| Date | Who | Comments |
| 2/17/2012 | parent | If I was unforntunate enough to move into this school's district I would avoid it at all costs, seeking out any and all charter, private, or home school options. This school is filled with unruly and disrespectful children that are being "raised" by unruly and disrespectful parents. Even the brightest child in this school would have a difficult time feeling safe enough to learn, and even the best teacher (and this school has a lot of exceptional teachers) would have a difficult time controling a class when there are no student consequences for disrupting a class. This school needs a principal with a backbone that will start to hold the parent's responsible for their childrens misbehavior. |
| 8/16/2011 | student | Colonial High School is not that bad of a school. Parents may complain that their children may receiving a seemingly lacking education but the reality is that if the student were devoted to their studies and an exceptionally "good student" than the child would be able to excel in the learning environment. The fault falls primarily on the shoulders of ignorant children and to a further extent, ignorant parents for instigating the notion that due to the demographics of the high school, its students are causally boisterous, promiscuous, crude, and asinine. Consequently, such an assumption aids in the postulation of a fallacy that resembles the idea that all students that attend Colonial High school are incompetent and thus the high school itself is a bad one. I've got news: Colonial High School is the same as any other high school in Orange County and if the student is not applying him or herself, than the lack of education cannot be blamed on the staff nor their contemporaries. It is true that this is not always the case, but the various hyperbole's found in these reviews exaggerating the conditions of this high school are rather pathetic. |
| 7/16/2011 | other | Three of my kids graduated from Colonial and received an excellent education! They all were involved in extra curricular activities which helped them to stay focused,make friends and enjoy their learning experience. I believe it also helps to be an involved parent and I maintained contact with their teachers and became active in the PTSA. If your child knows you are involved in their school I believe it helps them to make better choices. |
| 3/15/2011 | parent | Colonial High School is a very bad school. There are drug pushers in the school along with gangs. The teacher cannot control the students. My son was bullied and no action was taken by the teachers or administration. |
| 8/28/2010 | parent | The school is horrible and it has a bunch of unknowledgeable children. My son complains that the environment is unsafe and it's hard to focus with teachers not controlling these very loud students. A lot of people are right. Colonial is a very bad school. |
| 8/24/2010 | parent | MY DAUGHTER JUST STARTED THE MAGNET PROGRAM. BUT, SO FAR, SO GOOD! Staff have been great! |
| 8/23/2010 | teacher | Thanks for all your reviews. As principal I have read them all and will use this info to make us better. I have found excellence in our classrooms, extra-curricular activities, arts and sports. Both of my sons came here from Winter Park HS and received a great education and made great friends. Thanks to all who make it great to be a Grenadier. |
| 8/23/2010 | parent | Wonderful staff! No complaints....Cannot believe how hard they work for such a large school. I met with a Dean who was very interested in my child's academics. She was willing to help and encourage my child. Thank you |
| 10/21/2009 | parent | three of my kids graduated from colonial and one is a freshman.They all seem to love this school alot and havent had any problems yet.they have a great education. |
| 9/16/2009 | parent | The school environment is very enjoyable and pleasant.The principal is doing in her power to make the kids safe. |
| 6/27/2009 | student | Having attended Colonial High School for the past three years, I feel safe in saying that I have enjoyed the time I've spent there and that I am proud to be a Colonial Grenadier. |
| 6/2/2009 | parent | This school is an excellent school, contrary to popular beliefs that Colonial is a bad school with bad academics is completely wrong. Student attendance has improved considerably over the years at Colonial, The track team has made District Champions three years in a row with some of the runners going to states, Bowling team has won state championships, and Winter Guard has won nationals among other extraordinary accomplishments. Although the school is rated a C by the Florida Department of Education, it is quickly rising above the ranks to achieve a B and higher. |
| 5/7/2009 | parent | The safety is not adequate.The teachers and administrators do not share with the parents and maintain a great secrecy about discipline measures.Parents will find it difficult to work with the school for excellence. Educationally, it rates about second from the worst. Having seen some of the work students have(none of them mine), I was glad to have obtained my education elsewhere. |
