Brentwood, CA

If you're searching for excellent high schools near Antioch, California, you're in the right place. The East Bay area is home to several top-notch high schools, each with its own unique history and advantages. In this article, we'll explore some of the best high schools near Antioch, listed in order of proximity, and highlight the benefits they offer to students.

Location: 700 West 18th Street, Antioch, CA 94509 (Approx. 1 mile from Antioch)

School Highlights: Antioch High School is a comprehensive public high school that offers a diverse curriculum, including Advanced Placement (AP) courses, career technical education programs, and a strong athletics department. The school is committed to student success and fostering a positive learning environment.

School History: Established in 1955, Antioch High School has a long history of serving the local community and is part of the Antioch Unified School District.

Location: 4700 Lone Tree Way, Antioch, CA 94531 (Approx. 6 miles from Antioch)

School Highlights: Deer Valley High School is a public high school that provides a comprehensive education, with a focus on academics, athletics, and the arts. The school offers a range of AP courses, a robust visual and performing arts program, and competitive sports teams.

School History: Opened in 1996, Deer Valley High School is a relatively newer addition to the Antioch Unified School District.

Location: 101 American Avenue, Brentwood, CA 94513 (Approx. 11 miles from Antioch)

School Highlights: Heritage High School, part of the Liberty Union High School District, offers a well-rounded educational experience, including a strong focus on academics, extracurricular activities, and community involvement. The school provides numerous AP courses, a variety of clubs and organizations, and a competitive athletics program.

School History: Heritage High School was founded in 2005 to address the growing population in the Brentwood area.

Location: 1050 Neroly Road, Oakley, CA 94561 (Approx. 12 miles from Antioch)

School Highlights: Freedom High School is known for its commitment to academic excellence, offering a comprehensive range of courses, including AP classes and career technical education programs. The school also boasts a vibrant visual and performing arts department, as well as a strong athletics program.

School History: Established in 1996, Freedom High School is part of the Liberty Union High School District and serves the Oakley community.

The East Bay area is home to several outstanding high schools near Antioch, California. Each of these schools provides a unique learning environment, emphasizing academic excellence, extracurricular activities, and community involvement. Whether you're seeking a well-established institution or a newer school with modern facilities, these high schools offer an exceptional education experience for students in the Antioch area.

The City of Brentwood and City of Concord have been named a Most Affordable West Coast City by Livability.com.

The list, using data from Movoto by OJO, took into account each city’s median sold price for homes and the broader metropolitan area’s median household income to determine an affordability score.

An exclusive study conducted by Livability.com informed this list. In the study, more than 1,000 American adults, aged 18 and up and from across the country, were surveyed to determine the characteristics of livability they would value in a prospective home community with an emphasis on how rising costs are affecting their relocation decisions. Respondents were asked which factors would be most heavily considered when choosing to relocate and how their housing needs and priorities have changed due to inflation. The research shows that 7 in 10 adults consider affordability to be a top three factor influencing a decision to relocate.

The Most Affordable Cities on the West Coast broadly reflects the findings that affordability and local amenities are top priorities for people looking to relocate.

“People are thinking about where their money goes the farthest right now, as remote work continues for many, and affordability is harder to find,” says Amanda Ellis, Livability.com Editor in Chief. “We highlight the amazing small and mid-sized communities across the U.S. and it’s often these who stand out when it comes to offering affordability alongside amenities and opportunity.”

Livability.com’s Most Affordable Cities on the West Coast are:

The complete list of the Most Affordable Cities on the West Coast is featured on Livability.com, along with some of the specific attractions, activities and amenities that make each place a great place to live.

Here is what they said:

Brentwood, CA

In the hyper-expensive California Bay Area, Brentwood stands out as a (relatively) affordable place to live in the East Bay. Home prices here are around $850,000, but they’re offset by competitive salaries from top Contra Costa County employers like Chevron and Bio-Rad Laboratories (plus other companies in the broader Bay Area region). Brentwood is small, with around 65,000 residents, but it packs a punch with many city parks, the Brentwood Golf Club and easy access to nearby Marsh Creek State Historic Park and Round Valley Regional Preserve (not to mention great views of Mount Diablo).

Brentwood’s mild weather (perfect for playing outside after school!) and many newly built residential subdivisions make it a top choice for families with little ones. Brentwood also has a year-round farmers market on Saturdays, plus many local “U-pick” farms and roadside stands brimming with fresh produce.

Concord, CA

If you’ve always dreamed of living in the Bay Area but just didn’t think you could afford it, give Concord another look. This mid-sized city, located 42 miles northeast of San Francisco, offers many of the same amenities, activities and benefits of the Golden City, but at a much more affordable price point. Median home values are around $700,000 (compared to $1.5 million in San Francisco), and you get a little extra breathing room, too.

