Type Public Faculty 11 (on FTE basis) Enrollment 177 (2005-06) Number of students 177 (2005–2006) | Principal Jane Andrew Grades 9 to 12 Website schools.lwsd.org/best Student to teacher ratio 16.1 | |
District Lake Washington School District | ||
B.E.S.T. High School is an alternative high school in the Houghton neighborhood of Kirkland, Washington, operated by the Lake Washington School District. It is called a 'choice' school because enrollment is purely by choice.. It maintains a maximum of 190 students to maintain a high student–teacher ratio.
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Description
The school's name is an acronym for Better Education for Students and Teachers. The school serves students who do not function well in a more conventional school environment. Reasons for enrolling most often revolve around difficulties at another, more traditional high school. These reasons can include discipline issues, addiction, teen pregnancy, learning disabilities/differences, difficulty adjusting socially etc. With a very low student–teacher ratio students are able to get much more one-on-one time.
History
B.E.S.T. High School began in 1967 at the old Collins School site.
In 1999, B.E.S.T. High School moved to its current location after the district opened its new Administrative Resource Center in Redmond Town Center.
On October 8, 2003, BEST was the only school in Washington State to be visited by the USDA's "BAC" Mobile on its nationwide tour with physicians who facilitate all-day workshops and activities to promote food safety.
In 2003, the BEST H.S. science department was recognized with the NSTA / Toyota TAPESTRY Award for Innovation in Science Literacy Education for its all-school “Senate Science Hearing."
In 2006, King County (WA) recognized the BEST H.S. science department with the "Earth Heroes at School" award for a school-wide environmental education project.
As of September 2008, the BEST H.S. has been joined by another school, The Family Learning Center. A former principal, Jane Andrews, cited budget issues and administrative efficiency as the reasons for the merge.
In 2009, AMGEN recognized the BEST H.S. science department, which collaborated with Shoreline Community College and the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, with the "AMGEN Award for Science Teaching Excellence" (AASTE.)
Rock School
BEST is the site of Rock School, a non-profit organization offering training programs for aspiring rock musicians, ages 12 to 21.