| Number of Schools Managed |
2 |
7 |
| Number of Students Managed |
3,090 students |
3,960 students |
| District Total Revenue |
$35,917,000 |
$37,604,000 |
| District Expenditure |
$47,010,000 |
$39,520,000 |
| District Revenue / Student |
$11,624 |
$9,496 |
| District Expenditure / Student |
$15,214 |
$9,980 |
| District Graduation Rates |
n/a |
n/a |
|
- Saratoga High School is a high school in Saratoga, California, United States, part of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District. The school is jointly accredited by the California Department of Education and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Student enrollment averages around 1350. According to US News, Saratoga High is ranked #80 amongst public high schools in America based on AP test scores..
- Academics and activities
- Academics
-
Saratoga High is locally known for its rigorous academic program. 98% of graduate go on to college or technical school. In 2005, 98% of the students took the SAT with a mean of 1283. In 2006, 908 AP exams were taken with 89% receiving qualifying scores. 23% of the class of 2007 were semifinalists or commended students in the National Merit Scholarship Program [1]. In 2003, the school's California State Academic Performance Index (API) score was 911, the leading score among all comprehensive public schools in the State of California. The school's 2005 API score was 914 [2], and its 2009 API score was 933. Its long time athletic rival is Los Gatos High School and its academic rivals are Lynbrook High School, Gunn High School and Monta Vista High School. Many of Saratoga's alumni have gone on in droves to UC schools, Ivy League schools and other top schools. It is common for students to apply to Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Harvard University, MIT and UCLA.
- Journalism
-
The school's nationally ranked student newspaper The Saratoga Falcon is published approximately bi-monthly by two staff groups led by journalism adviser Michael Tyler. In 2009, The Falcon received its first ever Gold Crown awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, one for its print edition, and another for its online publication.The yearbook program, also advised by Michael Tyler, publishes a yearbook each year named the Talisman.
- Music Department
-
Saratoga High School is well known for its award-winning and accomplished Music Department. The Music Department is under the supervision of department chair Michael Boitz, who directs the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra, and the Saratoga Strings. Other faculty members include Jim Yowell, choir director, Duane Otani, new director of the Symphonic Band, and administrative assistant, Janet Verson.
- The Saratoga High School Music Department travels to world events every three years. In 2006, the band, choir, and orchestra went to Australia to perform in the Sydney Opera House. The tour band premiered "The Sails of Time" by David Gillingham. Past events include performing in Europe (2003) and Hawaii (2000).
- Marching Band
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The Saratoga High School marching band currently has 220+ members, and recently competed in the Western Band Association (WBA) Championships in 2006 and advanced into finals competition for the first time where they placed in State.
- In 2007, the marching band purchased new uniforms, breaking the 20 year tradition of its previous uniform. The new uniforms are in the color red, white, and black, replacing the colors of the venerated 20 year old uniforms, which were red and cream.
- Past Field Shows:
- Chess Team
-
At the 2005 National Grade Level Chess Championships in Houston, the 9th graders were national champions and the 10th graders took second [3]. At the 2006 National High School Chess Championships in Milwaukee, the school chess team placed 3rd out of more than 50 teams from across the nation.
- Sports and Athletics
-
The golf team has won six league titles in the last seven years, and is currently on a five-year winning streak. The boys tennis team won the league title in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008. The badminton team held the league title for three consecutive years, from 2003 to 2005.
- The cross country team has seen success in its past in both the women's and men's teams. With state champions William Kraemer and Alicia Follmar
- Because of neighbor complaints, American football lights have been slow to come to Saratoga High's football field until recently. In the past, the team has had to play at Los Gatos High School. In April 2006, the Trustees of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District approved permanent lights for the football field [4]. The lights were first used in the Fall of 2006. In 2007, the Falcon football team took another El Camino Division Title and advanced to the CCS semifinals, losing to Live Oak High School by a score of 17-14. Saratoga High is always optimistic about victory over Los Gatos football, one day perhaps they will beat them. But alas they lost in 2008 by a single field goal, the closest game in years between the two schools. They lost 10-7, quite an improvement since they lost 48-21 at the hands of the Wildcats in 2007.
- McAfee Performing Arts and Lecture Center
-
The McAfee Performing Arts and Lecture Center, a community facility, was recently completed on the campus. It was originally planned for the early 1960s but construction was postponed and the funds used for sesmic upgrades to the Los Gatos campus. Public and private funds were raised 40 years later and it was scheduled to open in early-2004, but budget and construction delays pushed the completion date back to August, 2005. The center is named after Saratoga residents Eric and Marguerite McAfee, who donated $1 million towards its construction. The lecture center is now being operated by Adrian Stapleton, a stage tech director. [5]
- Scandals
-
On May 9, 1997, a junior revealed to her peers the essay questions of an Advanced Placement examination before it was given that day. The student received the information from a contact in Singapore who had taken the test at an earlier time. When news of the leak later reached the Educational Testing Service, they gave students the options of (a) retaking the test, (b) cancelling their submission for a refund, or (c) receiving a score with only the multiple choice graded.
- In January 2004, a comprehensive cheating scandal was discovered. The matter received national news coverage due to the extensive and technically advanced cheating methods employed, such as using a keylogger to steal teachers' passwords and change grades. While only a small number of students were involved in the scandal, the school has since been subjected to negative press concerning its competitive atmosphere. Eight students involved were suspended.
- Notable alumni
- Steven Spielberg - 1965
- Lance Guest - 1978 - Actor best known for his role as Alex Rogan in 1984's "The Last Starfighter"
- Ed Solomon - 1978 - Actor, Director, Writer and Producer
- Bill Haselman - 1984 - Major League Baseball player
- Mark Arnold - 1984 - self-published author
- Carrie Steinseifer - 1986 - Gold Medal in swimming - 100 meter freestyle at 1984 Olympics
- Stephanie Elam - 1990 - CNN business news correspondent for Headline News and CNN International
- Vienna Teng - 1996 - popular singer-songwriter
- Patricia Miranda - 1997 - Bronze medalist in wrestling in the summer 2004 Olympics
- Principals
- Vernon Trimble (1959-1971)
- Donald Brand (1971-1980)
- Tod Likins (1980-1990)
- Patricia Dickson (1990-1993)
- Kevin Skelly (1993-2004)
- Bill Richter (interim) (2004-2005)
- Harry Bettencourt (interim) (2005)
- Jeff Anderson (2005-)
- Assistant Principals
- Gerald Zapelli (1959-1976)
- Henry Rogalsky (1980-1990)
- Jerry McClosky (1990-1996)
- Karen Hyde (1977-)
- John Martin Nichols (2000-2002)
- Dan Fowler (2002-2003)
- Brian Safine (2003-2005, 2008-)
- Gail Wasserman (2004-2008)
- Markus Autrey (2005-2006)
- Joe Bosco (2006-)
- Notes
- External links
- Saratoga High School
- Saratoga High Test Scores / College Acceptance Statistics, pages 8-10
- Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District
- The Saratoga Falcon, The Official Student Newspaper
- Saratoga Falcons, The Official Student Athletic Website
- Saratoga Robotics, The Official Website for the Saratoga High School Robotics Team
- Saratoga Music Boosters, The Official Website for the Saratoga Music Boosters
- Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.
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