More relevant would be the class of 2014's graduation rate percentage. Past years averaged about 70%. Not exactly something to be proud of.

Instead of the $250 million facilities bond just passed the future of our children would be better served by programs to ensure proper education in grades K-9 to ensure they have a better chance of a successful high school experience and graduation.

whatever:

you can lay the blame for the 30% that don't graduate at the feet of their parents. Usually those that don't graduate come from homes that don't value education or the parents are too busy working to make sure their children actually attend school and actually do their homework. More money isn't going to fix that problem. I could be mistaken, but I don't think the graduation rate has changed in a very long time.

Congratulations Woodside High Sshool Class of 2014!

and before anyone whines about my typo, please remember I did NOT graduate from Woodside :-)

It will be lovely to see some positive news about Woodside High School in the Almanac. Looking forward to the photos and graduate names. Congratulations to the students, parents, care givers, teachers and administration. It takes a village!

Dear Menlo Park "whatever":
This is not the time or place for your uninformed complaints. This is a time to celebrate all the kids who worked hard for their diploma - whether it's 100%, 70%, or 30%. If you were at WHS for the past 4 years or any of the Awards Nights ceremonies, or any of the graduation ceremonies, you'd be proud of what they have accomplished and what you have contributed to in the form of bond measures and taxes instead of finding something to complain about it. Please inform yourself before you besmirch the accomplishments of these wonderful kids.

When it comes to the public schools themselves (taking your taxes and bond monies), they also take all comers. They don’t limit access to only the wealthy or only the bright or only those with no learning disabilities. While some private schools do accept *some* students who aren’t bright or wealthy or have learning disabilities, they certainly don’t accept any kids with all three - as they wouldn’t want to damage their reputation for high graduation rates, top-tiered collage acceptance rates, or high GPAs. Public schools aren’t competing with private schools, they’re just trying to do the best they can to educate all kids who walk onto campus.

I’m more proud of all the kids who graduated at WHS and are going off to Community College than I am of any private school student going to Harvard. And I’m more grateful to every public school that is committed to educating all children than I am of privileged folks who complain about public schools without understand how valuable they really are.

Well said and very refreshing, Ms. Wright.

"Whatever", that was a silly post. Please come to Woodside and read the glass walls where so many of our graduates posted their college name. My children transferred to Woodside High School from St. Francis. I, like you, did not trust Woodside because of uninformed editorials. I have to say that these were the best years. The community at Woodside is like a family where all who want to succeed are welcome, just ask Nicole Adler...but I am betting you haven't read her story or heard about her governor's award. There is a percentage of children that don't graduate, of course, it is public and as one person commented above not all families value education. There is a very large number who do, and most are going off to college, even Ivy League. I was like you once....uninformed.

Dear "Whatever" and "Menlo Voter"
I would like to give you a better understanding of the how the graduation rate is calculated. I imagine you are quoting the 70% graduation rate from the film "Waiting for Superman." What the film does not account for is the number of students who are originally assigned by the Sequoia Union District to attend Woodside but, for a variety of reasons, they never actually attended that school. In some cases the students transfer to other schools within the district, others attend private school and some move out of the area entirely. For the past 10+ years approximately 24.6 percent, moved out of state or enrolled in another public/private school. Therefore, the actual tally of Freshman who show up on the first day of school is much lower than the original roster that the district anticipated. The verified graduation rate for the Class of 2007, which was the year the film focused on, was a healthy 96.4 percent (compared to a state graduation rate of 80.6 percent for that same year.) The real number you might be interested in reading is that Woodside’s four-year derived dropout rate for 2007 was 2.8 percent, compared to a state four-year derived dropout rate of 16.8 percent. It is a common misconception that this attrition is due solely to students dropping out when it is, in reality, students who never attended the school in the first place.

Woodside High School has been awarded a CA Similar School Ranking of "10” for the past two consecutive years.

Thank you Nancy. That is information I was not aware of.