Palisades Charter High School
Description and History of the School
“PCHS is an independent comprehensive four-year high school chartered by the LAUSD. Opened in 1961, the 30-acre campus is in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles, at the western edge of the city. Designed in the 1950s, the School’s ten main buildings and supplemental bungalows surround an attractively landscaped common. A seismic upgrade maintains the sense of openness in the original site plan. PCHS continues to improve the physical environment of the school through encouragement and support of the plant manager’s staff, immediate removal of graffiti and safety hazards, promotion of campus beautification projects, frequent assessment of campus conditions by the administration and plant manager, and preparation of staff and pupils for emergencies, in compliance with the school’s annual Integrated Safe School Plan.
Since its conversion to independent charter status, PCHS has embarked on a program of facility improvements. The football stadium has been upgraded to an all-weather facility with artificial turf and a synthetic track, and PCHS is in the process of adding an aquatic The School is developing a facilities master plan and a capital campaign strategy. Proposals have focused on the addition and modernization of classrooms, the repurposing of existing space, and the addition of a visual and performing arts center.
Upon its opening in 1961, the school served the communities of Pacific Palisades, Topanga, and Brentwood. Today PCHS has a diverse student body. As of fall, 2008, the school was serving 2,731 pupils from approximately 115 ZIP codes across greater Los Angeles, with nearly half transported by bus. Forty-six-point-nine percent of the pupil body were Caucasian; 24.4 percent Hispanic/Latino; 18.3 percent African American; 8.6 percent Asian; 0.9 percent Filipino; and 1 percent Native American, Native Alaskan, or Pacific Islander. A large percentage of pupils speak languages other than English in their homes, including Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Farsi, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish. Of the school’s student body, 3.8 percent are English Learners (EL) and 28 percent qualify for the free or reduced-price meal program. Gifted and talented (GATE) pupils constitute 33.35 percent of the student body, and Special Education pupils constitute approximately 8 percent. This vibrant and heterogeneous mix of pupils, reflecting the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the greater Los Angeles community, remains a source of the School’s strength, as well as an impetus for innovation. PCHS also has a diverse faculty and staff. All teachers in core subject areas are highly qualified per current law and per the requirements of No Child Left Behind. As an independent charter school, PCHS has been able to hire additional certificated staff beyond LAUSD’s norm table. The School’s other certificated faculty members include a full-time Librarian; seven full-time counselors, a part-time College Counselor; a full-time School Psychologist; a full-time Work Experience Coordinator/Career Advisor; a full 296 time Data Analysis position; two Deans; a Magnet Coordinator; and a school Nurse. The school administration consists of an Executive Director; an academic Principal; a Director of Instruction; a Director of Counseling Services; and a Director of Student Services. In other administrative positions, PCHS employs a Chief Business Officer; Human Resources Director; an Athletic Director; a Director of Special Education; and an Operations Manager. Independent charter status enables PCHS to staff according to pupil needs.
In 2005, PCHS was the recipient of a California Distinguished School Award. In 2006, PCHS received a six-year WASC accreditation with a revisit scheduled for spring, 2009. PCHS has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top 1,000 of “America’s Best High Schools.”
Mission
The mission of Palisades Charter High School (PCHS) is to educate its diverse pupils by developing their skills and talents to help each of them make a positive contribution to the global society.
Vision
PCHS envisions itself as a national model of a rigorous college-preparatory educational program serving a diverse student population. Through shared responsibility, a student centered curricular and co-curricular program, a standards-based and -aligned curriculum, inclusive classes, and an extensive use of technology, the overarching goal is to create a highly enriched comprehensive secondary school. PCHS will educate all pupils to reach their intellectual, physical, psychological, and social potential in a safe, cooperative, and supportive environment. The educational program will prepare PCHS graduates for admission to four-year colleges, institutions of higher learning, and post-secondary career fields.
