Novato High, home of the Hornets, has served central, eastern and southern Novato families since 1957–three years before the city incorporated. It is situated in a neighborhood about 1 ½ miles south of the downtown area known as The Presidentials, where almost every street is named after a U.S. President.

About 1,300 students attend the school, including those associated with the Marin School of the Arts, an academy within the public school environment. The school is also the site of an award-winning countywide Air Force Junior ROTC program which provides a curriculum on leadership, aerospace and science. Funding from the school district has been dwindling for ROTC, and an influx of support from the community has saved the program.

The school has 56 classrooms, three computer labs, two gyms, a multipurpose room/cafeteria, a library and a staff lounge. Facilities have been upgraded in the past few years thanks to a facility bond.

Novato, led by Principal Rey Mayoral, rated a 789 on the 2009-2010 Academic Performance Index. The state has set 800 as the target score for all schools. The school, which has a graduation rate of 95 percent, offers more than a dozen advanced placement courses.

Novato's student population is 52.9 percent white, 28.7 percent Hispanic, 8.9 percent Asian American and 6.0 percent black. Fifteen percent of Novato High's families are categorized as socioeconomically challenged by the Novato Unified School District. The district average for the secondary schools is 33 percent socioeconomically challenged students per school.

The education level of parents of Novato High students is on par with other secondary schools in the city. The average is 53 percent college graduates, and Novato's figure is 54 percent. The median household income in the 94947 ZIP code is approximately $69,000.

Hornet sports teams compete in the Marin County Athletic League. The school colors are black and yellow.