but some teachers decide to bring food to school to sell to kids. For example: $1 noodle cup soups, chips, cookies, junk food, soda, and water. There are vending machines that sell junk food, Snapple, Gatorade, water, ice cream, and soda. Also the band room has an afterschool snack place that sells a ton of food, junk food, ice cream, beverages, and a lot more ALL FOR $1. It is the average teenagers dream, although I don't know if they will have the band afterschool snack bar this upcoming year 2014-2015. Pack own food to stay healthy.
Submitted by parent on June 09, 2014

The staff and students are wonderful, my daughter had a great experience. The diversity of the campus makes this school a real-world experience. I recommend it all the time. In my four years as a parent of a student here, it surprises me that anyone had a bad experience. The staff are extremely devoted-- I have heard of counselors helping their students financially - I recall a fundraiser that helped a family recently (mother had cancer), I think they raised $1300 from just the staff and a few kids. Valencia is an incredibly underrated school. It is recognized nationally as one of the best in the country (Newsweek magazine).
Submitted by other on March 30, 2014

I had a horrible experience at this school. I transferred into this school over spring break last year, even though I really wanted to go to El Dorado. It has a very high hispanic population which was not a problem but due to the fact I'm very fair and have blonde hair, I stood out like a sore thumb. After only two weeks of being there, people were spreading horrible rumors about me. And I mean HORRIBLE. The teachers I had, except for one, were very rude and inconsiderate. And the counselor I had was even worse. She believed that she knew everything and wouldn't listen to anything I had to say, which ended up really screwing me over. In the end, I only had 4 classes as a freshman and absolutely refused to put me into any other electives so that I wouldn't fall behind in credits (which she could've done without a problem.) All in all, rude students and faculty members destroyed the high hopes that I had for Valencia. Avoid this school at all costs.
Submitted by student on October 21, 2013

I completely hated his school the people here are hostile and the school has just an overall bad envirement.
Submitted by student on August 13, 2013

My school is great, but only if you're enrolled in the IB or Valencia Tech programs.
Submitted by other on June 13, 2013

BEST SCHOOL in the district. I feel safe, and the teachers and staff really care about you. Attend this school.
Submitted by parent on December 17, 2012

Accademics really emphasised here. Great athletic department as well. My soon plays basketball and baseball and is making some good friends, hopefully for life.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2012

Valencia High School win 2012 Academic Decathlon Overall Team 1st Place Division 1 in Orange County. 2012 Academic Decathlon SuperQuiz 1st Place division 1 in Orange County. Valencia High School Team will present Orange County at California Acadmic Decathlon Competition in March 15-18, 2012 in Sacramento. In 2011, Valencia High place ranking in 12th place in Dvision 1 of California. http://www.academicdecathlon.org/scores/state2011SummaryResults.pdf