Enrollment rises at LG but remains steady at SHS

The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District, renowned for its top schools and high test scores, is a “prime area” for families looking to enroll their children at some of the nation’s best public schools, SHS principal Paul Robinson said.

And with the growth of housing developments in that part of the district, Los Gatos High School is seeing much larger class sizes, with just over 2,000 students enrolled in the 2017-18 school year, LGHS principal Kristina Grasty said.

On the other hand, Saratoga High School’s enrollment has historically run lower, at around 1,300 to 1,350 students per year.

The number of students currently at Saratoga High includes 320 seniors, 305 juniors, 370 sophomores and 340 freshmen.

Though these class sizes aren’t as high as when the school reached over 1,400 students in 2012, Robinson sees some positives in having a smaller school.

“We’re not so huge that classes are jam-packed, yet we’re still large enough to be able to offer a lot of different things,” Robinson said.

However, recent SHS class sizes are larger than anticipated. For example, the current freshman class has 340 students, but their graduating class at Redwood Middle School had around 280 students. Robinson attributes the difference primarily to enrollees from private middle schools and from overseas who are looking for high-quality public school education.

The freshmen coming to SHS from private schools have been a welcome surprise in recent years and “add so much to the culture of our school,” Robinson said.

Increasing numbers in the current freshman and sophomore classes, compared to the smaller junior and senior classes, likely suggest an increased rate of enrollment in years to come.

Similarly, Los Gatos can also expect growth in enrollment in the coming years, but likely at a much faster pace. Judging by the school’s current student body of 2,037, Robinson estimates Los Gatos will reach more than 2,300 students in coming years.

Grasty attributes Los Gatos’ high enrollment to a combination of factors, including the district's desirable location and LGHS’s extracurricular programs and sports, as well as the inventory  and cost of homes available for sale.

Compared to the $1.96 million median home value in Los Gatos, Saratoga houses are selling for about $1 million more, at around $2.81 million, according to Zillow.

To handle the increase in students, the district is spending money to build 10 new classrooms on the Los Gatos campus.

“We currently have several teachers who share classrooms and move rooms between periods,” Grasty said, “so this added space will be super helpful for our growing student body as we move forward in our planning for the future.”

Alternately, SHS has elected to divert its money into enhancing facilities for groups that have outgrown their longtime spaces, such as the music program and the Media Arts Program.  

“I think a lot of folks recognize that Saratoga High School is a great place to be,” Robinson said. “They do what they can so students can come to this school.”