| 4/17/2009 | student | The teachers are very caring and most of them know how to teach in a way you can understand. The kids are all different and unique and make it fun to go their. I think being their builds your character and teaches you to be a stronger person. Sports and other activities are good and give you something to loo forward to. It's like a family. We have goods and bads but it's great to be a grenadier. |
| 3/26/2009 | student | Colonial High School is the best school I have ever been to. I am now a senior (Class of '09!) and i can say it's a wonderful school! The reputation of this school is torn by people who are 'haters'. The teachers are nice, fun, and most definately caring! I love the students and watching my underclassman friends grow up is another wonderful thing. We are a Grenadier family that may have it's disagreements sometimes, but we all hang in there! (if you have seen the other schools out there, they wouldn't compare)there isn't really 'bad kids, poor academics or a bad neighborhood.' There is just bad judgement and ignorance. I know friends of mine who live in the neighborhoods that some people say are bad, and they all are good people. I say it's great to be a Grenadier! Don't forget it! - Ibet |
| 3/24/2009 | student | i whent to CHS till i moved early in the year colonial is a great school in certian areas it may not be in the best or safest area but the stereo type for the school is so worng the people their are so welcoming and its like your part of a big family the kids a great the teachers are okay. On the other hand colonial does not challege you in education because the attendece policy is weak and not inforced. i almost flunked out because all the students know that even if you dont pass you some how slide by. i moved to lake county and theres a great diffrence. if you want you child to have a great highschool memorys of friends and fun send them to colonial. And remember its great to be a Grenader because we rep that Red and Black C.H.S |
| 2/8/2009 | student | I love my school. It's so filled with diversity and unique students. My school is the best, no doubt about it. It's Great To Be A Grenadier!!! |
| 12/29/2008 | student | I loved this school so much. The people are fantastic as well as the academics and atmosphere. I miss it and can't wait to go back to visit and just feel like welcoming ground of CHS. People need to stop stereotyping this school until they experience it for themselves. GO Grenadiers! |
| 10/20/2008 | student | I graduated a couple years ago and I recieved straight A's because i was never challenged. It did not prepare me for college at all and I did not learn anything from Colonial. So as i was reading these comments i come to the realization that ya'll must have been paid to say it is a good school. |
| 10/5/2008 | student | Im currently attending colonial high school and i love it so far. I have lots of friends that go to main campus and they say its a great school. I don't like the motto but its ok its still great ' it's great to be a grenider' woot woot dede sinclair |
| 9/11/2008 | student | I am a 20009 senior and this school is the best high school ever!! |
| 9/2/2008 | student | i graduated in 2008. and ppl say its a bad school. these ppl are ignorant. its a great school and they have an amazing principle! The teachers there, are very caring. And they motivate you to do better! Im a college student now, and i would not trade my education at CHS for no other education at any other school. Its great to be a Grenadier! Class of 2008! woot woot -Monkey |
| 4/30/2008 | parent | The staff has beeen wonderrful |
| 3/25/2008 | student | i enjoy going to this school because it has a supporting staff and great courses which lead students to a better college career. |
| 12/23/2007 | student | bad kids, poor academics, bad neighborhood |
| 12/21/2007 | student | Colonial high school is an overall good school that is often stereotyped. People veiw it as an unsafe environment or just another school that doesn't make the grade, but i feel that those revews don't do the school justice. I am attending colonial for my 3rd year now, and I wouldn't transfer to any other school. It's great to be a Grenadier! |
| 11/26/2007 | parent | This school has provided my child with many resources to a better education. All of the teachers genuinely care about their students, most of all is principle Dr. Mitchell. |
| 11/16/2007 | parent | My daughter just started going there last week as a Sophomore. She is in Choir. The one thing I did not like was the day I enrolled her, we were unable to get her a schedule. She has to go to the guidance office the next morning and get it. It seems that the counselors are never able to be found. I enrolled my friends son yesterday and same thing... come back tomorrow to get your schedule. Other than that, it is too early for me to make a decision on the school. My daughter seems happy with the Choir program! |
