Few schools provide an equitable environment for female and minority students. This paper examined the culture of a high school as it was perceived and experienced by female, at-risk students in grades 9-12. Interviews were conducted with 11 female at-risk students at a high school in the greater New York metropolitan area, their parents, teachers, administrators, and support staff. Data were gathered from school-profile data, focus group interviews, individual interviews, and shadowing. The case study was based on the theoretical framework of Popkewitz, Tabachnick, and Wehlage (1982), which identified school cultures as technical (in which techniques become the ends of school activity rather than the means), illusory (in which activities and purposes seem unrelated), and constructivist (in which collaborative authority and knowledge dominate). Findings show that the culture of the school was illusory and in some instances, technical. The female students identified a few caring faculty members who served as supportive links; however, the at-risk students were not engaged. Racism, sharp boundaries between the school and community (which conflicted with the school's stated objective of community involvement), and faculty expectations of student failure all contributed to the students' sense of alienation. Recommendations are offered for creating a collaborative, caring environment. Four tables are included. (Contains 14 references.) (LMI)