Note from Founder
Since 1984, Palo Alto Preparatory School has been working with the students that traditional schools didn’t have answers for. Many of our first graduates were neurodivergent and they were struggling in learning environments that couldn’t meet their needs. Some of them were engaged in dangerous behaviors. None of them thought they could possibly belong.
We got to know the kids who were left behind. We built a system based on relationships, opportunities, and world-class off-campus adventures. We got away from the drudgery and judgment of old-fashioned academics while at the same time providing an A-G approved high school diploma. Our students deserved the same chance at a life after graduation as everyone else. We did what it took for them because no one else could and we cared.
Forty years in, we have seen a lot of change. Students now face challenges that overwhelm and exhaust traditional educators and administrators. Maybe your kid is suffering from academic and social delays caused by the pandemic, frustration navigating school bureaucracy with their IEP, and questions about their identity that require safety to explore.
We change too. We do what the big schools can’t. With small class sizes and weekly strategy meetings, our staff knows your kid. We find the right challenges and offer the right supports. We celebrate when they succeed and we notice when they struggle. We walk with them and work with them through every barrier that rises up through high school – not just the homework.
We select our staff by their ability to understand and engage with our students. We pick our trips and electives by what we’ve seen change lives. Our students grow when they are provided with fitting accommodations and when they are held to daring expectations. We know how to change the game, we know how to hold the line, and we have 40 years of institutional wisdom to tell us what’s right this time. We have created an environment where it is safe to try, safe to fail, and safe to be yourself.
We continue every year to adapt. We listen to our students and their parents. We integrate what we knew from decades of knowledge to what we are learning right now about how different learners can be successful.
And you know what? It works.
Our students have gone off to 4-year universities across the country and overseas. They have become lawyers, pilots, professional photographers, SCUBA welders, film writers, graphic designers, ski instructors, and stylists. They have earned their PhD in psychology, Aeronautics, or gone on to pursue their passion for Culinary Arts.
We are small, flexible, guided by experience, and fueled by love. Every incoming student seems wonderfully familiar while at the same time like a new and curious challenge. When it comes to your kid, we do what it takes.
There’s no school that is a perfect fit for every student. But if any part of this note resonates with you, we could be the right school for yours. Come visit us, have your kid spend the day shadowing one of our students, and give them the chance to find out if PAP feels right for them.
Call us at 650-493-7071 today. We’re looking forward to meeting you and your one-of-a-kind kid.
Chris Keck, Executive Director & Founder
Call: (650) 493-7071
Changing Lives, Redefining Education
“Our son started at Palo Alto Prep in 9th grade and is currently a senior there. It was a game-changer for him.”
The small class sizes, the emphasis on social emotional learning, frequent field trips to complement academics, and individualized learning plans made sure he excelled. The dedication of the teachers and the staff sets the school apart. The teachers are not only competent and empowered to try new and different approaches/curriculum, but go out of their way to develop relationships and trust with the students.
My son felt very supported throughout the school and learned the important life skills of self advocacy, collaboration, confidence, and time management. He is now applying to colleges and PAP and helped him every step of the way. Most of all, I can honestly say he looks forward to going to school every day!”