2023 Best School Districts for Athletes in California

• Redondo Beach, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.55 out of 5  29 reviews

Middle School Student: Redondo Union High School is an excellent school for many reasons including their academics, college readiness and sports. Their teachers make sure you get the most out of their academic classes, they want to see you pass the class with your best effort and that encourages their students to do their best no matter what academic struggles they face. Their college counselors help you a tremendous amount your senior year. They help you sign up for FAFSA, grants and scholarships to help pay for college and they give students helpful information they wouldn't be able to find on their own.This is beneficial to the students so they can be to choose what to eat and they can still be healthy. The schools sports teams are incredibly talented, they are always bringing the school home to CIF or the championships. We are fortunate to have a hall full of their trophies and accomplishments. As the students we support our teams in any sport to do their very best.... Read 29 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Total schools 13

• Students 9,803

• Murrieta, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.34 out of 5  113 reviews

Alum: I had a good experience with MVUSD. The staff were supportive, there were many ways to get involved, and it was a great High School experience. I recommend Vista Murrieta High School to those who want to be involved on campus, are looking for high level academic classes (AP or Dual Enrollment), and people who want to be connected to their high school. You definitely take away what you put in to this school, so the more you are involved, the more you will benefit!... Read 113 reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• Total schools 20

• Students 22,950

• Lafayette, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.07 out of 5  29 reviews

Junior: I feel like I have received a quality education as a student in the Acalanes Union High School District. I have had pleasant experiences in academics and pleasant interactions with my teachers. I believe that the course offerings in this district are exceptional and that the advance placement courses I have taken have played a great part in preparing me for college. The athletic programs offered at these schools are also exceptional and I have enjoyed the relationships I've formed in these programs. Overall it's a great district!... Read 29 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Total schools 5

• Students 5,535

• Perris, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  114 reviews

Parent: Valverde unified school district is a diverse environment for education and professional development. As a parent, I feel confident that my children are getting an excellent experience in academically and socially. It is important to me that the education environment encourages students to be involved in their school and community. I believe Valverde pushes the boundaries and set no limit which allows students to develop their dreams and worth. I have three children attending this district. One in high school, one in Middle school and one in elementary. Valverde offer cutting edge technology in their classroom from elementary all the way up to high school. At a high school level, they offer innovative technology like drafting computers for future engineers. I will continue to support and be involve in the expansion of knowledge for students at Valverde unified school district.... Read 114 reviews

• grade B+

• grade A+

• Total schools 23

• Students 19,303

• Auburn, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.45 out of 5  22 reviews

Senior: Placer Union High School District attains many resources for one's path to success. When it comes to college and career planning, Placer High School puts a large emphasis on what individuals can achieve by obtaining a college degree. On the other hand, Placer lacks in some departments such as the facilities and diversity. What Placer lacks, though, it makes up when it comes to its rich culture and traditions that linger in the minds of its alumni.... Read 22 reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• Total schools 6

• Students 4,071

• Upland, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.19 out of 5  58 reviews

Senior: I have attended school in the UUSD since kindergarden and have loved every second of it. My experience at Upland High School was one of the best things ever. It offers a lot of AP and honors classes that have prepared me for college as well as connected my with a lot of my teachers. Just within my senior year I have been gifted with the best teachers ever. I've never had such a good group of teachers who are so supporting and actually interested in their students lives. On the other hand there are some staff members who should not have even been hired and at times seem so uninterested in their job and students. If I could change something at UHS it would probably be the facilities, everything is just a little out of date. I think if a student had the chance and would only change some facilities it says something really good about the school and the administrators there!... Read 58 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A+

• Total schools 14

• Students 10,228

• Clovis, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.02 out of 5  259 reviews

