Everest Public High School

We couldn’t be happier. Our son is a freshman — having spent his middle school years at a small private school in PA, I can speak with confidence — that Everest more than meets those standards of practice and exceeds those standards of commitment and competence. This is a school populated with faculty and staff who are responsive — engaging and engaged and truly on a path of continuous and conscious improvement. Our son’s ambition to succeed has been ignited at Everest. The program encourages young people to assume responsibility for their own learning — to be provided with guidance and support along the way — to learn how to ask for help and offer it. Would that every school could serve its students this well!

My experience was not as good. The school we were interested in was one that was built on a philosophy that was simply discarded. A whole new way of learning and teaching was embraced and put into action before teachers or staff were properly trained. I found the teachers and administration to be anything but focused.

This school provides an environment that values education and community. It has many of the perks of a private school (e.g. 1:1 college mentoring, small class size, 1:1 technology, AP classes), while being a public school. The focus is on creating students that are both excellent candidates for college and ready to succeed in the college environment. The educational focus and approach are unparalleled… you will not find a more dedicated and enthusiastic staff anywhere. Everest encourages students that think independently, advocate for themselves, are committed to the community and their own education. The educational process is engaging for student. The school depends on a strong community and parent volunteers for support of its educational mission. My son is now in his second year at Everest… I have found them responsive to concerns within the community, willing to address things that are not working and continuously evaluating what is working and what isn’t. It is a fortunate student that attends Everest.

If you are lucky enough to live in the Sequoia High School District and are looking for a private high school school education (minus the country club facilities) with a faculty devoted to getting your child into a four-​year college, you need to consider this school. It is the second in the Summit Charter Schools, and now 5 years old. My son has been there for just one year, but we could not be more satisfied. The quality of the teachers is outstanding, class sizes are small, the care and dedication of the faculty matches and even exceeds what I have found at the private schools our children attended in the area, for both elementary and middle school and even for high school. There are downsides. There is no football field, there is no performing arts center. There is no Olympic sized swimming pool. Instead there are state-​of-​the-​art facilities for classes, and a network of community facilities where students can access the extracurricular activities and elective subjects that are available. This school is not for everyone. If your student is not college-​bound and you as parents are not supportive of him or her being college bound, this is not the school for you. The curriculum is rigorous, and expectations are set high. And they directly address the need not just to get into a college but to succeed there and graduate.
First step, go to the open house. Check their website for the dates.
is their parent organization website. Or you can go to
. It’s a lottery. But you can’t win if you don’t play.