| 10/27/2007 | student | As a whole, I believe Colonial High School is a great school, with needs of improvement of course. Colonial has a quality band program with an incredible amount of parent support; far greater than Colonial HS itself. I believe the teachers have a thorough understanding of the material being presented to the classes and how to expand with analysis. The only discrepancies I have with this school is with the superfluous support for sports and none for any other activities. I lost count how many times Dr. Mitchell would choose sports over the arts. I believe there is need of some new guidance counselors as they hardly help students when they need it most, except Mr. Border. He knows how to help students without shunning them. Overall, this school is very below average. Many students don't know what respect means and I believe the honors/AP department is keeping Colonial alive. |
| 7/16/2007 | parent | Both of my children graduated from Colonial My husband and I both graduated from Colonial. My Daughter attended the Dual enrollment and she is going to be attending a Major Florida University in the fall. She worked very hard for this. Colonial was good for her it all depends on the Child. I do wish someone would tell the Principal to Support the Drama Department. |
| 3/22/2007 | parent | This school ratings are particularly well balanced all though the grades are a little off over all this is a nice caring school |
| 1/23/2007 | former student | I had the opportunity to be a coach at Colonial for 4 years. I worked with the Lacrosse program. I have nothing but good things to say about Colonial and its staff, particularly the Athletics department. In a school of this size you will have a large variety of students of many different backgrounds and disciplines. You will get great students with great attitudes and also some with struggles, however, the staff is very aware of that and does a great job at finding what a child does good and encourages positive behavior. Hats off to Julie Jansa for her love and support to the student athletes and coaches. -Jay Rowe- |
| 9/19/2006 | parent | My son is in his second year at Colonial High School. At times he has had pretty good teachers. However, some of the teachers I encountered had a condescending attitude. Parent concerns seem to take a back seat to what a teacher or coach is able to achieve. If the school viewed academics the same way as sports i.e. football and cross country, it would be an awesome school. The band program is a very well run program. |
| 7/26/2006 | student | Colonial is not all bad, the small minority of honor students do give some hope to this school but since there are so few of these good students the go unreconized. |
| 7/21/2006 | former student | Colonial high school is a great school, with the exception of most of the administrations. As a recent graduate, I can say that the courses available are of the best in the area. They range from general to advanced placement, and there are also bridge classes in between which help students hwo may be struggling. The extracurricular activities such as band, drama, and dance are some of the best in the district, however recieve little praise because all dr. mitchell focuses on is the sports, which aren't that great to begin with. That is one down side to CHS - too much emphasis on sports and not enough on the arts. The teachers are good, and even excellent, but the administration follows what Dr. Mitchell says and does, which makes the envirnment of the school a little worse than it could be. A new policy is needed, but I like Colonial. |
| 6/15/2006 | parent | Both of my children have attendeded Colonial and received the guidance and support needed by the teachers. My daughter breezed through school but my son had more trouble the results of the 8th grade FCAT showed he was only reading and comprehending at a third grade level. The excellent group of teachers at the 9th grade center worked with him and had him coming very close to passing the reading portion by the time he entered tenth grade. The main campus teachers continued working with him through his senior year and although they only got him to coming within one question of passing he is attempting to take it one more time.Their support totally changed his outlook toward school and life. My only negative comment about the school is that not enough parents get involved.It was a shame to always see the same parents doing everything. |
| 5/17/2006 | parent | This school totally lives up to is below average reputation. My experience with my son in this school is one of extreme frustration and no results. The administration is programmed to give you only politically correct statements and totally avoid any constructive criticisms. If your child has any difficulty in learning this would not be a suitable environment. My above average IQ child was forced to withdraw from school because some of his teachers and mostly the administrators were were not equipped to handle even the slightest of learning disability issues. Based on my experience with Orange Public Schools in general, I pulled my daughter out and put her in a private school. We are now free from an environment where the only concern is one four letter expletive......FCAT. |