Freshman: Clovis Unified School District is a very well-developed district. Not only, do the teachers and staff go out of their way to make the environment best for their students, but they also are very helpful and welcoming to any new students. I joined this district in 4th grade, and ever since then, I feel proud to be part of the district. The events, academics, and extracurriculars available are incredible. For instance, at my school there are over 20 club options, and the teachers are very open to starting new ones as well! We also have many sports options, and our teams exceed very well in them. Our academics are great as well, and the counselors are a huge help! The only thing that I would change would be for more safety options available, as the district's schools are "open" and are outside schools. Otherwise, I have nothing more to say rather than this district being incredibly great and helpful!... Read 259 reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• Total schools 49

• Students 42,790

• Chico, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.19 out of 5  43 reviews

Senior: CUSD is very dedicated to helping their students in the best ways possible. However, with COVID-19 they seem very unprepared and uncertain on how the school year will look. To their defense, most school districts don't know this, but it would be nice if they had more of a plan. Other than that, though, I think that it is a very good system!... Read 43 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A+

• Total schools 22

• Students 11,911

• Norco, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.23 out of 5  357 reviews

Senior: As I step into my Senior year at John F Kennedy Middle College High School, I can definitely say it has been a crazy yet memorable time in high school. The atmosphere of this school is filled with excitement literally like no other school. It has opened so many doors of opportunity for all students coming from different backgrounds which have blessed my family and me. Though it's a small school, we all have big dreams!... Read 357 reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• Total schools 53

• Students 51,318

• Roseville, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  130 reviews

Sophomore: Love how they prepair you for college. The teachers are always nice and have there best interest out for you. They also make sure you understand everything that is going on. There is many classes to choose from including electives and AP classes which I am currently taking AP European History. There is many clubs and activities to choose from also, I look forward to taking Student Governemnt. I also think it is nice how they provide us with chromebooks and the library is always open to do homework and use the wifi if needed. Sports are always fun to watch and participate in. They are always a way to be social and be a part of the school even if you are not actually in a certain sport. The safety is always nice too they talk about and there is security always on campus. The food is pretty good there is usually a few different options and choices. And they make sure to involve parents like to call when we are absent, send emails about grades, and also send email about new school events.... Read 130 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• Total schools 8

• Students 10,627

• Rancho Cordova, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.02 out of 5  43 reviews

Junior: I have been a student in the Folsom Cordova Unified School district for six years now and I can say that for the most part, the teachers are considerate towards their students and they know what they are doing. I've rarely ever gotten an exceptionally terrible teacher assigned to me and when I did, the district took initiative and fired/denoted them. Though not all of my peers are mature and dedicated students, I can say that the ambiance and the community of the school as a whole is very welcoming and inclusive to everyone. Social cliques and bullying isn't something I ever really witness, which is great. If I were to complain about anything, it would be the food. School lunches aren't known to be delicious and FCUSD is no exception, but it's edible and there's usually a variety. They aren't very vegetarian or celiac friendly, however. Overall, I'd say it's a good school.... Read 43 reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• Total schools 34

• Students 20,096

• San Juan Capistrano, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  155 reviews

Senior: In Capistrano Unified School District especially in my past few years in high school, I have had several opportunities to explore my interests for college through in-school classes, through my counselors, and through outside of school potential opportunities provided for several fields to be further explored after high school. The administration is very organized and responsive to needs for change or alteration, and I am very satisfied with my time here! Teachers in all subject areas are extremely educated and qualified, excited to assist even after class in any aspect.... Read 155 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• Total schools 59

• Students 43,719

• San Diego, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.39 out of 5  174 reviews

Senior: Great district focused on academic achievements! Throughout my years with this district I have felt pretty safe and included. Though they hype sports more than the arts, they still include many classes for students who are interested in this field. I also wish they spent a little more money on things like chrome books or any help for students, I am overall very happy I got to be part of this district.... Read 174 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• Total schools 38