Though plenty of people commute, Concord has its own strong economy, thanks to large employers like BevMo, John Muir Health, Wells Fargo, Kyocera and Akesis. After work, Concord residents can hit the hiking trails at nearby Diablo State Park, hit a few balls at the driving range of Buchanan Fields Golf Club or work up a sweat while pedaling along the Iron Horse Regional Trail. Concord also has a thriving local arts scene, ranging from comic book shops to art galleries to live theater, dance and music performances.

About Livability.com:

Livability.com highlights the best small to mid-sized cities and what makes them great places to live, work and visit. Through exclusive research and original content, we examine issues such as affordability, cultural amenities and talent attraction, and celebrate the accomplishments of these cities through lists, our annual ranking of the Top 100 Best Places to Live and articles exploring the who, what, why and how behind the “where.” Livability.com is a division of Journal Communications, Inc., based in Franklin, TN.

Drivers on the State Route 4 in Brentwood could soon face delays and detours starting the night of March 31 as Caltrans installs a bicycle and pedestrian bridge that will span over the road to connect two ends of the Mokelumne Trail.

The overcrossing will be located south of Lone Tree Way and north of Sand Creek Road.

Years in the making, the bridge will close the gap in the trail created two decades ago when Highway 4 was expanded. By connecting the two sides of the Mokelumne Trail, the bridge will offer safe access for cyclists and pedestrians for commuting and recreational travel, according to officials.

But for drivers, the bridge work will mean the highway will be closed in alternate directions in the late night and early morning hours starting Friday and for several days afterward.

Weather permitting, Caltrans plans to close the highway eastbound from midnight Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road, according to the Contra Costa Transportation Authority. Then, there will be westbound closures on Saturday from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday, and again from 11 p.m. Sunday to 4 a.m. Monday. Then, later on Monday, from 11 p.m. until 4 a.m. Tuesday, the highway will be closed eastbound.

Finally, any remaining work will be done from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 4 a.m. Wednesday and again the next day depending on where it is needed.

Westbound drivers having to detour will exit on Sand Creek Road and go eastbound on Sand Creek Road to Shady Willow Lane, then northbound on Shady Willow Lane to Lone Tree Way, and proceed westbound on Lone Tree Way to the westbound State Route 4 on-ramp.

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Eastbound traffic will be directed to exit at Lone Tree Way, go eastbound to Shady Willow Lane, then southbound on Shady Willow Lane to Sand Creek Road, before proceeding westbound on Sand Creek Road to the eastbound SR4 on-ramp.

Funding for the $13 million project was from Measure J taxpayer dollars from Contra Costa County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation, the State Route 4 Bypass Authority and bridge toll funds.

To learn more about the project, go to the Contra Costa Transportation Authority’s website at Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing.

If you’ve ever tasted fresh Filipino “sēnorita bread,” you know why far East County residents are excited that a Starbread Bakery has opened in Brentwood.

One sniff of the warm, oblong yeasty roll — fresh from the oven and oozing with butter and sugar — and an innocent onlooker can easily become hooked, unable to eat just one of the soft and fluffy, airy treats.

Now Brentwood has become the latest outpost to score these addictive rolls that have attracted a cult-like following, with Starbread Bakery open on Friday and a grand opening set for Saturday morning. The new bakery, which also has a store in Pittsburg, is at 50 Sand Creek Road, a few doors down from the Filipino grocery Mabuhay Filipino Foods & Services.

“They call it ‘crack bread,’ ” said one Brentwood resident who declined to give her name, but was excited to hear the bakery was opening just steps from the Filipino grocery where she was shopping on Thursday.

“You can’t just eat one,” added Cynthia Ruehlig, who had also stopped by the Filipino market and was happy to hear about the new bakery nearby.

Cyrielle Carrera-Sanchez, who works at her father Carlito Carrera’s Pittsburg store, said he decided to open his second store in Brentwood because it was the most requested location. Their customers now come from all over East Contra Costa and beyond.

The new store, located in the Sand Creek Plaza shopping center, will have all the familiar menu items, including chicken and beef empanadas, pork adobo buns, fruit and meat-filled croissants, pan de sal, and sugary dulce de leche breakfast buns, as well as malasada, bicho-bicho and more.

Founded in 1986 in Vallejo, the family-owned Starbread Bakery has more than a half-dozen – and counting – locations in Northern California, with sēnorita bread its flagship product.

A native of the Philippines, Ruehlig said she’ll likely visit the new Brentwood store, as it will be closer to her Antioch home than the Pittsburg site. But in addition to sēnorita bread, she’s looking forward to the empanadas and the pan de sal, a Filipino roll that’s known as a classic breakfast or midday snack.

“That’s what we eat for breakfast,” she said of the fluffy, slightly sweet bread rolls. “It’s like buttery bread. It’s really nice if you put a little more butter inside.”

