San Bernardino High School: Full Guide

Location: San Bernardino, CA

Are you a student or parent at San Bernardino High School? Want to understand how to get the most out of high school?

We've written the best guide to San Bernardino High available. Here we'll cover:

Breakdowns of student ethnicity, gender, and family income
How safe San Bernardino High is to attend
SAT/ACT/AP scores earned by San Bernardino High students
Which AP/IB classes you can take at San Bernardino High
Every sports team you can join at San Bernardino High

Let's get started!

Basic Information

San Bernardino High School is a public school, supporting grades 9 to 12 . It's located in San Bernardino, CA in San Bernardino County.

Based on its location, San Bernardino High is classified as a school in a midsized city. Here's the location on a map:

Contact Information

Mailing address:

San Bernardino High School
1850 N. E St.
San Bernardino, CA 92405-3918

Phone number: 9098818217

San Bernardino High School homepage: http://www.sbcusd.com/sbhs

Principal: Antoinette Fulcher Gutierrez
Email the principal: [email protected]

Student Demographics

Student Enrollment

The total enrollment at San Bernardino High School is 1790 students, making it a large high school, in the top 25% of all California high schools by size.

Attending San Bernardino High will feel like attending a small college. You'll have a few hundred students in your class, enough to provide an interesting set of activities, sports, and classes to try. But compared to the largest high schools in California, the student body size won't be overwhelming.

Growth in Student Body Size

Is San Bernardino High School growing or shrinking? This will help you see trends in where the school is headed.

From our calculations, the enrollment at San Bernardino High has increased over the past few years. We calculate this by comparing enrollment in grades 9 to 12.

	Male Students	Female Students	All Students
9^th grade	229	235	464
10^th grade	254	213	467
11^th grade	231	233	464
12^th grade	197	198	395

As you can see in the table above, the freshman class is 69 students larger than the senior class. This suggests that the school is growing in size and taking on more students.

There are a few reasons this could be happening. The city of San Bernardino could be growing in population, thus sending more students into San Bernardino High. Alternatively, San Bernardino High could be relaxing its student policies and taking in more students.

Gender Split

Are there more boys or girls at San Bernardino High School?

From our statistics, San Bernardino High has a 51:49 split between male and female students in the high school grades.

San Bernardino High has a balanced male-female ratio that's largely representative of the general population in San Bernardino County. Since the student body is roughly half and half, it should feel like there are equal numbers of boys and girls in your classes.

This usually means that San Bernardino High doesn't strongly select for either males or females, unlike other schools that have a large majority of males or females.

Ethnicity Breakdown

What's the racial diversity at San Bernardino High School? Does one ethnicity make up most of the student body, or is it fairly balanced?

From our statistics, San Bernardino High has a homogenous student body, with the overwhelming majority of students identifying as one ethnicity. Only a third of California schools show as little diversity as San Bernardino High does. When attending class, most students will be of the same ethnicity, with some variation.

The majority of students at San Bernardino High are Hispanic. In California, Hispanic students make up the majority of all students at 51.5%, and are thus the most common ethnicity. Predominantly Hispanic schools are the most common type of homogenous school, and San Bernardino High fits within this category.

	Percentage	Number
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.0%	1
Asian	0.9%	17
Hispanic	80.3%	1439
Black	13.2%	238
White	4.3%	78
Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander	0.2%	5
Two or more races	0.6%	12

High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of San Bernardino. If you'd like to see how other nearby schools look in diversity, just google "[name of school] prepscholar" to find our guide to that specific school.

Income Level of San Bernardino High Families

What are the family incomes of students at San Bernardino High School? To determine this, we look at the number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunches, a classification by the US federal government.

To qualify for a reduced price meal, family income needs to be below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of 4, this means an income of around $45,000 or below.

To qualify for a free meal, family income needs to be below 130% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of 4, this means an income of around $32,000 or below.

The lower the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price meals, the higher the income levels are likely to be.

At San Bernardino High, 8.6% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 86.1% qualify for free lunches.

This means San Bernardino High has a high percentage of students at or near poverty. Almost a third of all schools in California show this level of poverty, and by National Center for Education Statistics standards, San Bernardino High can be classified as a high poverty school. The income level of families in San Bernardino is thus likely to be low.

	Number	Percent
Reduced-price lunches	154	8.6%
Free lunches	1542	86.1%
Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches	94	5.2%

As with ethnicity, this likely reflects the surrounding community in San Bernardino and doesn't speak much about the school itself.

Unfortunately, schools in areas of lower income levels are likely to be more poorly funded. As a result, they might feature less advanced coursework like AP/IB classes, and you may not have a full range of sports and extracurriculars to draw from. Because San Bernardino High is an especially high poverty-level school, it might not have the resources you need to meet your full potential.