• Students 35,663

• Temecula, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  121 reviews

Senior: Temecula Valley High School offers a wide range of clubs, electives, academics and activities. There are staff who are life changing and supportive while others are qualified at best. Our sports teams, predominantly wrestling and girls soccer are often league and state champions, although other sports are overlooked due to the prominence of other sports on campus. Temecula Valley's english department is above average and offers a wide range of advanced placement classes and Dual classes at MSJC. Temecula Valley offers plenty of leadership and college preparatory opportunities and allows students to explore career opportunities with our CTE courses. All in all, Temecula Valley High School is a very good high school with plenty of opportunities and support.... Read 121 reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• Total schools 28

• Students 26,710

• Thousand Oaks, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.29 out of 5  49 reviews

Senior: The Conejo Valley Unified School District was a good experience for me. I believe that although I didn't always agree with the decisions made by the board, they always did want what was best for the school and for the students in the school. Especially with these difficult times, due to COVID, they were strong and decisive about how we should go about our classes and with the spread dying down here in our area, we see many opportunities opening up once again especially for us seniors. All in all they worked very hard to help the district out and give the safest and best option for us students.... Read 49 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• Total schools 27

• Students 17,397

• Los Angeles, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  2,219 reviews

Sophomore: LAUSD is an excellent school district for all individual, and any needs they might have. LAUSD provides multiple variations of educational levels. Such as Gifted, Honors, AP, with special needs, Virtual options, etc... They hire highly trained educators to be a part of their educational system for the students. They do lack in some criteria's such as allowing highly achieving students to exceed beyond excellency. For example, they don't allow students such as myself who have Honors classes, a 4.0 GPA, and are doing dual enrollment, to add a 7th period. This is on top of their 6 mandatory periods, but they would allow them for students that have failed these classes. In other words they are holding back very unique and overachieving individual. This is my only concern about this education system. Beyond that they provide an enormous amount of support for students coming outside of the USA, and are very accepting, and willing to help with whatever needs they might have.... Read 2,219 reviews

• grade B

• grade A

• Total schools 782

• Students 460,633

• San Diego, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  744 reviews

Sophomore: I have been in the San Diego Unified School district since 2nd grade. I feel that the district offers good resources and support to all types of students. Free meals are offered to all students. Most teachers are kind and hardworking, creating a strong learning environment for students. Many subjects are covered and several clubs plus programs are available for students to participate in. Also, we have counselors and other administrators who are their to support struggling students. The district can improve the quality of the food they serve and maintain the campus better. Also, regulations such as mask mandates should be taken more seriously to ensure the safety of students and staff.... Read 744 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

• Total schools 176

• Students 97,968

• Mission Viejo, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.05 out of 5  153 reviews

Senior: The experience that SVUSD has allowed me and my fellow classmates to have had been outstanding. The staff always makes sure students are doing what they’re supposed to be doing and more importantly making sure we are in a safe environment. Like every other school district there are many rules and/or staff guidelines that make us unhappy and unfortunately I experience some of those rules, but in the end I know that they are doing it to keep us safe and happy. The main theme the district seemed to go by was making sure everyone got the most out of their school experience. The district did a great job in entertainment, safety, and health for all schools that I have attended. Thank You SVUSD for making school much more enjoyable than many people see it to be!... Read 153 reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• Total schools 35

• Students 24,954

• Encinitas, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.3 out of 5  69 reviews

Senior: My school is one of the most accepting schools I know. Everyone is welcome to be who they are and who they wish to be. I loved this because it eliminated lots of judgement. The school is always changing for the better as new buildings are built and more people arrive every year. The school has a great location, the beach is practically next door as well as a skatepark I loved to enjoy my after school days at. For the location and options around me, I wouldn't change much about the school, other than the fact that the lunch lines can be long. Overall, the people were nice and I met lots of new faces along the way... Read 69 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• Total schools 10

• Students 13,001

• San Dimas, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.25 out of 5  72 reviews

