East Palo Alto has a new public high school campus in its borders: on Aug. 28, East Palo Alto Academy, a charter high school that is part of Sequoia Union High School District, officially opened on Myrtle Street with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and public reception.
The school, which serves grades 9-12, had previously been located on Pope Street in East Menlo Park and moved to the new location earlier this summer.
The campus, owned and developed by SUHSD, includes nearly two dozen classrooms, a library, multipurpose room, administrative offices and outside recreation space. The site can accommodate up to 400 students.
Founded in 2001, the charter high school has had a long partnership with the Stanford Graduate School of Education. EPAA draws on Stanford’s expertise and services in education, youth development and mental health, and Stanford students and researchers work with EPAA teachers and leadership.
EPAA had its tenth graduating class in June, and applications and acceptances to four-year colleges hit an all-time high. The class of 2014 includes the first EPAA graduate to be admitted to Stanford’s undergraduate program; Blanca Diaz matriculates to the university this fall. According to the school's year-end report for 2013-14, there were 52 four-year colleges and universities that sent acceptance letters to EPAA students, and all 57 of its seniors received diplomas.
The new campus opens almost 30 years after SUHSD, which serves high schools students in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Redwood City and other parts of southern San Mateo County, closed Ravenswood High School, which had been the main high school for the community.
Stanford GSE Dean Deborah Stipek was on hand to help cut the ribbon at the August celebration, and Stanford Professor of Education Linda Darling-Hammond spoke about the history of the school and its learning philosophy. James Lianides, SUHSD superintendent, praised the partnership between Stanford and EPAA. New EPAA principal Morgan Marchbanks, a former assistant SUHSD superintendent and graduate of the Stanford Teacher Education Program, opened the program by reading comments from students, faculty and staff describing what it means to have a school back in their neighborhood.
"Kids are academically engaged in the community where they live," said one staff member. "There is a new sense of ownership and pride in our school."
For more about the event, see video and photo highlights. To learn more about the school, please visit its website: http://www.epaahs.org/
© Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305.
