Northgate High School

Northgate High School (NHS) is a Walnut Creek, California, United States, public high school located in the suburban Northgate neighborhood. Established in 1974, the most recent of five high schools in the Mount Diablo Unified School District, the school is home to approximately 1,500 students from grades 9-12 from Walnut Creek and Concord, California. Its name derives from its location at Mount Diablo State Park’s north entrance.

To alleviate pressure on nearby Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord, Northgate High School opened in 1974. Students were phased in gradually; in 1976, the school graduated its first class. The last high school to be constructed in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District was Northgate.

The school held a debate on Proposition 6 in September 1978, a state proposition that would have made it mandatory for school boards to publicly fire gay and lesbian teachers. The debate was between the author of the plan, John Briggs, and Harvey Milk, the San Francisco supervisor. Before he was killed, it was the last debate in which Milk participated.

In 2007, a distinguished school was called Northgate High School. 60 licensed teachers are hired by the school. 21 Advanced Placement courses in the fields of science, mathematics, English, foreign languages, social sciences and art are offered. Around 97 percent of graduates attend colleges and universities for four years or two years. In 2010–2011, the school had a 94 percent graduation rate.

Northgate does not have any formal academies, unlike some other schools in the Mt. Diablo area. For freshmen, however, it provides a “pathway” from Global Perspectives. Three “threaded” classes (English 1, World History, and Art Design) are taken by a set framework of students that create ties between the content in all three. Project-based learning is structured to reinforce the concepts taught in the classes.

The course catalog also includes several collections of suggested courses for students with a special interest, although these are not collaboratively planned; they include sequences in communications, environmental studies, animation, and engineering. During the fall, every senior must participate in a Mock Congress and at the end of the school year must present a Senior Project.

This place has been a school since 1974, known for its capacity to celebrate its scholarly, athletic and artistic accomplishments. Their academic excellence is backed by an excellent faculty whose work and loyalty to their students constantly inspires us. This professional dedication extends to our athletic programs, where over two-thirds of our students have discovered how valuable participation can be in the competitive arena. Among those students whose creative expression is continually shared both within and outside of our culture, this same excitement is also seen. Most notably, maybe, their students are actively interested in making the planet a better place for all of us. It’s easy to see how the goal of Northgate to promote the development of happy, balanced and creative people turns a great child into great adults when you bring these qualities together. Their task is to ensure that this continues by maintaining our attention on a clear vision, which remains a straightforward one: success for all students and for them.