Senior: I have been extremely fortunate to have attended schools within the Bonita Unified School District. The District has a clear vision that was established roughly three years ago of 80/70. Meaning, the District has a goal that all students will reach a minimum of 80% proficiency in English and 70% proficiency in mathematics when taking State exams every spring. Since implementing the 80/70 goal, schools have continued to improve in both categories, ranking our schools in the top 10% in the state of California. Moreover, the Bonita Unified School District has created a reading literacy program that serves as a model for other districts within the nation as it has been ranked #1 in the State! One area that I would like to see the Bonita Unified School District improve is in the area of equity. As many Districts experience, there are schools that are heavier in economic disadvantaged students than others, thus major gaps in proficiency scores in English and mathematics.... Read 72 reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• Total schools 15

• Students 9,669

• Placentia, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.29 out of 5  136 reviews

Niche User: PYLUSD continues to be positive, forward thinking and offering solutions to the challenges education faces. I have had two students attend PYLUSD schools K-12. In high school one followed the traditional college prep curriculum and the other followed the Career Link Pathways in two areas Digital Media Arts Academy and Woodwork/Carpentry Tech. PYLUSD offers 9 unique Career Link Pathways from Culinary Arts to Medical Sciences to Business management and more. PYLUSD also offers many options for the various ways students and families choose to learn. Traditional in classroom learning, accredited homeschool and virtual Online/Hybrid learning. Parents have the choice to find the right fit for their student and family. As a parent volunteer in PYLUSD for over 25 years I have always been impressed by the PYLUSD being proactive in leading in updating classroom technology, providing equity in resources across the district's 34 schools, and recruiting quality teachers and staff.... Read 136 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• Total schools 34

• Students 24,296

• Porterville, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.14 out of 5  107 reviews

Sophomore: All in all, I'd say our school carries itself with pride. Even though I have yet to attend a full school year on campus, I'd rate my experience 4/5. I'm missing one star because I would like to complete the full 4-year experience before stating my final opinions. Porterville High's campus is full of diversity and spirit. Nearly everywhere you look, we have our school's colors proudly on display-bold orange and green adorning the walls and structures. In terms of friendliness, teachers and students are indeed helpful. Hundreds of resources are offered to help students thrive. They offer multiple college-prep courses as well to make sure their students achieve great things. Our administration makes sure there's something for everyone at PHS. Overall they earn to be called extraordinary.... Read 107 reviews

• grade B+

• grade A

• Total schools 22

• Students 14,372

• Oakdale, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.08 out of 5  12 reviews

Senior: I have been going to Oakdale High ever since my freshman year, and I am currently about to be in my senior year. Oakdale High has been such a great place to hold my high school memories; everyone has always been so kind and welcoming from the staff to the teachers and to the students. Oakdale has so much spirit! My favorite part is the football games where students get to dress up and cheer for out team, and also the dances. PROM was SO MUCH FUN this last year, I just want to go back to that night. We have a great leadership class! The only thing that prevented me from giving a full five stars was that some students tend to be a bit rude, and the lunch food seems a bit odd at times.... Read 12 reviews

• grade B

• grade A

• Total schools 9

• Students 5,282

• Long Beach, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.21 out of 5  635 reviews

Parent: We love Long Beach Unified School district for it's diversity in student population, motivated teachers, abundance of college-prep courses, top-ranked sports programs and The Long Beach College Promise! An exceptional way to prepare our students for their future in the world they live in! Our school district has done an impressive job in keeping our students/teachers safe during the COVID pandemic. It was not an easy task to keep the students motivated during online classes using the technologies available to them. We appreciated how the Long Beach School District kept an open line of communications with all of our families during COVID school closures. Community-minded -- that's how we think of our public school district. And proud of it!... Read 635 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A

• Total schools 84

• Students 69,413

• Santa Ana, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4.2 out of 5  312 reviews

Senior: While attending Century High School in Santa Ana Unified School District, I have met many important teachers, counselors, and staff administration through the many programs and clubs there are. Having a school district which does the most with the budget they have is something you do not see often, Santa Ana school district has an amazing staff and administration that truly cares for their students. Though certain aspects like sports and music arts can still be improved with more funding.... Read 312 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade A

• Total schools 54

• Students 44,271