Palo Alto High School
50 Embarcadero Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Palo Alto Senior High School (known locally as Paly) is one of two high schools in Palo Alto. It is a comprehensive public school, currently serving approximately 1,300 students in grades 9-12. Over 90% of graduating seniors go to 2-4 year colleges with close to 80% going directly to 4-year colleges. The proximity of Stanford University, the Silicon Valley business community, and the City of San Francisco have created a socially diverse community with high academic expectations and a strong belief in quality public education. The student body reflects the community's socio-economic status and educational level. The ethnic/racial makeup of our student population is 5% Black, 4% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 2% other, and 78% Caucasian.
Attendance rates are high; The drop out rate is one of the lowest in the state; fewer than 0.5% of the entering sophomores leave school before graduation.
The Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) boasts a membership of over 1,500. More than 17,000 hours of volunteer time have been logged in the following areas: class parents, clerical work, coaching, College Boosters, Thespian Boosters, tutors, etc.
College Prep, a publication of the College Board, recently named the top 23 distinguished public secondary schools in the nation according to a survey of 33 highly selective colleges. The survey named Palo Alto High School and Gunn High School of Palo Alto as two of the five high schools in California perceived to provide outstanding preparation for highly selective college admission.
Academic Excellence:
Palo Alto High School has long had a national reputation for academic excellence. Even in the face of declining national and state norms, SAT and Subject Test scores at Paly have remained consistently high over the past ten years. Students at Palo Alto High School continue to demonstrate exemplary performance on standardized tests (including the Scholastic Aptitude Tests, Advanced Placement Examinations, and CLAS State Testing).
Palo Alto High School continually generates SAT and ACT scores which are above both state and national averages.
Paly High vs. State and National Averages
| Palo Alto High School | State Average | National Average | |
| Average SAT Math | 629 | 504 | 504 |
| Average SAT Verbal | 593 | 487 | 496 |
| Average ACT Math | 26 | 21 | 21 |
| Average ACT Verbal | 25 | 20 | 20 |
| Percent of Students attending 4-year colleges | 80% | 28% | 41% |
| Percent of Students attending junior colleges | 17% | 43% | 24% |
| National Merit Finalists | 25 |
Scores and statistics are from Realtor.com
Palo Alto High School also generates exceptionally high scores on standardized state tests.
Paly High's Scores on California Standardized Tests
| Reading | Math | Language | Science | Social Science | |
| 9th Grade | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 10th Grade | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 11 Grade | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 |
Scores range from 1-99. A score of 99 indicates that the school scored higher than 99 percent of the other public schools in California. Scores are from "McCormack's Guides '99."
School Facilities:
Palo Alto High School, constructed on its present forty-nine acre site in 1918, was the district's first secondary school. During the 1960's a rebuilding effort was undertaken and the existing campus, a combination of old and new, was completed. The present configuration of buildings includes forty-seven regular classrooms, nine special rooms, a media center, a lecture center, an auditorium, two gymnasiums, a weight room, swimming pool, tennis courts, and several athletic fields. A building bond measure in the amount of $143 million was passed by the community in the spring of 1995 to upgrade and modernize all district school facilities.
Learning Environment:
Palo Alto High School continues to strive for a safe environment which is conductive to learning. A recent student survey revealed most student respondents feel safe and comfortable. The district and school policies, published in the Student Handbook, establish student behavior standards.
Other programs which foster a positive school climate include multicultural events, human relations activities, year-round freshman orientation, the Academic Resource Center (ARC), and the Teacher Advisor Program, established to provide every student on campus with an adult liaison.
Copies of the school's disaster plan, including earthquake preparedness, are on file in the main office. Fire/earthquake/disaster drills are held periodically. Multiple staff members are First Aid and CPR certified.
Palo Alto High School's Mission Statement:
"To foster within students the desire to learn,
and to teach skills necessary for students to function
competently in an increasingly complex global society."