Holden High School, Orinda | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

Our church, the Orinda Community Church, has hosted Holden High School for more than 40 years in its basement, so I know a little bit about this place – and also from the annual Holden High Sundays, where students eloquently talk about what this school has done for them. What an amazing place! It’s a very small alternative high school geared towards kids who have struggled in mainstream schools for various reasons – ‘fitting in’, learning disabilities, being bullied, being different, being transgender, having purple hair – you name it – all very smart kids who have not found their place in ‘regular’ schools. The first thing that has always struck me about Holden is that everyone is accepted the way they are – no judging, no bullying, no pressure to fit into any molds. At Holden, students learn to help each other become successful and graduate, and they are supported in this endeavor by teachers and administrative staff who are absolutely wonderful, very talented and very nurturing, and completely devoted to the students. I am always amazed when I hear the many success stories. Classes are small and encourage personal involvement. I personally know a couple of kids who tried public Lamorinda schools but didn’t thrive, despite their best efforts – and are now happy and secure at Holden, plus get an excellent education. I am so pleased to know about this place and proud that our church has supported it for many years

I worked at Holden for 36 years and retired a few years ago, so I am anything but unbiased. I continue to go to graduations twice a year and am delighted to see that student and family outcomes are as spectacularly positive as they have always been.

I experienced Holden as a parent as well—my daughter attended for her senior year, and the experience was transformative for all of us. My daughter had earned her UC course requirements previously while she was at Oakland Tech. Holden’s part in her UC applications was to take pressure off her senior year so that she had time and positivity to dance and to create an audition dance which, along with her Tech credits, earned her admission to World Arts and Cultures—Dance at UCLA. She has been dancing ever since.

In the years that I spoke to parents about Holden, it was tough, no matter how hard I tried, to put into words how Holden helped so many adolescents to transform and grow. How do you convey to parents who don’t know you that you take really good care of their kids?

To me what it boils down to is this: if you want your kid to be at a high school where’s there’s a really good chance that they’ll learn more about themselves and more about how to communicate with others of all ages, Holden is THE premier place in the East Bay for your child.

If your high school student is struggling in a traditional high school setting, I would strongly recommend Holden High School. Classes are small, therefore giving your son or daughter the individual attention he or she needs.
The students at Holden are there for various reasons. This can be from the unwillingness to cope, bullying and struggles with learning.
Barely finishing middle school, even with the help of therapy and other resources my daughter refused to attend high school. Depression was an issue. We had no support from the school district. Thank goodness for Holden.
My daughter attended Holden all four years. She has her life back. They prepared and gave her the tools to thrive and the willingness to learn. Because of this she was offered scholarships and is now attending a four year college and pursuing a bachelors degree in Computer Science.
Wonderful staff that cares about the success of each student. Everyone is treated equally and with respect. Holden is now a part of her family.