Colfax High School

Parents know that when you give the school information regarding the vehicle your child will drive to school it is subject to being accessed by any staff member with the goal being to pull your student from class to be dressed down for simple driving mistakes your teenager has made OFF SCHOOL PROPERTY. That's right, if your child happens to turn in front of a school staff member while driving OFF CAMPUS and they are offended they will take down the license plate and counsel your child at school. Academically they are very behind many many other high schools. Most of the reviews are by parents who have no other high school experience, admittedly. I have experience with 5 other high schools from Pollock Pines to Redding. My daughter started taking AP classes her freshman year and was on the honor roll. At Colfax your child has to waste two years before being eligible to take AP classes. My daughter worked very hard on a science project then was denied the chance to run it because the teacher ran out of time, she was the only one. And for Sophomore English class they are reading a 6th grade rated book. Yes your student will get some eduation at Colfax but not enough to be competitive
--Submitted by a parent

Where do I start? I was coming in as a new sophomore at this school and on the first day not one, not one, out of all the students at this school, said anything to me not a hi or a welcome to colfax, nada. This school has a class called "Tech Essentials" going into the class you think you will be learning about computers and how to use the applications on it, but you don't. First you make a colfax high school profile, then you carve your car out of a piece of wood then you make a circuit board for your car that you will race at the end of the term. Meanwhile you learn nothing about computers and everything about cutting wood. The funniest part is that the teachers think these are the tech essentials that you need to learn. When really what we need to be learning about is computer applications such as word, powerpoint, and excel. If this website would let you rate a school at 0 I would.
--Submitted by a student

Most students go on to the local junior college, but a small cadre of students go to on to the University of California and colleges of similar rank. The AP teachers are excellent and there are a few outstanding programs; drama, art, French, journalism and others. The administration has a conservative Christian bias that favors Christian students when it comes to meting out discipline. Despite opposition from parents and students, the school changed from block scheduling to a 4x4 schedule. The new schedule means that a year can go by between foreign language or math classes delaying progress in those and other subjects. The kids hate it, but the administration decided to conform to a district schedule or something.
--Submitted by a parent

Colfax high is the best in the West has the best Football team and every graduate has high esteem of themselves from the knowledgeable staff that shares wisdom which we all need to survive in this world today Colfax high is 5 STAR
--Submitted by a parent

colfax high has wonderful programs and opperotunities!!
--Submitted by a student

Colfax high is an excellent school with great teachers and a place for all students.
--Submitted by a parent

Again-the emphasis seems more on sports. Art programs are great and drama is too. It's small for a high school. In most clases the environment was comfortable, providing a great learning environment. Most teachers were pleasant, the curriculum was good.
--Submitted by a parent

I agree with the comments (below) about the emphasis on sports programs, particularly the football team. The drama department is OK, but falls short due to lack of musical theatre productions. The music department is stellar, particularly the Chamber Choir program. Advanced Placement classes are limited due to the school's small size. If your child is gifted, plan on having him/her attend nearby Sierra College classes in Senior year to avoid 'senior-itis' (boredom from lack of advanced curriculum). Class sizes are not as large as those found in urban schools. One of the best attributes of Colfax HS is its small size (under 1k students). Teachers in the college prep courses are excellent. Parents of struggling children should be vigilant, because there is an unsavory element which could lead your child astray. Also, the curriculum of the '4x4' scheduling can be a problem for some students. Lacks diversity in student population.
--Submitted by a parent

Our third child is now a freshman and we have spanned over 10 years at Colfax. We picked where to live over 20 years ago so that our family would go to Colfax, a small rural closed campus. Staff and teachers are wonderful. Teachers especially caring and supportive, even of challenging or individualistic kids. Don't try to regiment spirit out of kids but have high expectations. The principal and VPs are great. I think the VPs are especially skillful with struggling kids and provide structure and encouragement but appropriate consequences as well. School sports and fine arts are especially high quality for small high school. Lots of school pride. New facilities were a welcome boost to all programs, theatre, gym etc. Graduates from this school have done very well in many careers and professions. We love Colfax High School.
--Submitted by a parent

CHS welcomed its records largest freshman class Fall 2005 with a few communication bumps, but that was history! As my daughter finishes her freshman year, (pleasantly surprised we are very happy so far) she is loving Colfax. Maintaining honor roll grades without hair pulling, she balances social and sports activities (tennis team)well. Science & Math are stand-outs. French is challenging & fun (activities). After not getting into an Art class, she joined Art & Drafting club. The schedule is tight but not impossible, with the weekly 'Student Advisory' period invaluable keeping her organized & on-track of projects, my daughter feels confident rather than lost. Her advisor & teachers; she rates all very highly. CHS support staff are excellent. To date, thankfully CHS exceeded this Mother's expectations; we picked CHS out of four potential local school choices.
--Submitted by a parent