You definitely don't have control over the city, the school, or other families, but you can structure your own learning to be more productive. If you'd like to open yourself to more opportunities, you can look into whether it's possible to transfer to a nearby school with higher income levels.

If not, don't be alarmed - it's possible that San Bernardino High has all that you need for your ambition. And you can definitely be proactive about learning outside of your school, looking to your community or to the Internet to find more resources.

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School Safety

How safe is San Bernardino High School to attend? Can you expect a lot of conflict as a student here?

To study this, we look at disciplinary data for two types of incidents at San Bernardino High: referrals to law enforcement (when incidents are reported to police), and arrests.

These are the most serious disciplinary actions available to school administration and are more severe than suspensions or expulsions. Suspensions are often discretionary and can be given just for being disruptive in class. In contrast, law enforcement referrals and arrests often indicate incidents that put the safety of other San Bernardino High students at risk.

In the school year of 2011-2012, there were 142 referrals to law enforcement (82 male, 60 female), and 8 school-related arrests (6 males, 2 females). This is out of a total enrollment of 2230 students.

To put this into perspective, most California schools (59% of them) reported 0 law enforcement referrals and arrests.

This means that 6.7 San Bernardino High has major safety issues. For every 100 students, there were 6.7 law-enforcement related actions. This is a very high number that puts San Bernardino High in the top 10% of schools with disciplinary actions.

With this record, is San Bernardino High School significantly different from other schools in the area? It could be that San Bernardino High has an especially bad record, or it could be that the local area shows a pattern.

Compare this school with other high schools in the same school district, using the following table:

San Bernardino City Unified School District Safety

School Name	Total Referred	Total Arrests	Enrollment
Cajon High	137	76	2719
San Gorgonio High	187	113	2767
Anderson	0	0	125
San Andreas High	47	44	773
Sierra High	32	32	300
Alternative Learning Center	6	8	61

Academic Performance

Now we get to a major aspect of assessing a high school: academic performance. How good of an education will you get at San Bernardino High School? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?

We've compiled everything we could find about San Bernardino High's academics here.

Graduation Rate

To start off, an important benchmark of academic achievement is graduation rate. For all students who start high school at San Bernardino High, the state of California wants as many students to graduate as possible, since a high school diploma can mean a big difference in getting a job.

At San Bernardino High, 65% (of 703) San Bernardino High students graduated within four years of starting high school.

Here's how this stacks up to other schools. The California state government has defined 90% as a target rate. The state average is around 80-85%.

San Bernardino High is in the 32nd percentile of all public high schools in California for graduation rate. This is below average. Generally, a graduation rate of above 90% is considered good and well above average, and below 75% is well below average.

Note: This data comes from a few years back, but the trends are likely to stay the same, since schools don't get significantly better or worse within a short period of time.

Standardized Testing

Next, we'll look at another major piece of high school academics: standardized testing performance for San Bernardino High School students. These are tests that are administered to large populations of students for comparison purposes.

Let’s start by taking a look at the data for nationally administered standardized tests.

SAT Scores

As you probably know, the SAT is a critical test used for college admissions. The higher the score you get, the better your academic performance compared to students nationwide, and the easier it is to get into top colleges.

We did in-depth research and found the average San Bernardino High School SAT scores.

The average composite SAT score is a 1270 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 218 at San Bernardino High take the SAT.

This is a very low SAT score, putting San Bernardino High in the bottom 25% of all California schools, and well below the national average. Only 12% of SAT takers here score above the national average. Unfortunately, this suggests that most students attending San Bernardino High are not high-achieving, and may find it difficult to be admitted to a good college.

Note, however, that an average is just an average - you still have the potential to rise above expectations. If you work hard and earn an SAT score well above San Bernardino High's average, you'll have a great shot at entering a good college.

Here's a breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Average SAT Scores (2013-2014)

Source	Critical Reading	Math	Writing	Composite
San Bernardino High	420	431	420	1270
California	498	510	496	1504
United States	495	511	484	1490

Note that the SAT has since changed to a 1600 scale, but the trends above for your high school are likely to continue. Just use this guide to convert between the old 2400 scale and the new 1600 scale.

To learn more about SAT percentile rankings, read our guide on what SAT percentiles really mean.

How good is 1270 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1270 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1270 or any other SAT score!

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ACT Scores

In California, the ACT is less popular than the SAT. Fewer students take the ACT, and typically these students are more motivated and academically prepared for college. Therefore, it's harder to compare San Bernardino High School ACT scores with the rest of the country.

At San Bernardino High, the average ACT composite score was 17, compared to the nationwide average of 20. Each year, roughly 115 out of 1790 total students take the ACT.

