Tesoro High School

Initially I was reluctant to send my son to Tesoro after the negative experience he had at Las Flores Middle School. He was bullied at LFMS. I even looked into having him do open enrollment either at Capo Valley High School or San Juan Hills High School. In the end we decided to give our neighborhood high school a try for one year. We have had nothing but a very positive experience with Tesoro from the teachers, support staff and guidance counselors. The teachers take an interest in the students doing their best and reaching their full potential. He is involved with a team sport and hangs out with a nice group of kids at school. Since he had such a good experience his freshman year, I plan to have him continue at Tesoro until he graduates.
—Submitted by a parent

The level of commitment by the teachers compounded by an outstanding extra curricular activities and programs to ensure academic excellence in a global environment. Performing arts dept, Orchestra, and athletics are outstanding. The academic programs are challenging and the expectations are high. I consider this a must towards success in the long term.
—Submitted by a parent

Academically, they seem ready to teach and challenge students working at a more advanced level. Many great teachers who really add the personal touch (and a bad apple here and there). But not a lot is offered to help students who are struggling. They should put together some teacher directed peer study and tutor programs. Also, until School-Loop, it was very difficult to keep current on student progress in classes - teachers don't communicate with parents very well. Extra curricular activities abound and are excellent. They tend to be very demanding time hogs, and you better be prepared to fork over the cash. Our experience with parent organizations (boosters) has been mostly negative, some of the key people forming exclusive cliques in order to control, rather than lead. As noted in other reviews, traffic and parking are lousy.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent that has experienced two kids go through in 8 years and would like to share that my overall experience at the school has been outstanding. Of course, for the nay-sayers, their under performing kids are never to blame. Of course it's someone else's fault. I have found that the teachers kept my children engaged and displayed a sincere interest in my child. The support staff has been tough to deal with at times, but I understand that the rules are in place to ensure all kids are treated fairly and the enducation and safety of the kids comes first. The performing arts department is top notch. The athletic department is solid. The Principal is a hoot! Probably the only high school administrator in the State that still pulls traffic duty before and after school. Only pitfall is access to the school (one entrance).
—Submitted by a parent

Im currently a student here and I couldn't be more unhappy. If your child has a hard time in math or foreign language, this is the worst school to send them to. I'm not a bad kid, iv'e never gotten a detention, I know all the supervisors personally, I'm involved in numerous extra curriculars however the academics department is slacking, if your not an advanced student it feels like they just stick you in the corner and they give you nothing to help you succeed and learn. On a positive note for the school, the history and english department are satisfactory.
—Submitted by a parent

This school may be serving the needs of ap students but falls terribly short for average students. The guidence dept is either disinterested or overburdened. The same can be said of most of the teaching staff.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers, administrators and support staff are wonderful. The school offers activities for students with diverse interests.
—Submitted by a parent

Tesoro is the gem among the CUSD school district high schools. This has been accomplished by the leadership of a caring and involved principal and for the most part, outstanding teachers. The school population is extremely large although decreasing with the opening of San Juan Hills. Tesoro has an outstanding PTSA and a school foundation, Education for the Children (EFC), totally involved in the school's success. The AP/Honors academic programs and teachers are tremendous. The real accomplishment for Tesoro is the choir, instrumental music programs, marching band, and the drama department, all award winning, led by talented, dedicated teachers. The 'Knowledge Center', the Library and Computer Lab, is an innovative combination of technology and books, staffed by an exceptional Librarian. Parent involvement is a key success, although too much emphasis is placed on the athletic programs. The weakest area at Tesoro is it's guidance department.
—Submitted by a parent

i love this scool it is the best! its fun to lurn there and there are so many veriatys of classes you can choose,the games are great and so are the dances.its to crodded though,thats how good of a school it is.:) everyone i now loves it there and would not want to go to another school.wen i have kids i hope they can go there! its better then sm the cathlic school becuz i went there for a year and hated it! but then i went to tesoro and man is it the best?:D
—Submitted by a student

I was in the first full graduating class at Tesoro. It has gotten really crowded and the student parking situation is definitely not complementary to the number of students. However, the teachers are really helpful and the school is very safe. Most classes are challenging, which is great. I was also in the IDEA honors program, and I felt that it was not too different from the regular honors program. I was also in the WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) Committee, and I remember that THS received the best optimal ratings a school can get. Overall, the school is amazing and I had a really good experience.
—Submitted by a student

Although crowded, we have been very pleased with Tesoro. The office staff is helpful and courteous, the teachers always respond immediately when you contact them, and the principal is more involved than any I've seen. This is a staff that really cares about the kids. We attended an honors ceremony last year and were astounded at how many exceptional students there were. 100% were moving on to schools such as MIT, Yale, Harvard, Chapman, Cal Poly SLO, Annapolis and Stanford. The only areas that need work are overcrowding, not enough student parking, and only one access road in and out of the school. Everything else has been an exceptional experience.
—Submitted by a parent

Our experience has been very frustrating. The guidance office seems to want to help, but with the overcrowding at the school, they just cannot keep up. If you have a student who needs a little extra help, you're not going to receive it and it is a frustrating process to sift through to find an appropriate solution. Teachers could be more involved with parents. The school should have more after school tutoring programs available for math and reading. The school has many AP classes for the top students, but lower students get little help and fall through the cracks. Some of the classroom portables are in poor shape with some having a very 'musty' smell. The amount of students in classroom requiring more teacher help like math and foreign language is too high.
—Submitted by a parent

Tesoro High School is generally a good school. Its API scores are great, and the IDEA Academy is also a point of interest. The IDEA Academy is a science/ engineering program that is only held at Tesoro. The staff are pretty nice, but the weak points include the overcrowding, guidance office (there simply aren't enough counselors per student) and extracurricular activities like MUN, Science Olympiad, and etc. as the school is only 6 years old and doesn't have as strong as a foundation on such activities as older, more well-established schools do.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is overcrowded and it's obvious that those hiring just dont care if teachers have the ability to effectively communicate their curriculum to the students. Since the school opened, the quality of instruction has declined greatly year over year. The sheer number of people and cars that could be trapped down in that location with only one access road should a disaster occur is horrific to consider! What was the district and county thinking?? On the positive side, the extracurricular activities are numerous and the sports programs are great--except for the fact that the percentage of those accepted on teams is very small due to the student population.
—Submitted by a parent

I am very disappointed about the administrive staff of this school. They only want to satisfy the minimum requirements instead of aiming for higher achievements. They don't encourage students to take more challenges to succeed. Some individuals in the staff perform their tasks poorly and unprofessional. Their communication with parents is very ineffective and inflexible. If you want your child to be successful, I would not recommend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Its a very outstanding school. Great acedemics and an outstanding athletic program.
—Submitted by a student

Large school with big classes but challenging ap and accelerated courses. Great english and math program.
—Submitted by a student

Very large, but good AP classes, extracurricular activities and music program.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has been a big disappointment. It's administrative staff runs the school more like a prison institution than institution of learning. Many of the teachers are quite capable but the leadership leaves much to be desired.
—Submitted by a former student

Both my children have gone to ANLC since they were 5 years old. ANLC is a school where the children come first. Each child is encouraged to do their personal best without being labeled as the smart or dumb kids. The teachers are highly skilled and work hard to bring out the best in each child. The principal is kind and knows each child by name. She is a great example of a leader and I will miss seeing her everyday as my daughter graduates this year. Thank you ANLC for bringing out the best in my children and giving them the encouragement and confidence they need to go out into the world!
—Submitted by a student