Our family's experience at this school was profoundly disappointing and deeply painful. Despite its public messaging around Christian values, integrity, and community, what we experienced behind the scenes was harassment, emotional harm, favoritism, retaliation, and a complete lack of accountability. Early on, we had a disturbing interaction with a staff member who told us that if they had known our family was applying, they would have "made sure we didn't get in," allegedly based on third-party gossip from someone we had never met or heard of. This was alarming and unprofessional, particularly given that this person had access to our personal information and approached us as if they already knew us. It became clear that negative opinions about our family were being shared internally. Between 2022 and 2025, after we raised concerns about what appeared to be unethical practices within the athletics program -- including favoritism toward students connected to donors or board-affiliated families -- we experienced what felt like retaliation. Shortly afterward, both of our children were quarantined for over three weeks despite repeatedly testing negative for COVID and showing no symptoms. We were told it was "protocol," yet it was not enforced consistently for others. At a time when restrictions were easing everywhere else, it felt targeted toward our family. When we asked for clarity and support, administration collected extensive information from us but ultimately refused to take any corrective action. Instead, we were called into an urgent meeting and told our children might be removed. We were instructed to write a letter over a weekend and told leadership would "consider" allowing them to stay. This felt coercive rather than collaborative. Eventually, one child was allowed to remain while the other was removed -- without explanation, due process, or any cited violation. During this process, a conversation between us and senior leadership was secretly recorded by an administrator who is closely related to school leadership. This occurred without our consent, which is illegal under California's two-party consent law. Rather than addressing this serious issue, the school ignored it entirely. We later learned from multiple sources that external influence may have played a role in decisions affecting our child, including pressure from families connected to leadership whose relatives directly competed with our child athletically. Despite being a strong student-athlete, our child was pushed out. During attempts to transfer schools, negative statements about our family were shared. Athletic staff did not assist with recruitment, and we learned that outreach to other schools appeared focused on protecting institutional relationships rather than helping our child. A college recruiter confirmed a campus visit with us that staff later denied ever occurred, despite us witnessing it firsthand. We have documentation, emails, and written correspondence confirming unfair treatment. One administrator privately described our situation as "awful" and escalated it to HR. Despite this, no accountability followed. Instead, staff involved in these events have continued to receive public recognition and awards, reinforcing a culture where those in power are protected rather than corrected. Despite being told directly that our children had done nothing wrong, we waited seven months for formal communication. When it finally came, the reasoning kept changing. Our child's transcripts were withheld from universities that requested them, confirmed in writing by those institutions. After we spoke out, our child was also removed from the school's alumni list, despite having graduated and despite the thousands of dollars paid for his education. This felt like continued punishment for sharing our experience. After posting this review, we received no outreach, apology, or attempt at reconciliation -- only efforts to have our reviews reported and suppressed. Rather than addressing harm, the school appears focused on protecting its image and silencing families who speak up. Say anything to the leadership and there big egos-- they will gang up against you, brother in-laws, father, board member, baseball coach, football coach, staff members and they will each other public awards to faculty members, students and families that have taken part in this harm-- a cult like mafia. Not a true Christian lead School by the spirit and ALL of the bible, just the parts they pick out. They also have solicited these recent reviews, also staff member finance officer in June 2025 sent out a defamatory emails including our financial contracts to a stranger, making the financials look as though we hadn't paid and we owed money when we were paid in full. She offered to go line by line with a stranger when she had no firsthand information about our family at all. Just sick unethical behavior from our experience. read more

Great school! All the teachers are truly invested on the students. The community is welcoming and inclusive. The leadership is very thoughtful and intentional about being Christ focused... read more

This is a great school. I can't emphasize enough what a special , warm, loving community this is. Our family feels so incredibly fortunate to be at this school. Our daughter is healthy, happy, thriving and having a wonderful experience spiritually, socially and academically . She just finished volleyball season and i'm in awe of how wonderful the varsity teams love on the jv and frosh/ soph. So much support across all 3 teams. The families here are awesome. The teachers are doing a great job and the staff is kind. You won't regret sending your child here. read more