Unfortunately, this is well below average performance, putting San Bernardino High in the bottom 25% of high schools in California. Most students who take the ACT here are well below the national average.

Since the ACT tests what you learn in school, this may be a warning sign that the quality of education you'll receive at San Bernardino High may be lacking compared to other schools.

Here are the average English, Math, Reading, and Science scores for San Bernardino High compared to California and the US:

Average ACT Scores

Source	English	Math	Reading	Science
San Bernardino High	16	18	18	18
California	21.8	22.8	22.3	21.7
United States	20.3	20.9	21.3	20.8

Scores provided are for the 2013-14 school year.

Find out more about percentile rankings and the ACT in this article.

Every individual is different. What counts as a good ACT score for you? Learn more with this article!

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Advanced Placement (AP)

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are college-level courses that are an additional academic challenge may give San Bernardino High School students credit for college.

Here's what we're looking for: high average AP test scores as well as high AP passing rates.

AP Scores

Every year, roughly 270 students in grades 9-12 at San Bernardino High take 491 AP exams. It's important to understand how students score on the AP - earning a 3, 4, or 5 on the AP test means passing the test and often earning college credit.

The average score of all AP exams taken at San Bernardino High is 2.2 out of 5.

Unfortunately, this score puts San Bernardino High at below average performance. For AP tests, the passing score is considered a 3, and the majority of students who take AP tests at San Bernardino High don't pass. This performance places San Bernardino High School in the bottom 50% of schools for AP tests in California.

This isn't all bad news. It's already good that San Bernardino High offers an AP program, so you can start dipping your toes into college-level courses. Some schools are new to offering AP courses, and teachers often get better at preparing students for AP tests. Furthermore, a good number of students still earn a passing grade of 3 or above. With hard work throughout the year, you'll still be able to beat your school's average.

We have specific data on how many students got a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (out of 5) on AP exams in the chart below:

AP Test-Taking Statistics

Another way to gauge the quality of a school's AP program is to see how many AP students actually took AP exams at San Bernardino High School. If a lot of students enroll in AP courses but don't actually take the AP tests, it can be a sign that students don't feel adequately prepared to take the test, or the school isn't encouraging students to take the exams enough.

At San Bernardino High, there is a total enrollment of 275 in AP courses (a student taking more than one AP course counts more than once).

Of AP-taking students, 141 took AP tests for ALL AP courses. 83 students took AP tests for SOME AP Courses, and 43 took AP courses but took NO tests.

This is good test participation. Most AP students at San Bernardino High School take the AP test for every one of their AP courses, outnumbering the students who take some or no AP exams. This is a good sign that students feel confident enough to take tests for all AP courses available to them, which reflects well on the teachers and course material. San Bernardino High can continue to improve by reducing the number of students who take AP exams for some or none of their courses, but it's in a good state.

Note: The most recent data we have available is from 2012, so the statistics may have changed since then. Most likely, however, the trends are likely to continue - above average schools are likely to stay above average, and below average schools are likely to stay below average.

AP Passing Rates

For AP students at San Bernardino High School who take the exam, it's important to know how they do. Here we have specific data on how many students got a passing grade (a 3 or above) on all, some, or none of the AP exams that they took.

Of all AP test takers, 32 students passed every AP test they took, which is a fantastic job. 17 students passed some but not all AP exams, and 160 students didn't pass ANY AP exam they took.

Unfortunately, this is poor performance compared to other high schools. At San Bernardino High School, the majority of AP students fail ALL of the AP exams they take. This usually means that they're not adequately prepared for the national AP exam at the end of the year.

This isn't necessarily the school's fault. AP courses may be too advanced for the typical student at San Bernardino High, and it's still a good thing that AP courses are offered at all. Furthermore, it's possible that a majority of the AP exams taken by students at San Bernardino High are on the more difficult side.

However, if you're a student at San Bernardino High, this is a warning that you'll have to go above and beyond the typical student to pass your AP exams. This may entail self-studying, figuring out who the better AP teachers are and trying to get into their classes, and working hard.

To find out the passing rates for specific AP courses at San Bernardino High School, you'll have to talk to your guidance counselor (who can then help you find that information). For instance, one AP Calculus teacher may have an above-90% passing rate, while another might only have a 50% passing rate. If you can, you'll want to take the class with the teacher who has more students get a 3 or above on the AP exam.

Find out more about the average score for each AP subject here.

State Tests

As of 2014, eleventh graders attending San Bernardino High School must take standardized tests in English/Language Arts and Math as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). These align with the new Common Core standards and are called the "Smarter Balanced" tests.

If San Bernardino High students meet or exceed state standards, they're academically prepared to graduate high school and go to college. Specifically, we care about the percentage of students who meet or exceed state standards. The larger this number, the higher the preparation of students at San Bernardino High.

