By Kadin Oliva, Reporter
There are advantages and disadvantages to any school district, but many Vashon students students lack understanding of the comparable points between their school and high schools in other districts. The Seattle School District offers many of the same advantages as Vashon and includes some of its own, but both come with their own caveats.
One of the glaring differences between the schools in Vashon is student population. There are 576 students at VHS and a total of 1,014 at West Seattle High School.
Most people’s first thought is that small class sizes are the advantage of this difference, but the student-teacher ratio at both schools is virtually the same, if not a little skewed towards Seattle (21:1 Vashon, 20:1 Seattle). There are simply more classes at West Seattle.
Because of this large student-body difference, the Vashon School District has a clear lack of diversity in its population.
“[Vashon is] not very diverse in people or political views,” VHS freshman Anthony Matthias said.
Minorities make up a mere 23 percent of the student body, which leads to cultural and political homogeny, unlike that at Seattle schools. This creates a cultural bubble that makes it hard for students to experience other points of view.
This small size can also impact students’ social lives.
“Everyone knows everybody, and it’s a small community compared to other schools that are super big and populated,” senior Tyler Barker said. “You actually get to know a lot of people here because it’s so small.”
This is wonderful in terms of developing lasting relationships in aspects of a student’s school life. Vashon students feel a deep sense of community because all of their classmates are familiar faces, if not friends.
One area in which this may not be as much of an advantage is class gossip. Because everyone is known to everyone else, students spend a significant amount of time worrying about their reputation and where rumors might take root.
Conflict can be impossible to avoid when everyone is in the know.
A similar situation arises for students who are looking to fix past mistakes and reinvent themselves for the better, which sometimes necessitates changing the group they hang out with or abandoning bad habits.
While a student could attempt this, it would be difficult for them to change the student body’s perception of them since everyone who has known them as the person they were before has a preconceived notion about the person they are now, not the person they are trying to be.
It’s harder for students to just hit a reset button and change their surroundings like they could at a larger school.
An area where Vashon really shines is in its excellent test scores in all subjects. Eighty-three percent of the student population is proficient in English, compared to the 50 percent average in the rest of Washington, while 61 percent are proficient in math, compared to 30 percent in the rest of the state.
This is due in part to the strong connections teachers are able to make with their students on an individual basis through the strong Vashon community.
While Seattle teachers lack the added benefit of closeness that comes with a small community, they still care deeply about their student’s success.
“All of my teachers have a similar style by getting straight to the point and explaining [the lesson] so everyone can understand, and then they’ll talk to students independently and make sure everybody knows what’s going on,” West Seattle student Oliver Brown said.
Vashon allows students significantly more independence than most other districts. Students are given the freedom to be the power behind their own education and push themselves to their own limits, something other schools often don’t facilitate to the same extent.
It’s why so many students take the ferry each morning.
Although I have raised many comparisons and concerns about Vashon, there never is one solution for a student. It’s best to weigh the positives and the negatives and make decisions from there. It’s fortunate that we live in circumstances where we can choose where we get an education from and I’m grateful for that.