My husband is an alumni and we always knew we would send our kids here! We have two currently and it's been a really great experience for the both of them. The teachers and staff really care about your kids and if you have a problem, you can always count on someone to walk with you through it. We've been very involved and see how hard the teachers and staff work everyday. There is NO PERFECT SCHOOL out there but if you send to choose your kids here you won't be disappointed. Their focus on the Bible, academics, sports and the arts makes it a great fit for any student willing to get involved! read more

Maranatha High School - Middle Schools & High Schools Near Me - Pasadena, California

My daughter is beyond happy at this school! She is thriving academically and athletically. The staff, students, and parents have been wonderful every year my daughter has attended. The school has worked on making it possible for us to keep her here despite us not having a lot of money. The financial sacrifice is well worth it cause public schools are a complete disaster. You can see God moving on the campus. No school is perfect. My daughter is happy and I've had no problems or issues here so I recommend this school with no hesitations!! read more

We are very pleased with the school and recommend it to our friends and everyone who knows us. The school offers a very high level of education, and I really like the atmosphere there. As a believer, I always appreciate the presence of God's Spirit at school. read more

MHS has provided both of our children with a stellar academic experience as well as helped guide them spiritually. We are amazed by what this school offers, there is truly a place for every student (athletics, Oliver's program (humanities/religious), performing arts). Teachers care about their students on a deep level (they know them and come alongside them); small classrooms help this happen. The administration is supportive, caring, and make every effort to get to know families. Community is safe, warm and inviting. This is the best kept secret in the SGV! You will not regret sending your child here. read more

I cannot say enough about how wonderful Maranatha High School has been. Godly, proficient, experienced administration, counselors, teachers and coaches. I praise God every day that He has made it possible for my granddaughter to attend. Private Christian education is expensive but the sacrifice is worth it. Public High Schools these days are dangerous, and not just the students but many of their parents and even teachders are profane and low-minded. read more

Great staff and great environment for learning. Been coming here for 3 years and every day it gets better. Best part is the life long friends I've made and continue making. read more

Maranatha High School - Middle Schools & High Schools Near Me - Pasadena, California

Our experience at Maranatha High School was remarkably dissatisfying. Disturbing. First of all, the staff was completely irresponsible, especially this one lady who is a dean. An incompetent dean. I felt that she was so racist, based on how she treats certain students. However, this goes for many people in the staff. Three words to describe the school + staff: INSUFFERABLE, IMPERMISSIBLE, and IMPETUOUS. If you are considering this school, I have advice: don't. It is unnecessarily expensive and not worth your child's dissatisfaction. I feel that discrimination is welcome here. (This is all through my personal experience; there are some acceptable aspects to this school, to be fair.) read more

I can not express enough how grateful we are to find Maranatha high school. My two boys one graduated '22 thriving at UC Berkeley the foundation he received at MHS make him strong both academically and emotionally. Our second son currently a junior, we can not wait what ever awaits him, we know he is ready. I highly recommend Maranatha to any family high school shopping. read more

Maranatha High School - Middle Schools & High Schools Near Me - Pasadena, California

Wonderful school! Amazing teachers! Great kids and parents! Top of the line sports! Amazing facilities!

Maranatha High School is amazing school, my son is now a senior and he love attending and playing baseball. Maranatha has one of the best baseball programs. read more

Great school..I am overall pleased with Maranatha high school. The campus is very nice and staff is great