| 4/18/2006 | student | What most people here about colonail does not do any justice for their academic program. Colonial has excellent teachers with a plan and a goal that is for the very best interest of their students. Both students and teachers work long and hard with each and every academic. There are also a variety of sports offered for both boys and girls as well as clubs that have been organized to fit the interest of most all atudents. Colonial has a great band and amazing chorus. Many parents are involved in Colonials many activities. |
| 12/22/2005 | parent | Just like any other high school in the United States, it has its ups and downs. Colonial High School is the biggest high school in the orange county. Just like the rest of us, some days the teachers might not be in the best mood just like your children some days do not have the most positive attitude. Teachers like we all know do not get paid as much as they should. These men and woman wake up every morning not to receive a big pay check the next friday but to make the next generation of american better educated. Dr. Mitchell, has been there when I needed to talk to him about my child, he is very responsible and he has a good heart. |
| 9/21/2005 | parent | It has alot of great clubs icluding band and it has alot of sports.Alot of parents are involved.Overall it is a great school. |
| 8/24/2005 | parent | If your child is in honors classes at Colonial, expect them to be challenged, depending on their strengths or weaknesses. The students definitely need to stay on top of their classwork and homework to do well in these classes. For students who are involved in sports or other extracurricular activities, there is not a problem juggling the two. Parent involvement is low, except for the same parents who were already involved at the middle school level. Hopefully that will change. If your child goes to Colonial and is good kid who hangs out with good kids, expect a good experience, challenging academics and a memorable high school experience. If your child is eligible to take dual enrollment classes, do it! They could enter college as a sophomore saving you lots and lots of money! |
| 4/28/2005 | student | As a student at the school I think its terriable. its sad when you say I go to the worset school ever and someone automatically says colonial.. were not known for the good grades and 'awesome' football team..Also on fcat scores only 26%of the students got over 300 points. But at a A graded school where I knwo I will excel.One good thing about the school is our Principal..but he belongs at a A graded school... -Student @ CHS |
| 4/19/2005 | parent | I think this school is going down hill by the day. My son graduated in 03 and my daughter will be graduating next year, however at this time she is looking into changing schools. |
| 12/15/2004 | student | Colonial is an alright school. The honors program is good. The only thing that makes colonial not the top rated school is some of the kids. The band and color guard on the other hand is great. |
| 4/12/2004 | parent | Colonial High School (CHS) has a beautiful new School Facility. There seems to be an upward swing in parent s involvement. Interscholastic at CHS have provided my 12th grader with 12 hours of college credits and 4 years of varsity bowling. Cross country and traditional track &field have come a long way. 2004 had the freshman/sophomore track team taking second place in orange county meet. (Third last year). As a mother of four children who has a full time job, I depend on the CHS system to enforce what we, as parents, teach at home. Colonial has lived up to our expectation thus far, both academically and athletically. Three children in gifted, one in AIMM. Totally happy with school and support it fully. |
| 3/29/2004 | student | Colonial needs to definitely add more electives other physical education. More classes that will appeal to a broad range of students. A lot of students want to get a taste of what they want to do in the real world and we are cut short of opportunities. |
| 9/11/2003 | parent | I believe that all extracurricular activities should recieve that same support with money and the principal as the football, baseball, and basketball team. Over all I love the school. I graduated from CHS and I have a child in CHS now and one more in the future. I just heard about the music on fridays, which is great! Thank you. |
| 8/26/2003 | parent | Have 2 daughter`s graduate from this shcool, 1999 and 2001. Great teachers, looking forward to my lst daughter to also be a graduate of CHS. Proud Grenadier parent. |
