Back-to-School Spotlight: Carlmont High School
Well, I wish I could write about my own local high school, San Carlos High, but alas, it is history. Closed during a decline in student population and sold to a developer without the foresight to know that baby boomers were having enough children to fill it not long after. Huge homes on smallish lots occupy the space. Thankfully there are still the tennis courts, and the playing fields. Ah, but enough bitter sentiment. Our spotlight today is on , located on 42 acres at the border of San Carlos and Belmont and part of the Sequoia Union High School District. Built in the 1960s, the original structures resembled a prison. Funding during the ’90s helped change that, with the new buildings constructed in front of the institutional façade and improving the looks for the better.
Interestingly enough, several of the “major achievements” touted on the website left me feeling empty: (1) They are a California Distinguished School, but in my opinion, the state hands those designations out like candy and are worthless a year after the award is granted, due to changing students, staff and curriculum; (2) They note that they have high-achieving students, but the stats they offer appear to say otherwise, with only 900 of 1900 students having a GPA over 3.0. However, they have steadily improved their Academic Performance Index (API) rankings, starting with a 7 in 2003-4, increasing to an 8 in 2004-5, and achieving a 9 in 2005-6. SAT Tests also show improvement during those 3 years, with the 2006 averages being 546 for Verbal, 571 for Math, and 541 for Written. Their dropout rate is less than 1%, a third of the district and state averages, and the population is fairly diverse, with 45% of the students being classified as non-White. Carlmont High, the home of the Scots, also has a well-regarded and successful sports program. During the 2006-7 school year they walked away with 10 team championships, as well as 3 State Academic Team Championships and their softball coach, Jim Liggett, is the winningest coach in all of the U.S.
Oh, and don’t forget, Carlmont is the home of the annual Millard Fillmore Trivia Hunt (held in February for the last 39 years)!