I attended maranatha for only a few months due to how bad my experience was. During my time there I was having many health issues that were undiagnosed at the time, I spent a lot of time with the nurse (Don't even know if he is a nurse) but he invalidated me as a woman implying that I was over reacting and that my period cramps were not bad enough to be missing class. the nurse does not even have an office so they put me in a random room and forgot i was there, when they finally remembered they tried to blame it on me. The nurse also was disrespectful when I had to walk out of a class that had flashing lights because I have epilepsy. Now to move on to the Learning assistance program, this was VERY disappointing the guy who runs it does nothing but invalidate students and he would sit and talk to other kids while just allowing us to cheat. they say that this program is amazing but all they did was ignore my IEP and distract me by loudly talking to other students who weren't in the program while I would be taking a test. I wouldn't have had to cheat if they actually helped me, also the teachers would never respond to emails and were very dismissive. unfortunately the only way to be treated well by staff at maranatha is to be a healthy straight person read more

Maranatha High School has been welcoming and hospitable from the very beginning, which made our family feel most heard, known, and a place to belong. We value the school's integrity and intentional efforts on being Christ-centered in the academics, athletics, and community. It's been a blessing to our family! read more

We are very happy with Maranatha HS! Challenging academics and amazing community! Beautiful campus and competitive sports programs!

Looked at several high schools and chose Maranatha for my two kids. The teachers are genuinely engaged and concerned about the students. Parents are actively involved with the school. School is on an upward trend. read more

This program is very outdated as far as curriculum and sports are concerned. There is no DEI awareness and coaches need more training in this area. There is glitz upon coming into the school however as one gets embedded in its structure it is clear that progress needs to be made in the areas of differentiation and restorative justice. Is how much money has the only Nothing that matters? read more

Im so happy we choose Maranatha High school for our son. He is thriving, loves his new friend group who welcomed him on day one, and he's excelling academically. I highly recommend Maranatha for your son or daughters future high school choice. read more

Our son transferred to Maranatha the middle of his junior year for baseball. We have been so impressed with the school and our experience so far. There is an excellent baseball program with phenomenal coaches and opportunities for the boys. Wonderful school teachers and awesome website. read more

Besides the benefit of smaller classes, the counselors are very helpful when grades start to slip in figuring out the cause and a real plan to remedy. Lots of opportunity to participate as a parent such as parent prayer groups. Cafe food is really, really good and the kids appreciate this! Sports is a big thing here and at least in baseball I can say they develop players with play time exposure rather than just focusing on a few aces to win games. I'd suggest attending any of the events for prospective students or campus tours. We live in an area with a highly sought school district but we see the Maranatha difference in our son's outlook and growth. read more

If you want a left-wing school that is Christian in name only, parents will have lots of alternatives. If you want a truly Christian school that enhances your child's faith in the gospel, teaches good values, is strong academically and doesn't tolerate political indoctrination by the teachers, than Maranatha is one of the few school in the greater Los Angeles area that offers such a program. We couldn't have been happier with our child's four years at Maranatha. She has been well-prepared to face the challenges of the world. Maranatha is turning out kids who are not only great students but great people as well. This type of education is rare nowadays and it's priceless. Your child goes through the high school experience only once and it's at a critical time in their life when the person they are and will become is solidifying into cement. If you make the wrong choice for a high school, you can never go back. Our choice of Maranatha was one of the greatest decisions we made! read more

