Rancho Cotate High School

5450 Snyder Lane

School District

Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified
Grade

9-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:21
Type

public

School Map for Cotati-Rohnert Park 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 other on November 16, 2024

I went here in the 90's for 9th and 10th grade and grew up here. It's surprising graduates of the Ranch are even literate. I took my proficiency exam at 16 and somehow passed. When I got to college I had to start at the lowest level math and english classes available. We were rebels, but the classrooms, the kids ran them. I was usually way smarter than most kids but no teacher pushed me to excel and I had to push myself after I graduated with my proficiency diploma. I think the problem is a combo of teachers that aren't really equipped or interested in guiding the kids towards success, and probably to some extent a lack of parental involvement. You can see from the test scores it's just barely an average school. I'm a parent now and my spouse have I have worked hard and always prioritized living in good public school districts for our kids. Mine are in high school now and they are at a 10/10 school. I see the difference at every level, from teacher involvement, parent involvement, the coursework, homework load, expectations of students. We had none of that. Many of us still managed to be reasonably successful adults though.
Submitted by parent on January 09, 2023

There has been no certified special education teacher at RCHS for 1.5 years!!! Two quit over the summer and they never notified the families. And all of this was after the abysmal excuse for education during 2020 when teachers just didn't teach. Special ed kids (and all kids) need to be in a classroom NOT watching a computer screen for 20-minutes then doing nothing for the rest of the day.I've followed up with the principals, the director of special education and the asst. director of special education and they all kind of sing the same song. Your kid is important to us...but not that important. Not enough to pull a teacher from another school. Not enough to have a fully credentialed administrator lower themselves to teach rather that administrate. The teacher's union and the admin have parents by the short-hairs. You won't get any help here. Go to another school.
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2022

Literally the definition of bullying. Coming to school was so miserable and there were times mentally I went to dark places. I get it teenagers are mean. But this was a whole other level of cruel
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2019

I have two students in 10th grade and I teach in the district. I had always heard the reputation of Rancho so was nervous about going there but I am so glad we did! There is never anything that is perfect but my girls are incredibly happy there and are learning and growing. They are AP and Honors classes along with being in clubs and on teams. We have had wonderful teachers who have encouraged my girls. They feel safe at school and have never had an issues with bullying, drugs or gangs. I cannot recommend Rancho enough.
Submitted by student on November 11, 2018

The school severely lakes school spirit to the point of little to no school spirit. School government is a joke, presidents quit, no one runs for the positions, when there are meetings, people don't show up, just because its not important enough. The level of teaching is far superior to other schools, most other schools in the area (more on this at the end). Teachers have no authroity from the principal and students can sway the actions taken. THIS IS AN OFF CAMPUS lunch school which brings itself to the lack of school spirit. Allowing everyone to leave school, go get lunch or go get stoned defiantly helps the disconnect within the school. Most teachers are nice, some are good. But there are also several teachers who QUIT on the first day of school leaving other teachers left to take on classes they are (barely) qualified to teach. The office staff is in their own world, annoyed with students and questions. There is no leadership from the principal and vice principals, even though they have several! While the attempt at RCHS was made, ultimately with so many issues and the fact that the the education level hovers around 8th or 9th grade, disguised by being a junior, sophomore of even a senior, transferring to a different school in the Sonoma County area proved to be a true asset to my future. Moving to a different schools immediate effect was the level that work was being done, it was challenging! Going from 15 minutes of homework in an HONORS class to 2-3 hours of homework! The comparison is not in a different grade, it is that other schools are teaching at a truly higher level and expecting more from their students. The end result is students at Rancho are destine for a mediocre education at best. The school is heavily flawed. The decline of the school started 1-2 decades ago, the recovery from this is painfully slow and students are suffering, but they dont know it. In the real word, when a Rancho student moves on to college, they are in for a wake up call. The only hope at Racnho is to be in sports and be GOOD at that sport. There is a lot of value in their sports programs and those in them basically get anything they want.To be clear, this is a school to avoid. Do your homework parents and compare to PHS, CASA, MHS, SRHS, WHS. The difficulty will be in transporting your student to the school, it sill be hard at times. The truth hurts.
Submitted by parent on March 05, 2018

This school has sharply declined over the last four years. Staff morale is low, which effects student morale. Teachers have chronic absenteeism, and often fail to have substitute teachers to cover their classes. If I could do it all over again, I would send my daughter to a better school.
Submitted by parent on December 29, 2016

We've had a positive experience at RCHS. Our son has excelled and is off to college this fall.
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2014

This school almost killed my daughter. The teachers don't care, they just move kids on to get rid of them. My daughter passed the classes easily, she was used to more challenging courses, and then the peer pressure started in. The kids there were mean, doing drugs and alcohol and the staff didn't discipline! It was ridiculous! I feel bad for the kids who don't know what they're getting into and they won't have a good application for colleges. No programs are offered for an extra boost, except dome fake "college track" that doesn't even have qualified honors classes, and the kids don't even have to test to get in. If the kids ever do try to take an honors class they will be shocked by whats expected. I am so sad that kids go here, some without knowing that getting into good colleges will be hard, and some just there to party. -very concerned parent
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2013

Rancho Cotati School is the best. My daughter is in the 12th grade and they worked with her to bring her grades up and they really could use help with the sports program. The office staff is the best ever and they are there for the students. My daughter goes to see her counselor and gets right in and they get ahold of us right away if needed.
Submitted by student on June 23, 2013

Amazing high school with the best teachers! My mom, brother and aunts all went to this high school and all loved it. It is a bonus that the football team is amazing and really makes the school have a lot of spirit, bringing everyone closer. Best high school in Sonoma County no doubt.
Submitted by student on February 14, 2013

A handful of the teachers care about their students, but are usually frustrated by rules that permit them from straying form the bizarre curriculum. Not much offered in the way of academics. the students that succeed there are the kind that would succeed in any environment, not because of anything especial on the schools part. Anybody with options get out of Rancho ASAP.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2013

This school is an absolute nightmare! If you are not on top of the teachers, counselers, principal etc..... they will let your child slip through the cracks. It is impossible to get anyone to return your phones calls. It would take about 3 weeks for anyone to call you back or for your student to get in to speak with a counselor. Many admitted mistakes were made with my childs credits which almost cost her her graduation. Finally, a few phone calls to the superintendants office fixed things. Almost everyone there wants to pass their responsiblities along to another because one hand has no idea what the other is doing. It's a joke trying to get a straight answer or to get anything accomplished with this high school. Some of the teachers really hate their job and have verbally made that clear to the students. You're kids will benefit by going to another school district unless you want them to end up at El Camino to make up credits to graduate. That's if they can even get in. It's very sad that this is what our kids have to look forward to. I have two other children to put through school and I do not plan to subject them to RCHS