This letter was published in the Jan. 3 edition of the Almanac.

Editor:

I have two children in high school, one at Menlo-Atherton and one at Summit.

Both are happy and thriving at their respective schools. But if you compare my two children's classes in terms of minority students, there is a huge difference. At M-A, my daughter is one of only a few Hispanics in her AP/AS classes. At Summit, my son's classes have a much larger percentage of Hispanic students.

Why? Because at Summit, all students no matter their background are on the same track. They all take the same coursework.

We all want the best for all the students in our district. It seems to me there may be many ways to reach that goal. Summit has one method that is hugely successful for certain students, especially students who might not get into the AP/AS track at the comprehensive high schools. At a cost of $6,200 per student (versus over $10,000 for an M-A student), Summit would seem to be a bargain for the district.

Instead of trying to tinker with what works at Summit or fight its charter, it would seem to me the district should be proud to have such a successful school under its umbrella.

Joan Westley

Hedge Road, Menlo Park