I attended MHS from 2014-2018. During my time there, I had my fair share of great memories with friends, fun events, wonderful coaches and teachers. However, there were many instances that affected me negatively. I truly don't know where to begin because there are so many things that need to be fixed. As a former student, I got to see the ins and outs of this school from a different perspective. Potential students look at this school at first glance thinking that it is a close knit community that incorporates well rounded values. Maranatha stands firm with their belief that this is a "Christ-centered" school. However, teachers, faculty, and administration condone behavior such as racism, discrimination, xenophobia, transphobia, and so much more. Recently, a student posted a viral TikTok that demonstrated racism and xenophobia towards the Asian American community. Not only were the students that were included in the video, filmed without their permission, it was filmed on campus. This was brought to the school's attention by many students, not to mention a petition that was signed by 70+ international students, including alumni. These students exemplified their concern of an environment that makes them feel uncomfortable. Of course, Maranatha's plan of action to fix this issue is by doing nothing. On a more personal note, my junior year there I was harassed various times by one of my teachers. He would make belittling comments in front of the entire class saying how "if I wasn't disabled, that people would actually listen to me." Once again, Maranatha did nothing about this situation. I could go on and on but here is a short list that sums up this school: -ASB (Associated Student Body) discriminates by only choosing students who are deemed as "Christian enough" -Ministry team did not allow a student to serve due to their sexual orientation -Administration has fired 90+ teachers and staff members over the past years. So if your child is looking for an environment to build close relationships with their teachers, this is not it -At dances/events, students would be breathalyzed prior to entering. It would make sense that every student attending must be breathalyzed, however, the school would pick and choose certain students who they thought would be caught -Administration encouraged students who were not straight to attend conversion therapy This school is fixated on their image and the money they receive. It saddens me to know how poorly the school treats their students. Nonetheless, I am blessed to have created good relationships with friends, a few teachers and coaches, but looking back at my experiences the bad outweighs the good. I sit here and type all of this to shed light on all the issues with this school in hope that things will be quickly fixed for the better. read more

This school used to be good in the past but now with all this regulations and changes. Everybody doesn't like this school that much and all the teachers are leaving left and right and hope this school can just accept that we want to be equal but this school is saying no to the gender roles. And they are raising tuition Again lol. read more

I attended this school for 4 whole years. Freshman year was pretty easy and fun, especially because we had games on our iPads. Sophomore year was pretty good too, people said it would be hard but it wasn't. Junior year is when it started to get tough. I had to do multiple SAT and ACT prep stuff, and it was a pain. Senior year rolled around, and it was easily the hardest. This was the first year I didn't take a summer school class to lighten the load. I had to still take SATs and ACTs. At least it all payed off. I'm wrote this when I was almost done with Senior year with all As and one C in math. Math is not for everyone. This school gives opportunities for kids with learning disabilities, like dyslexia. read more

This school can't keep qualified and caring teachers. Please ask around about how many teachers they have terminated, some excels in their subject. It's sad for children to witness the constant turnover of their teachers. It is the absolute obligation to provide highly-skilled teaching faculties as a private school. read more

