Granada Hills Charter High School

Negative and positive experiences at this school. The teachers seem very enthusiastic and caring. There seems to be a lot of help available for your child. The administration runs things differently than any other school we've been to, which is a good thing! Way too much homework though!!! Doing homework from 3:30 to midnight every night and at least one full day on the weekend sometimes both days is just a little too much! These are children not robots. My child is under a huge amount of stress and I don't like it at all. Also the basketball coach shouldn't even bother holding tryouts if he had already made his choices before tryouts. It would have saved me a lot of time. Those were the worst tryouts I've ever watched. He advanced kids that lost the challenges and cut the ones that won????????
--Submitted by a parent

Graduate of Granada Hills High great school, great teachers graduated in 60's lots of school activities and social interaction, memories that last forever

My child transfered from a rigorous college prep. Catholic School. The academics and challenging classes at Granada have not only met, but far exceeded the school she attended. Granada offers more opportunities for honors and A.P. classes. The extra curricular activities and clubs are outstanding. There is something for everyone here. I was a bit worried that her religious values would be attacked, I found just the opposite. She is free to voice her opinions and still treated respectfully. The staff/teachers I have encountered have been friendly and very helpful. She is getting a superior education for free... now if I could only convince my other child to transfer to Granada.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter went to Granada after Catholic school. I was afraid she would get lost in the crowd. But after only 1 semester I found that the teachers care, especially Mr. Nelson her algebra teacher, and the staff are very helpful. My daughter has excelled and found her place in the campus population. I am super pleased!!
--Submitted by a parent

I am very blessed that my two sons do well in High School. I am involved with the PTSA at this school, so I know that there is a great support team at GHCHS.
--Submitted by a parent

Our child is in his second year at GHCHS and we think it's been a great experience! If your student is not self motivated it could be easy to fall between the cracks with 4,200 students. The have a very strict attendance policy and dress code as well as many rules, rules, rules but we feel this is a safe campus as well as a positive environment for our student.
--Submitted by a parent

I forgot this part: Be ware of the drop-fail policy of the school. Excused absences (including documented illnesses) count toward this policy, too. Their treatment of children is Draconian. This school is a great support for small learning communities and smaller schools (including HSs). My son was in another charter that provided meaningful SpEd, so it is not just charter schools that are problematic and I am actually pro-charter. Good luck with finding a good high school for your child!
--Submitted by a parent

Recourses are unmatched as school is very wealthy. Extracurricular, clubs and just about every department is well developed. Reputed for some brilliant teachers however most really great ones were let go recently. As a preparatory school for college it is extremely well organized and helpful. As an environment it can do better. Perhaps too strict and concerned with test scores and overall school image as largest Charter School in Nation to care about student needs and concerns.
--Submitted by a student

The student drop off in the morning is awful. Instead of fixing the situation they just hand out tickets. The school tries to fit all the kids in the same mold. They do not cater to the special needs kids or the students that might excel at the arts.
--Submitted by a parent

Granada is not a bad school-- it has great academic and elective courses (rigorous!) along with some great teachers (like most schools, not all teachers care). However, it is over-packed with over 4000 students who aren't very friendly and i've had an extremely hard time adjusting socially at this school. I've been attending this school for 2 years and we have some of the strictest policies in our district. Our school is lined with security, with some staff only searching for people who go against dress code, etc. After our school turned charter, our discipline policies have turned into police enforcements and going into dances such as homecoming or winter formal feels like going through airport security. Overall, granada isn't a terrible school but if i had a choice, i wouldn't attend.
--Submitted by a student