Palisades High offers customized learning for students
When MariCruz Perez was offered the chance to return to Calistoga Junior/Senior High School after catching up on credits, she turned it down. She preferred to remain at Palisades, Calistoga’s alternative high school.
“We get more attention here,” she said. “And since there’s not a lot of students, I feel we all get the support we need.”
Perez is one of six students enrolled at Palisades High School, a continuation program that offers a flexible, personalized alternative to traditional high school. The alternative high school within the Calistoga Joint Unified School District is not a “one size fits all” model but offers students options to have individualized curriculums or class lessons that they can follow at their own pace.
Tucked next to the Monhoff Center at 1507 Grant Street, Palisades offers students a chance to graduate with 210 credits instead of the 250 required at the main high school. It isn’t A-G certified, meaning graduates can’t apply directly to four-year universities but they can attend community college and transfer later.
The school’s credit recovery program allows students to retake courses they may not have completed or previously failed.
“Basically, it’s an alternative path to get your high school diploma,” said Melissa Ponchene Davis, the school’s only teacher, who has led the program for six years.
The structure at Palisades is intentionally different: smaller class sizes, no switching between classrooms, and a daily start time of 9 a.m. Students stay until 2:30 p.m., engaging in a hands-on, flexible curriculum tailored to their individual learning pace.
“I can use one rubric to grade their choice of an essay or presentation (or) video documentary, and the list goes on,” Ponchene Davis said. “This supports creativity and allows students to show me what they have learned.”
Each day begins with check-in questions to help Ponchene Davis gauge how students are feeling – emotionally and academically. Current events are often part of the conversation, helping students stay informed and connected to the world around them.
“I don’t even think of this as a job. It’s a career. It’s a passion,” Ponchene Davis said. “Our society is really good at pushing students toward four-year universities, but that path isn’t right for everyone.”
At Palisades, students also build real-world skills like resume writing, holding eye contact and professional etiquette. Local guest speakers, including business owners and city staff, share their experiences, reinforcing that success can take many forms.
“They will be just as successful as anybody else that goes to a four-year university,” Ponchene Davis said of students who choose paths like cosmetology, mechanics or welding.
Superintendent Audra Pittman explained that Calistoga is a community-funded district, which allows for small class sizes and gives Ponchene Davis the flexibility to deliver the curriculum in a way that best fits her students.
“Alternative education wouldn’t work with 30 kids in a classroom,” Pittman said. “This program is very successful.”
Despite initial skepticism from some parents who associate continuation schools with behavioral issues, Palisades has a 99% graduation rate. Students also have access to mental health specialists and mentors through UpValley Family Centers and other nonprofits.
“We shouldn’t shun those students. We should embrace them and offer them a different path,” Ponchene Davis said.
Luisa Duarte, 18, admitted she was skeptical before enrolling at Palisades in 2023.
“I’ve heard rumors about it being a ‘bad kid’ school,” she said. But her experience proved otherwise. “The class is fun and engaging. [Our teacher] isn’t just talking from a book. We can talk to her about anything.”
Vanessa Herrera Ortega, a recent addition to the program, plans to graduate in June and attend Santa Rosa Junior College before eventually transferring to UC Berkeley. For her, the most meaningful part of Palisades was the warm welcome.
“I fit right in,” she said.
Because the classroom is on the district campus, students can still join sports teams, clubs and other extracurriculars. Every Thursday, they attend classes at Nimbus Arts Center in St. Helena, experimenting with clay, mosaics and other mediums. Physical education is also integrated, including tennis lessons.
Palisades offers students the choice to return to the main campus if they wish, whether it is because they completed their credit recovery or simply want to rejoin friends.
Ultimately, Ponchene Davis hopes to instill confidence and kindness in her students, rather than pressure them into life decisions prematurely.
“Teenagers’ brains are still developing until they’re 24 or 26. We shouldn’t expect them to have everything figured out,” she said. “I just want them to leave here as good-hearted people with confidence.”
For students like Perez, Duarte and Herrera Ortega, Palisades isn’t a last resort. It’s the right fit.