To Gracie R., I really applaud your review. I graduated from Maranatha in 2000 and seeing your review really showed me how much worse they have gotten. I was considering the high school for my children, but after reading your review how they belittle students, and dismiss students speaking the truth of xenophobia and racism is embarrassing. These acts of violence was also portrayed by parents from another unnamed Christian School. Instead of handling the situation professionally, I was humiliated by both the principal and 4 different parent families on 4 different occasions. The principal did apologize so that was good. My dad was told he didn't have a seat in Chapel because he's Asian. Principal apologized again but he said, "I can not control what happens from other parents." This happened in Chapel and on campus! A better response would be to write a letter email out to all the parents to not repeat acts of racism and apologize and practice kindness instead. I'm am baffled that Mr. "R" went from Principal to Head of School at Maranatha. I thought the authorities up high would have figured him out already. His wife (Mrs. R taught Art) is super nice and his son too because his son follows his mom's demeanor (Thank God). Too bad the son dresses like him - bow tie and hair cut). Mr. R is opposite to his wife. When I was in high school, a group of Caucasian girls (popular and favorited by the faculty) did a song bit rendition of "Beat It" by Michael Jackson. One of the girls was "blackface" and the other girl had a whip and pretended to whip the "black face" girl while the "black face" girl was faced down on the ground. (Like George Floyd was). This was done during History Class. Mr. "R" had already joined in the class and settled himself nicely as he laughed watching the bit. Only the History teacher abruptly ended the bit and said the show was inappropriate. However, the girls said it was only meant to be funny and didn't mean any disrespect..... (really?) Mr. "R" did not say a word to them nor reprimanded them because they were popular. He didn't talk to him in his office, he didn't yell at them. Classmates have talked about how much Mr. "R" has laughed to beating a "black face." You can definitely hear laughter. Mr. "R" also likes to be very angry and yell at you in his office for driving on the wrong street or is it because I'm Asian? He says he will put it in my high school record and transcript for disobeying orders and colleges will look at it. He treated me like a dysfunctional parent. Mr. "R," when you are the oldest in the family and have to wake up super early to take care and feed a non-verbal autistic sibling, get to school and the short cut is the residential street to the parking lot which was a straight line versus driving a square formation, you would have done it too so you won't be late for class and get a tardy slip on your high school record. Of course, you didn't know I have an autistic sibling to care for and you just yelled at me for disobeying orders. You did give a group of Caucasian girls the benefit of the doubt for remaking beatings of the slavery movement from a white supremacy point of view. So driving on the street is more offensive? Me and many other former students who helped raise good test scores for the school are not important and subject to reprimand immediately, but popular kids can practice horrible bits and receive laughter from the audience chair. Have you ever taken cared of an autistic individual? The answer is NO. No empathy. So...Mr. "R"..... should laughing at black face and whipping a black face (while facing down to the ground like George Floyd) be deemed acceptable and not on your work record for all potential employers to see? Or is driving on the "wrong" residential street a more of a violation? (I wasn't driving on the wrong side of the street. It was a street that residents (adjacent to the school's parking lot) didn't want the school students to drive on.) go figure....didn't know a public street is not allowed to drive on. It's not a gated community either. No idea how that was understandable. For future parents, please don't send your children here. Also, the good teachers back in the day have left/fired. Another mother told me that two years ago, she took her second son out of Maranatha because the math program was horrible and because her first son went to PCC after Maranatha high school. I would never want to pay $22,000 a year for a child where their education ends them to be in a community college. Public school or another private school would be better. By the way, looking into the lives of students who graduated Maranatha the popular kids are not that successful compared to the kids who studied a lot. The quiet ones that get belittled by Mr. R are now physicians; however, they have lost their faith and a few are atheist now. Maybe Maranatha helped changed their view about religion. I don't know. read more

My three children attended this school (2006-2015) and they felt the school prepared them well for university. They took AP courses so they could get college credit and not have to take those classes in college. This saves parents money when kids go to college. My children loved their teachers. Yes, some had been let go and that was a terrible time. But MHS has improved with new leadership. And some of the great teachers are still there. Its a ministry to them. The academics are good but what I liked best is that there are so many extracurricular activities and clubs that your child is sure to fit into one or more. All three of my children participated in these and flourished because of these groups. And they had fun. Parent participation is encouraged and we form friendships as well. It was hard for me when the last one graduated because I really enjoyed helping out and being with orher parents. I highly recommend it. read more

This school has a beautiful campus and the students are for the most part nice to each other. We were apprehensive when we put our daughter there in 11th grade because we are not a christian family but she made a lot of friends in her two years at Maranatha. I think that there is a lot of hypocrisy from the administration when it comes to drugs with the sport teams, they catch them with drugs and do nothing about it, these kids can get away with murder. There is more drug, alcohol and sex at that school than at the last school our daughter attended and it was not a Christian school. The teachers are foe the most part average to mediocre and inexperienced. I would not recommend this school if you want your child to be challenged. It is a nice safe school but not a top school. read more