English/Language Arts

At San Bernardino High School, 27% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.

This is considered below average and puts San Bernardino High in the bottom 50% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. The majority of San Bernardino High students do not pass state standards, and only a small percentage pass.

This specific percentage isn't much cause for concern - because the Common Core is new, the pass rate at San Bernardino High will likely rise over time. But it still reflects San Bernardino High's below average standing among California high schools.

English/Language Arts Test Results (2015)

Read more about what’s measured in each ELA area score here.

Math

The other major test taken for state assessments is Math. Across the state, Math performance is generally lower than English/Language Arts performance, so it's natural for this number to be lower.

At San Bernardino High School, 7% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts San Bernardino High in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of San Bernardino High students don't meet state standards, and only a small percentage pass.

Math Test Results (2015)

Read more about what’s measured in each Math area score, go here.

Academic Offerings

In addition to the standard high school curriculum, many high schools like San Bernardino High School offer advanced coursework as part of the Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.

Brief Intro to AP/IB

AP and IB courses are designed at the difficulty level of college introductory classes. There are several important benefits to taking advanced coursework at San Bernardino High. First, taking more advanced classes shows colleges that you're committed to challenging yourself academically, and that you're one of the more advanced students at San Bernardino High. Taking AP/IB classes also raises your weighted GPA and makes you a stronger college applicant.

Furthermore, many colleges will accept your San Bernardino High AP/IB coursework as college coursework. In some cases, you'll be able to skip introductory-level classes and move to more advanced classes. In other cases, you'll be able to avoid having to take required courses and might even be able to graduate earlier than the standard 4 years. Often this will require you to pass the AP test, getting a score of 3 or above.

So what advanced courses does San Bernardino High School offer?

AP Courses

San Bernardino High School offers AP courses in 13 subjects.

This is a reasonable number of AP subjects, putting San Bernardino High School in the top 50% of California schools that offer AP courses. You'll likely have access to some of the most popular math and humanities AP subjects, as well as a few others.

The total number of AP subjects is 38, so San Bernardino High is missing a large number of subjects, including some popular ones. If there are any AP courses you want to take that aren't being offered at San Bernardino High, ask your counselor for ideas on how to cover the gap.

Of course, keep in mind that quality matters even more than quantity - even if San Bernardino High doesn't offer every AP course under the sun, the classes might still be taught very well. You can see student performance in the AP score analysis section above.

The following AP courses were offered at San Bernardino High during 2015-2016:

Course Title
Biology
Calculus AB
Chemistry
English Language and Composition
English Literature and Composition
European History
Macroeconomics
Psychology
Spanish Language and Culture
Spanish Literature and Culture
Statistics
United States Government and Politics
United States History

Sports Teams

Finally, we'll cover which sports teams are available at San Bernardino High School. Sports are an integral part of many students' high school experiences. The more sports that are available, and the more levels supported (Frosh, JV, Varsity), the more likely you'll be able to participate in a sport at San Bernardino High.

By the way, the San Bernardino High mascot is the Cardinals. Go Cardinals!

San Bernardino High School fields 16 teams for girls' sports. This is a sizable number that puts San Bernardino High in the top 50% of California schools that offer girls' sports. You won't get the full range of sports and levels, but you'll be able to try out for a few options. If you participate in a sport that San Bernardino High doesn't offer, consider looking for a local non-school team that you can join.

And now for the boys: San Bernardino High School fields 18 teams for boys' sports. This puts San Bernardino High in the top 50% of California schools that offer boys' sports. You won't get every sport and level possible here, but you'll have a decent number of options. If you participate in a sport that San Bernardino High doesn't offer, consider looking for a local non-school team that you can join.

Boys Teams	Girls Teams
Basketball Var JV Fr	Basketball Var JV Fr
Tennis Var JV Fr	Tennis Var JV Fr
Football Var JV Fr
Wrestling Var JV Fr	Wrestling Var JV Fr
Volleyball Var JV Fr	Volleyball Var JV Fr
Baseball Var JV Fr
	Softball Var JV Fr
Waterpolo Var JV Fr	Waterpolo Var JV Fr
Trackfield Var JV Fr	Trackfield Var JV Fr
Crosscountry Var JV Fr	Crosscountry Var JV Fr
Soccer Var JV Fr	Soccer Var JV Fr
	Fieldhockey Var JV Fr

What’s Next?

Want to get more useful information about high school classes and preparing for colleges? Our blog has a ton of articles and advice on topics ranging from coursework and GPA to letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, and much more!

Ready to bulk up your schedule and maximize your college preparedness? Read all about the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.

Not quite in high school yet, but eager to get started? We've also got information for younger students interested in advanced learning opportunities, both in and out of school.

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