Hi! Ronda is a beautiful city, I have only spent a day there but I think it is the perfect spot for a high school student to study. You are not going to have the large amounts of american study abroad students you might find in other cities like Salamanca, and its small enough that you should be able to find your way around and meet people without too much trouble. I studied abroad in Granada and Bilbao in college....it was the best thing I have ever done!! I think that its really neat that you will have that opportunity as a high school student!!!!! Obviously college and high school are 2 different things but here his my 2 cents for what its worth
-1st, I think its great you are living with a host family!! I did that both times I studied abroad...the 1st time I got a WONDERFUL family, really felt like a part of it, and have kept in close touch with them, we have even visited eachother since then. It was just a perfect fit. the 2nd time I wasnt so lucky, the family I had was doing it just for the money and it was pretty much like living in a hostel, and we didnt get along so great, I felt very uncomfortable with things that went on in the house, and in sum it was a bad situation. That said, I really should have requested to change families 2 weeks into that when I knew I was uncomfortable....i didnt however thinking that it would get better, or that i was just being too picky. So. My host family advice: it can be wonderful...or not so wonderful. Whatever the case if you are unhappy, PLEASE, dont be afraid to change families and get someplace you are happy with...give it two weeks and if its not working change!!!
-As far as going to high school. I'm not all that familiar with high schools in Spain, but if you do a search on this board I think you will find lots of good info. My experience with taking classes at the University level was that it is very different than in the USA. A quick sum of the differences: you have to take tests in ink, not pencil... the profs pretty much just straight lecture, you take notes, and then take one final exam at the end and thats your grade...there really isnt the campus environment you find at big US universities....most people are still living at home... it took some getting used to having all my classes in my 2nd language and being the only american in my classes. Sometimes it felt as if the prof was singling me out in certain classes (ie international relations...i was there during the Iraq war).
You will probably meet people through the high school.... but if thats not working, find some other community group to join up with, or volunteer to tutor English or something, there are lots of ways to meet people...i started taking flamenco dance at a local academy and thats where i met most of my friends.
Sorry this post got so long! In sum, just relax and enjoy the experience....it will all be worth any hard times you encounter. Stay away from other americans and hang out with Spaniards...dont be afraid of mistakes with the languge....that is afterall why you are there!
Good Luck!
Kelly