I am writing this a concerned parent. My daughter has been a straight A student from Kinder through 9th grade. In the beginning of 10th grade I noticed a change in my daughter's attitude towards school. I called the sophomore guidance counselor for help with my daughter. She assured me she would talk to her. She didn't. I called in October asking for assistance because now my daughter was struggling with her grades. Again, nothing was done. During this time, I took my daughter to the doctor and she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and was being tested for ADD. As she was attending therapy, her therapist suggested that I ask for a 504 plan since my daughter has a disability. I called the sophomore guidance counselor again to inform her about her diagnosis and if Maranatha offered a 504 plan. She said that the school had nothing like that. I took her answer as truth since it is a private school and they don't offer what public schools offer. In doing more research, their is a learning lab for students who need accommodations in order to be successful. This was NEVER offered to me. I had to ask and search the website. In the beginning of April I decided to look at the attendance section on netclassroom. This is where parents can see current grades, assignments, etc. My daughter had 28 absences, over 15 tardies, 15 missing periods, and never once had the school called me or emailed me to notify me of my daughter's attendance. I requested a meeting with the principal. I voiced my concerns, her response was that she had to look into it because she had no idea what was going on and she would get back to me. I asked her what happens when a student is missing a class during the school day. Do they look for the students, what if the students goes off campus and gets hurt, who is responsible? She couldn't answer any of my questions. I informed her that my daughter had a D and an F ( this is in April) and the end of the school year was coming soon and I was not going to allow my daughter to fail. I informed her that I asked for help from the guidance counselor in September, October, December, January... In a public school, parents are notified if their child is missing a day, or a period, or has excessive tardies. Maranatha NEVER notified me. Since meeting with the principal at the end of April, they finally decided to put my daughter on a school plan. Her school plan was from May 1st to May 22nd. She stayed after school on Mondays for help in studying skills. She had to do all this make up work, she barely slept the month of May because she didn't want to fail any of her classes. This school plan should have been done back in September of 2014. I told the principal my daughter would not be attending school for the 2015-2016 school year and that I wanted the registration fee returned. I still have not received the registration fee back. The school has actually taken over $1700 this month from my checking account for the next school year's tuition even though I told them my daughter would not be attending. I have been giving the run around with the refund of my money. The sophomore guidance counselor requested a meeting with me so she could explain how this was all a misunderstanding. I requested the principal be present and the email stated she would be present. On the day of the meeting, the principal sent someone in her place. I requested a meeting today with the principal. The secretary asked if I would be ok with a phone conference, I responded YES. She said if she could scheduIe a phone conference it would be at 12:00. I said I would by the phone. At 11:45 the secretary said that she couldn't squeeze me in she was too busy but the principal did call accounting to cut a check for the $1700 and I should receive it in the next few days. I went to the billing office to request a printout of my payments the past two years and Debbie was so rude and insulting to me. I recorded what happened on my phone because I wanted documentation of how Debbie talks to parents and how unacceptable this behavior is when parents pay A LOT of money for their child's education. She is the kind of woman that will lie about anything to protect her job. This video totally proves her behavior. I am saddened that parents' concerns are not being heard by administration. My next step is to call the WASC, accreditation department and file a complaint in regards to the violations Maranatha has committed. I hope this helps parents to do a thorough research on how many teachers have left the school and the high turnover of employees that takes place at Maranatha. I reported to the principal about the drugs being sold on campus and the way coaches told the students to stop sending inappropriate selfies that were being shared on campus. Nothing is addressed or handled. It is all about the money. I thought I chose a Christian based school. I was sadly mistaken. read more

Awful school, only desperately looking for money from the pocket of parents...the worst choice, I ever made

