About
This School
Laguna Continuation High School serves students in the
West Sonoma County Union High School District (WSCUHSD) and is located in
Sebastopol, California in Western Sonoma County. Western Sonoma County stretches from Sebastopol to Fort Ross
and from Santa Rosa to the Coast.
The major town in the community is Sebastopol with a population of approximately
8,000. Several smaller towns
stretch along the Russian River from Forestville to Jenner at the mouth of
the River. The community is
socially, culturally, and economically diverse. Residents in the Sebastopol/Santa Rosa areas tend to have above
average income and work in professional or technical jobs and in
agriculture. However, there is a
high percentage of low income and poverty in the area, especially in the
Russian River communities. The area
is primarily rural, with agricultural being a major industry. It is rapidly changing from an
apple-growing region to grapes and wine production. An increasing number of farm workers
have settled in the area to work the vineyards. This has resulted in a significant increase in the Hispanic
population. Politically, families
span the range from conservative to those who practice alternative life
styles.
The District
Laguna High School is part of the West Sonoma County
Union High School District. The
District consists of two comprehensive high schools, Analy and El Molino,
as well as several small alternative instructional programs : Russian River
Ramparts (independent study); Nuevo Leon (small necessary school); and an
Independent Study Program at Analy.
The combined student population of all these schools is
approximately 2300. Ten elementary
school districts send students to WSCUHSD.
Students in WSCUHSD consistently score above the state and national
average on standardized tests.
Families from the surrounding districts regularly enroll their
children in this District. WSCUHSD
has a net gain of approximately two hundred students enrolling from outside
the District over local students who seek education elsewhere.
The School
Laguna is located in Sebastopol, California, which is
approximately 60 miles north of San Francisco, and twelve miles west of
Santa Rosa. It is housed in an
attractive, state-of-the art facility, which was completed in 1996. Its student population varies between 95
and 110 students. The current ethnic make-up is: African-American--2%;
American-Indian--1%; White, not Hispanic--67%; Hispanic--19%;
Other--11%. While the student
population in the District is generally stable, Laguna High School’s
families are often lower-middle income, and tend to move regularly. Last
year 163 students passed through Laguna and 163 the
previous year as well. The graduation requirements for Laguna match the comprehensive
high schools’ and are among the highest in the State; i.e. 230
credits. Our students have a number
of means by which they can complete their education: graduation from one of
the three district high schools; passing the General Education Diploma or
the California High School Exit Exam; or entering the local junior college
or Lewis Adult School. Students
often come to Laguna deficient in graduation credits. We offer a number of options for making
up credits: taking courses at the Junior College; Work Experience and
Workability; community service; credit make-up at home or after school;
Regional Occupation Program (ROP) courses; and independent study. Laguna emphasizes transitioning to both
higher education and the world of work.
This is implemented through a Career Education class, Workability
for the special education students, Work Experience for Juniors and
Seniors, guest speakers, workshops; career counseling by the guidance
counselor, the principal, the career technician; and a focus on career/life
planning in the classroom. Along
with an excellent academic program, Laguna has an active student
government, an athletic program, an Interact Club, a community service
program, a literary magazine club, a yearbook, and a FARMS Leadership
program. Laguna is a four-time
recipient of the Model Continuation High School Award. The School Board is committed to
providing quality education to the Laguna students, budgeting nearly 50%
more to the school than the State of California allocates for the
school. For additional information
go to our website at lagunahs.org.
The School Day
The school day begins at 7:50. Students go to three classes, followed
by a snack break that includes free brunch for those on the Free and
Reduced Lunch Program (also lunch at 12:30). Snack is followed by a 20 minute Silent Sustained Reading
class in which the entire school (including teachers) reads novels of
choice. This is followed by three
more classes, resulting in a six and a half period day. School ends at 12:30. Many students go on to jobs, to the
junior college, or to Regional Occupation Program (ROP) classes on the
Analy High School campus. We have
an agreement with Analy in which students can also take electives there
during the day if room allows. The
staff meets a minimum of once a week for an hour and forty-five minutes to
do an on-going evaluation of the effectiveness of the total program and to
review student progress. The staff
eats lunch together daily and informally performs the same ongoing review
of our program.
The Laguna Staff
Laguna has a highly dedicated and cohesive staff,
committed to the well-being of each student. Very low staff turnover attests to this commitment. Two staff members have been here over
thirty years. Four others began
their career here and have chosen to stay.
Recent changes in personnel at Laguna have had a positive effect on
establishing a project-based curriculum consistent with state
standards. We have a science
teacher who has a hands-on curriculum, complete with lab activities. We have an industrial arts teacher who
offers a practical construction course for students seeking more elective
choices. The principal is a
previous special education teacher at Laguna and returned after many years’
absence to once again participate in the staff’s, Board’s, and community’s
commitment to students. The staff
includes: 6.5 classroom teachers; a full-time special education teacher; a
full-time counselor; a full-time principal; two .20 counseling therapists;
a .40 drug and alcohol counselor; a secretary; a .75 attendance clerk; a
full-time special education aide; a .20 Career Center Tech; and a .6
custodian. Our diversified staff is
able to offer students a variety of opportunities to learn about themselves
and the world around them. Teachers
share a common planning time. It is
during this time that we meet to plan, discuss and evaluate the
effectiveness of the program. The
staff, individually and collectively, has a strong loyalty and commitment
to the school and students.
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