[citation needed] Portola's campus is located on land formerly occupied by the Irvine Ranch and Marine Corps Air Station El Toro.

Many spaces have multiple uses; the cost savings allowed for the construction of a theater, a multipurpose stadium, and an aquatics center in the first phase rather than in a later expansion.

[citation needed] The Learning Commons functions as the school library, containing databases that students can use for research, multimedia resources including two TVs, and also provides a study space.

[7] The 720-seat theater holds an advanced audio-visual setup with wireless audio, manual and automatic lighting, an orchestra pit, and a full stage.

[citation needed] Under normal circumstances, the school uses an eight-period, alternating block schedule with one day in which students meet in all courses for a short period of time.

Additionally, there are numerous Regional Occupational Programs (ROP) offered in which students can take courses specializing in medicine, medical careers, video production, computer graphics, and engineering.

In 2023, the Pride of Portola competed in Division 4A of the California State Band Championship (CSBC) and finished 11th place overall.

Portola High School's athletic teams, known as the Bulldogs, compete in the California Interscholastic Federation/Southern Section.

Portola participates in the following sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, gridiron football, golf, lacrosse, pep squad, soccer, softball, swimming/diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling.

During the 2020–2021 school year, Portola decided to get rid of the house system and establish traditional grade level competitions in which students were split into Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.

The goal of the insurance is to "ease concerns about damage to devices and continue to support a sustainable take-home program for our schools".