Husband Walter Ruehlig said pan de sal rolls are his favorite.

“I tell Filipinos, especially if they’re visiting the United States, ‘If you want a business over here, make pan de sal. There will be a line down the street.’ ”

The classic buns also attracted Rebecca Sandoval, who stopped in Pittsburg to buy some of them along with empanadas and senorita bread, the latter in a big box for her uncle who was celebrating a birthday.

“He loves them,” she said. “He can eat a whole box on his own.”

The Brentwood City Council has sanctioned Vice Mayor Johnny Rodriguez for allegedly violating the city’s ethics and conduct policy.

The sanction came after Councilwoman Karen Rarey alleged that the vice mayor had shared confidential, closed-session information with an outside party.

Rarey told the council she first thought Rodriguez had shared confidential job evaluation papers with someone in 2021 when she noticed the handwriting on his paper seemed “feminine-like.” It wasn’t until months later that she saw his writing was not the same as the evaluation notes he had allegedly written about the city manager and city attorney, and a later conversation with an outside attorney confirmed it was “a serious concern,” she said.

Rodriguez admitted he asked his wife to help him with writing the evaluations because he was “having a hard time expressing” his thoughts.

“I know that those evaluations were very important and I wanted to make sure that I was able to express my thoughts through that,” he said. “My wife took my thoughts, put them on paper for me and assisted me. It was no one else.”

“I didn’t I did not think that it was a violation of policy or anything like that,” he added.

However, Rarey disagreed.

“When it says confidential on the envelope, you don’t share them with somebody else,” she said, noting that includes family and friends. “So, if there’s a reason you need to share it, it needs to be brought to the city manager.”

The council could choose to do nothing about the allegations or admonish, sanction or censure Rodriguez, City Manager Tom Odgen said in his staff. However, censuring, the most severe response, would not be possible because there was not enough time for an independent investigation and hearing that would require. The vice mayor’s term ends Dec. 13.

Rarey asked the council to sanction Rodriguez. A sanction, unlike a censure, is a simple action directed toward a specific person that is not considered a punishment but states what was done against policy and allows the accused person to provide a written or verbal response, according to the staff report.

In his response, Rodriguez said he was frustrated and confused about the situation, which came to light at a previous council session and also included criticism about him allegedly from an unnamed resident.

“I’ve been an open book for about 30 years,” he said. “I know that I have been working in a community for as long as I have been working with young people. I’ve always expressed the difficulties that I have at times in regards to expressing myself when it comes to writing. I know that it’s something that I’ve always had a challenge with.”

Some residents agreed.

Greg Robinson said Rodriguez “has been nothing but an upstanding, hardworking person” and a “great asset to Brentwood.”

“He has helped so many youth in our community get through the trials and tribulations and taught them ethics, taught them responsibility and taught them to be upstanding citizens,” he said. “And you guys are berating him by dragging his name through the mud. When what he did is the same thing that I do all the time with my wife. I am not a good writer.”

But resident Antonio Xavier said the alleged violation of city policy is a “big deal.”

“Trust and transparency and public officials form the bedrock of a functional government,” he said. “You’re elected officials and your actions as an elected official represent Brentwood. When it comes to ethics and integrity, your goal should not be to do the bare minimum. Hold yourself to a higher standard. Set an example for the rest of us.”

Councilmember Jovita Mendoza thought the council should take action. “Are we going to choose to follow policy or are we not?” she asked.

“We need to be able to trust each other that these documents that we fill out, are filled out by the individual and are not shared with anyone,” she said. “I think we need to take action so going forward, this never ever happens again.”

The mayor asked outside attorney Tim Davis if Rodriguez’s actions were a violation of the city’s closed session procedures.

“There certainly is an allegation of that,” Davis said. “Putting aside the Brown Act clearly, evaluations are confidential and shouldn’t be discussed. I think that’s clear. … That’s my opinion.”

Councilmember Susannah Meyer said though the sanction discussion was difficult, it had to be done and “timing can’t be part of our discussion.”

“I’d like to mention the sacredness, if you will, of closed sessions, and I would agree that I just would love to tell my husband what happens after the fact, but I don’t.”

Bryant called closed session “sacrosanct.”

“It’s absolutely essential that we are able to be completely transparent and frank with each other,” he said.

Bryant added that the community – and staff – deserve to know that their personal information is protected during discussions.

“Confidentiality is the cornerstone of a closed session,” he said. “And it has to remain so.”

Bryant added that he knew the vice mayor didn’t mean to violate policy, but he believes the matter still needs to be addressed for this and future council members.

The council approved sanctioning the vice mayor on a 3-1-0 vote, with Mayor Joel Bryant dissenting and Rodriguez abstaining. The mayor said he thought admonishment was a better route than sanctioning.