Mountain Ridge High School

Mountain Ridge school provides students with a 21st century education! Students get the opportunity to track their own data and take ownership of their learning through goal setting and focusing on research based strategies. The teachers and administration are wonderful and very supportive of student needs. There are more than 40 clubs that students can participate in and a ton of school spirit! Your child will definitely graduate feeling prepared for college or a career, whichever path they may choose!!
—Submitted by a teacher

My Daughter has had an excellent education here with teachers who are really involved and want their students to do well. My student worked hard and had a great relationship with the math and chemistry departments. She had a great experience with athletics and clubs. The resources here are very good. She has a full ride to ASU in Chemical Engineering and I give credit to her and to the exceptional teachers at Ridge. It is all there if you reach for it. If you think someone owes you something you won't succeed anywhere.
—Submitted by a parent

Two of the greatest aspects of Mountain Ridge High Schools are its committment to excellence and the wide variety of clubs and activities available to students. Each year, the school holds a club rush event so that students can learn about all the clubs on campus. Some groups are academic, some involve community service while others are related to sports. The overall campus feel is safe and inviting. Additionally, both the rigor and content of the honors and AP classes are wonderful. Students are fully prepared for success in college and beyond. Having worked in two other schools prior to coming to Mountain Ridge, I can honestly say that MRHS is a truly outstanding school.
—Submitted by a teacher

My son transferred from the Peoria district where he failed almost all of his first semester classes his junior year. His mother and I were resigned to the fact that he would not graduate. As a senior at Mountain Ridge, my son developed the discipline to achieve his academic goals. The administration and counseling office went out of their way to help him be successful and as such he graduated in the spring of 2011. He has since become a U.S. Marine and this probably would not have occurred if he had not gone to Mountain Ridge High School. Our family owes a debt of gratitude to Mountain Ridge s staff and administration for working with us and him.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is too big... if your student is an A and loves to be involved in extra circular activities, they will like it if they like crowds. If you student is average and struggles, they will not do well. With only 50 min classes, it takes 10-15 min to settle the students down, then the teacher only has time to give out assignments, no time for real lessons or walking thru and helping a student understand. The teachers and staff may have cared but without resources and so many students, the kids that can't stay before/after school to get the help drowned.
—Submitted by a parent

I think that Coach Jack MacDonald is an excellent summer league baseball coach. I hope that he is maintained as a solid staff member of the sports program. Our grandson is on the summer instructional league and is learning so much. He learns how to develop into a fine and respected young man as well as a great ballplayer. Thank you Coach Mac, and thank you Mountain Ridge for staffing such a fine man

MRHS is outstanding! Our children have the advantage of selecting from a variety of great academic programs as well as extra-curricular activities. Their teachers are passionate about their subjects & caring of their students. Of course, we as parents are very involved & have found the staff & administration to be helpful & competent. Positive direction from the top provides great direction for students & staff. This is truly an excellent school.
—Submitted by a parent

I worked for this school and now work for Peoria. I can say MRHS does not challenge students but rather babies them along. AP and Honors classes are the level of regular academic classes at most other schools. The accounting/business classes are a complete joke. In fact the entire CTE department needs an overhaul. Admininstration has lost touch with reality. Its time to clean house MRHS.

Mountain Ridge is an amazing school. Our daughter has only had the benefit of two years, and we are so sorry that we didn't move her sooner. We cannot believe the difference in education and opportunities found between the 2 schools less than 5 miles apart. Mrs. Durazo is absolutely amazing, and a HUGE benefit for the school and their arts program. We cannot thank the school enough for what they have done for our daughter. If you live anywhere near Mountain Ridge, and your child is interested in Music, there is NO other choice.
—Submitted by a parent

I would strongly recommend Mt. Ridge High School to any parent who is willing to participate in their child's education. Both of our sons graduated from Mt. Ridge and both received multiple scholarship offers from not only ASU and Univ of Arizona, but also scholarship offers from several out of state schools; including the college they both choose to attend, Pepperdine University. The teachers and administrative staff are very dedicated and work hard to provide the best education possible. If you don't want to participate in and support your child's education, and you only want to complain about what you are not getting from a school, then go someplace else.
—Submitted by a parent

I would like to offer parents considering Mountain Ridge some advice. Send your child to Mountain Ridge because it is an excellent school, but you should know that your involvement is still crucial in your child's development. While browsing through other posts I saw a lot of parents blaming teachers and administrators for individual failures. Teachers in every subject and at every level offer the help students need, but often students refuse that help. Parents need to encourage their students to seek knowledge and to succeed, not blame the system or the teachers. Mountain Ridge has great teachers, and I would highly encourage parents to send their children to this high school.
—Submitted by a student

We were very unhappy with this school and the faculty. They are not at all equipped to handle students with special needs.
—Submitted by a parent

Very unhappy with this school. They are not equipped to handle special needs students.
—Submitted by a parent

Our child is a freshman this year. I read other reviews that only accelerated student get noticed. We wish! I find it very difficult to speak to teachers or administrators. Yes, it is a large school, but these are people you are dealing with. I hope the rest of this year goes better than the first quarter. Some teachers seem to care about and challenge my child in a good way, others do not appear to care at all. The bureaucracy and politics are discouraging.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are wonderful and gave both of our children a wonderful education! There are several people who really cared!!
—Submitted by a parent

I have had 2 graduate Ridge and our last is a sophomore. Our oldest did not apply himself to his ability and barely graduated; our second had a wonderful experience & our third is the same. 2500 students will bring its share of problems. Overall, I find the staff to be passionate about their teaching and involved, as long as the kid gives a darn about learning. The counseling office was worthless; the administration acts like the gestapo ~ biggest problem I see at Ridge is parents. I would bet the parents who complain never participated in their child's high school experience except to show up in the office when there is a problem. To only have 100 parents in the PTA in a school this size is pathetic. Parents will always be the greatest influence; if you don't give a darn, why should your kid? Get involved like you should!
—Submitted by a parent

i miss ridge. i graduated last year and i totally wish i could go back. ridge was the best ever.
—Submitted by a student

We have an amazing band that has recieved many honors and we are considered an A+ school.
—Submitted by a student

Ridge is an absolutly amazing school. In other reviews I read, people are trying to say how they just care about AP kids. From my experience this isn't true. I myself was in honors classes my freshman year, and will be taking them again this year. But I had friends who weren't in honors and they got just as much attention as I did. The teachers are very nice and will do anything they can to help you succeed in their classes. I participated in the musical this past spring and plan to do more with theatre in the next three years. The theatre department is an amazing group of people and they easily accept you as their new friend and cast mate if you are new to the department. For me so far, Ridge has been an amazing experience.
—Submitted by a student

I am a senior who attends Ridge. There are several things I dislike about it but I know it could be worse. The school only supports the athletic and AP students, all others are ignored and disrespected. The only way to get personal attention is to send million's of emails. Then you get a condesending attitude. The lack of different classes is horrible. I actually enjoy learning and I do not feel that the school does not offer enough non-AP classes. I am too busy to take AP classes and my grades do leave something to be desired. The arts departments, besides band, are dissapointingly underfunded.
—Submitted by a student