VHS Robotics, Ventura | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

My three children have attended VHS and we are overall very pleased. All three have been in Ventura public schools since kindergarten, starting at Mound, then going to Anacapa middle (a culture shock after Mound, and sorely needed) then finishing here. Many “Mound” kids decide to go to Foothill Tech because it’s known as the College Prep high school; we wanted our kids to have a more well-rounded experience and I feel they are getting that at Ventura.

There are mostly really great teachers here, along with a couple bad ones. Overall, when we had problems, the teachers were more than happy to meet with us and work together to get our kids where they needed to be. I have to say though, Chemistry is one of the hardest classes a kid will take in High School, so having a teacher who hands out the work and makes kids learn it themselves is not acceptable. I’m not going to name names, but I hope he is switched to something else by now (this was in 2014-2015). Also, when our kid was having a issue that affected school, the counselor we had was very unhelpful. We went straight to his teachers and worked things out.

Our kids have been on the soccer team, the cross country team and the track team – they are all great programs. The coaches are absolutely fantastic. I wish there could be a Frosh Soph soccer team every year; I know we have an abundance of talented kids. If we had a coordinated fundraising program I’m sure we could make it happen.

I’m pleased that my kids have made friends from all over Ventura. They have buddies from a huge range of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. As parents who both attended private college prep high schools, this is something not everyone recognizes the value of. Two of my three have graduated (one just this week). They are taking advantage of the Ventura Promise free year of Community College at VC before transferring to UC. Did VHS prepare them for college? My oldest has been getting straight A’s in STEM, English and Philosophy courses over at VC; the UC applications are due in November and I am so excited for him to make his choice!

Some problems locating “the driveway” for student bus pickup and drop off. Nothing on the bus schedule to show where this is. The only real “driveway” is where parents drop off and pickup students off Main Street. Googling “campus map of Ventura High School” does not show a downloadable map. On inquiry from the student office, was informed that the driveway is Poli street “between the yellow gates”. This is actually a quarter mile long segment of Poli between Seaward and Catalina, and the gates are used to close the street to thru traffic when students are present. It would be helpful if a map was provided with the downloadable schedules with indication as to where each of the buses stop, to show first time users. Also, my tall young teenage son was given a floor level locker, difficult to access unless squatting on the ground, which was full of dust and spider webs on his first day of school. Could this be changed?

Ventura High School does not seem to be an institution where impressionable students may receive a great education. Based on his Chick-fil-A decision and mandating his narrow point-of-view upon those students, seems to be illogical, irrational, and un-American. Woe to those who follow in his steps for they are not being taught to think and to function within our society.