As an alumni myself and friend of several former teachers at MHS, it must be said that the MHS I attended in the early nineties is the not MHS that exists today. It is crucial to note that over 90 - that's NINETY (90) teachers and staff have been fired, quit or forced out in the past five years. Most notable were: Joel Murphy, (alumni of '98, coach who took our sport teams to a new level and most recently chaplain!), Alan Ladner (math teacher of 40+ years who poured his life into MHS only to be forced out just 2 years before retirement!), Joe Zambrano (10+ years making history come alive for students), Pam Ashe (15+ years) Matt Northrop (Dean of Students, 15+ years improving MHS), Vince Leporini (History teacher loved by students, leaving the student body reeling over his termination), Mark McCown (20+ years, AP Teacher with remarkable scores), Becky Kuchneski (Learning Lab teacher for 10+ years) and many more = ALL these amazing teachers had one think in common - they fell into Michelle Purghart's bad graces. Since coming to Maranatha, Ms. Purghart (Principal) has markedly led the school away from Christian principals and values and has aimed to create an elitist prep school. However, the school no longer has high quality teachers, as the majority have less then 5 years teaching experience (and brand new teachers are being hired for AP classes - no wonder our scored have dropped so low!) The climate of MHS among the facility is one of fear, silence and intimidation. Many teachers are actively looking for other jobs to escape the turmoil that surrounds Maranatha. This is not the strong academic climate they try to portray. The school is currently mired in lawsuits, accusations and has actually lost several counts in court (I can personally attest to two). I refuse to donate my money any more to my alma mater, as I don't want my money going to pay the MHS attorneys as they fight against my former teachers, accusing them of all sorts of atrocities. The option to choose Maranatha High School is yours alone to make, but as you consider it, please do your own research, attend the school meetings filled with angry, disillusioned parents and look beyond the surface at what is really going on there. I truly pray that God sends wise leadership into this school to weed out the problems, hypocrisy and scandals. It's such a shame to see a school that we loved, a school we invested into, a school that we prayed over - now fall apart in shambles and be covered in so much shame. read more

I attended Maranatha my freshman to sophomore years only. The only good thing I can say about this school are a few staff members and their food that's it. The students are the reason why I give this a very poor review. When I came from my middle school I attended, I was depressed and was struggling to make friends, I tried to hang out with some people there and they are all just awful. As a student who isn't as fortunate as many other kids there's be the fact that I was socially awkward, I was looked at differently than everyone else. These brats literally only care about people they meet and don't even give a damn about helping others out unless if it's their friend group. If you want to be popular and hang around those kids, this is not the place for you not to mention that these kids also have the power to overthrow staff members especially teachers, and that's mainly part of the reason why many staff members there get fired or leave every year. My Spanish teacher my sophomore year was new coming from another school and she for some reason decided to stop teaching. There were a few kids that actually stood on top of their desks in class one day and actually yelled at her and chewed her out until she started crying. Those kids then teamed up with others and convinced the dean, at the time which is now GONE, to fire her and they got their wish. There was also this one guy in particular who was a creep and harassed me every single day and just wouldn't stop. These kids also tricked me into embarrassing myself also and what really made me leave was getting catfished, with many kids playing along to make me think that I'm not getting catfished, and hyping me up to think I would be elected as junior class Vice President even though I barely stood a chance. They also take Christianity really seriously and require everybody to attend their weekly chapel service every thursday even if they do not believe in it and if you go on your phone and mess around then you will get in huge trouble and maybe not get your phone back EVER! I also ran track and cross country both years there and there was this one senior at the time that really angered me. It was a hot day my sophomore year and I was running a 2 mile race, unfortunately I couldn't finish and me being dehydrated and exhausted stepped off the track. I started crying because I felt like a failure and that one kid never talked to me again because I couldn't physically finish a race. Luckily before my sophomore year ended I had the guts to leave this hell hole and transfer to a better school which is Pasadena High School or often referred to as "PHS." Academically they are good and if you don't have a social life and just want to focus on academics then this place is for you. Don't come here if you're not too rich, or have social problems. There are better options to choose. All I have to say is come here at your own risk. read more

Very pleased and excited with the direction and leadership at Maranatha!! We have two sons. Our oldest is graduating from Maranatha and off to college in the fall. Our youngest will be a freshman and is looking forward to being a Minuteman!! Four more Years:) read more

I have one son currently attending Maranatha High School and one son who graduated two years ago. Our family's experience has been transformational. We've experienced deeply dedicated teachers, coaches teaching character and sportsmanship, and a solid college preparatory academic program. We are thankful for all that Maranatha continues to provide our sons as both students and alumni, giving them lifelong friends and a solid, Christ-centered education. If we had to make the choice to send them here again, would we? Definitely! read more

