Helix Charter High School is a comprehensive high school, located in La Mesa, California, a suburb of San Diego. Helix has served its community as a traditional public high school from 1951 - 1996, then as a public charter school from 1998 to present. Helix was the first public comprehensive high school in California to convert to a charter high school, and while much about the educational program has changed to best serve the student population, the tradition of the school has remained. Helix boasts a history of academic excellence; outstanding arts, athletics, and activities; and it continues to serve as a community school, while welcoming those in the surrounding areas through its charter status.

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Helix Charter High School Rankings

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Academics

Percent Proficient - Reading

78%

Percent Proficient - Math

72%

Average Graduation Rate

98%

Average SAT

1180

455 responses

Average ACT

156 responses

AP Enrollment

13%

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Popular Colleges

Niche users from this school are most interested in the following colleges.

grade A minus
San Diego State University
903 Students
grade A+
University of California - San Diego
653 Students
grade A+
University of California - Los Angeles
514 Students
grade A+
University of California - Berkeley
378 Students
grade A+
University of California - Irvine
371 Students
grade A
University of California - Davis
337 Students
grade A
University of San Diego
319 Students
grade B+
University of California - Santa Cruz
307 Students
grade A+
University of California - Santa Barbara
280 Students
grade A+
University of Southern California
266 Students

More About Helix Charter High School Academics

College Tour Program (C4Me)

The College 4 Me Program is way of giving ALL students an opportunity to visit California's best colleges and universities. Every year, upwards of juniors pile into a bus and drive up state of California, visiting a variety of schools. Helix is proud to offer it to any student that is interested, regardless of financial ability.

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Map

Note: School map boundaries may have changed for the current school year. Please contact your school district to verify school assignment for your child.

Homes For Sale

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B+

Overall Niche Grade

How are grades calculated?Data Sources

Cost of Living
grade D
Good for Families
grade B
Housing
grade D+

Median Household Income

$75,616

National

$69,021

Median Rent

$1,685

National

$1,163

Median Home Value

$600,000

National

$244,900

Culture & Safety

Poll

83%

of students agree that they feel safe at their school. 108 responses

Poll

84%

of students agree that they like their school and feel happy there. 108 responses

Poll

What are your favorite school events or traditions?

Based on 315 responses

Football games
24%
Dances
13%
Homecoming Weekend
13%
Basketball games
10%
Band/orchestra concerts and theater productions
9%
The dance shows
6%
Marching Band and Colorguard
5%

Students

Diversity

A+

Based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents.

Students

2,462

Free or Reduced Lunch

57%

89%

of students and parents agree that students at this school are competitive. 111 responses

82%

of students and parents agree that students at this school are creative and artsy. 111 responses

95%

of students and parents agree that students at this school are athletic. 111 responses

Teachers

Student-Teacher Ratio

23:1

National

17:1

Average Teacher Salary

$83,849

Teachers in First/Second Year

83%

of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons. 135 responses

87%

of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students. 135 responses

88%

of students and parents agree that the teachers adequately lead and control the classroom. 135 responses

Clubs & Activities

A+

Based on student and parent reviews of clubs and activities.

Girls Athletic Participation

Average

Boys Athletic Participation

Average

Expenses Per Student

$13,497 / year

National

$12,239

94%

of students and parents agree that there are plenty of clubs and organizations for students to get involved in. 141 responses

57%

of students and parents agree that clubs and organizations get the funding they need. 141 responses

73%

of students and parents agree that lots of students participate in clubs and organizations. 141 responses

Helix Charter High School Reviews

847 reviews

I love Helix for the school spirit, the many many club opportunities, the diversity if you are someone who wants a school they can be proud of sports wise then helix is the school for you! Helix has gotten more strict this past year which while being good can also be damaging students should feel like their school is a place to lift them up and help then learn rather than a little mini jail. Helix also needs their actions to follow their words for a no bully zone and a mental health in the same place many of my peers and I have felt unsafe or unheard with our mental differences.

Review Helix Charter High School

Helix Charter High School is a wonderful, engaging, and comprehensive high school that strives toward higher education with a joyful community of passionate and engaged students. Helix offers a variety of sports, before and after-school extracurricular activities, as well as numerous student lead clubs of a variety of student interests. Since attending Helix I enjoyed engaging in numerous college courses, sports such as Track and Field and Sand Volleyball, and clubs including the National Alliance of Mental Illness, National Honor Society, Key Club, and many others. The downside of this experience was the limited opportunities students and I had due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of 2023 I am currently a senior at Helix High School and I am set to graduate in June. My experience here at Helix has been overall incredibly fun and extremely positive. Whilst Helix provides such great education and help for those in need I only rated Helix four stars because there were some issues that occurred throughout my four years which caused a lot of petitions and protesting to fix the flaws within its system. Besides those occurrences Helix makes sure to provide students with the necessities they need and makes each students school years as fun and educating as possible! Helix has not only taught me so much about myself but has also helped prepare me for the real world and guided me to be successful in the future.

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