Without reservation, our daughter, my wife & I highly recommend that you consider Maranatha High School. Yes, online reviews from the past few years reflect a turbulent period of trial and difficulty for the school, and initially caused us concern. But there has been a change in leadership and policies and there have been reforms at MHS that are all for the better. Our daughter (almost done with her freshman year) LOVES her Maranatha High School experience. Teachers have helped take our daughter to the next level in her academics and have been role models of Christ-centered faith in action (and I'll say the same for admin). She feels challenged but not frustrated, encouraged in her efforts, and cared about. In addition to putting academics and Christian character front & center, the school works to boost school spirit, encourage student community, be intentional about serving, and support students, families & teachers (more on this below). There are so many opportunities for involvement through clubs, sports, the arts, student government, ministry, and more, that every student will find something of interest that caters to them and brings them joy. Our son (presently in elementary school) hears our daughter talk about her classes and activities and that's gotten him thinking that high school can be pretty cool & enjoyable. My wife & I are also extremely satisfied with MHS and are grateful that our family seems to have come to the school at a good time. I've attended almost all of the parent association meetings and like what I've heard from administrators, teachers, and other staff that have spoken, and I see the evidence to back up what's being said. One of the concerns I'd heard from previous MHS parents was that there was high teacher burnout/turnover and inconsistent quality of teachers, and each family we spoke with ascribed this phenomenon to different causes (a prior administrator, the work environment, the budget, etc.). The school has responded by reducing the teacher workload so teachers can have a little more time for prep, office hours, and expanding professional development opportunities (peer feedback, admin observations, in-service work, AP expectations, etc.). My wife & I sense that it's working, as whether our daughter's teachers have been there for decades or just a year or two, we've been satisfied with the teaching. One concern I had was a lack of technology classes, but it was recently announced that a technology lab is going in and computer science classes will be available for the coming school year. We just recently received a parent satisfaction survey soliciting our input. Based on what I've seen the school do to address concerns that existed before our family arrived, I have every confidence that trending issues that surface from this survey will likewise receive effective attention. And I can't quantify this, but I think it speaks well of the school culture (over the long haul, regardless of struggles in recent years) that several graduates of MHS have come back to work there and play a part in perpetuating the school's mission. So with all the positive in my review, what are the drawbacks? Well, in this honeymoon phase (we're at the end of our first year with the school), we can't see much. There's the cost, but so it is with every private school. But unlike many private schools, MHS doesn't have "additional required giving," and financial aid is available (everyone in the business office has been pleasant and helpful in navigating the process). Not all the teachers are consistent yet with Google Classroom use (sometimes announcing assignments last-minute, sometimes taking a long time to enter grades or return an electronically-submitted study guide). But there is a coordinator helping teachers in this arena, we've noticed improvement and more consistency developing during this school year, and a more unified platform is going to be implemented. A library would be nice. I'm sure that as the years tick by I'll notice more "opportunities for improvement." To sum up, most of the negative things mentioned in reviews from the past couple years have already changed for the better, or are probably being addressed. Our family loves Maranatha and I think it's worth a look to see if it's a good fit for your son or daughter. As one parent we talked to put it, our daughter could go to just about any school and survive. But at Maranatha, she can thrive. read more

One of the best in the county. Great faith based education, excellent sports programs. Beautiful campus.

This is an excellent school! It provides students with an amazing opportunity to grow academically , athletically and most importantly spiritually. The faith based community of teachers and adminstrators are completely dedicated to the successs of the students and are welcoming to people of all faiths who wish for their children to attend school in an environment that is gounded in solid moral values. I have had two of my children attend this school and its worth every penny of the tuition I paid! read more

My two children have flourished while attending Maranatha! Although strong in its academics, MHS leaves plenty of room for students to explore extracurricular, creating a well-rounded student. From the first day of acceptance to the school, MHS does an outstanding job of nurturing and celebrating each student! Many teachers go above and beyond to invest and mentor. Weekly chapels inspire and challenge. My children have been shaped for success through their seasons at MHS! read more