Sammamish High School is a public secondary school in Bellevue, Washington, USA, serving students in grades 9 - 12. Opened in 1959, the school was the second of the four traditional high schools in the Bellevue School District, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. The school's nickname is the Totems, the mascot is the Thunderbird, and its colors are red, black, and white. The current principal is Tom Duenwald, with Michelle Renee and Tom O'Connor as assistant principals.Sammamish generally serves students from the east zone of the district, but students from outside its attendance area can enroll at the school through its open enrollment policy. Sammamish High's feeder elementary schools are Cherry Crest, Stevenson, Lake Hills, Phantom Lake, and Spiritridge. Its feeder middle schools are Odle and Tillicum.DemographicsIn the 2013-2014 school year, the total student enrollment was 946. The racial demographics are: 6% African American, 20% Asian, 20% Hispanic, 8% multiracial and 46% white. 39% of students speak a first language other than English and 46% qualify for free or reduced lunches (this matches the state average of 46% but is more than double the 20% for the district).AcademicsSammamish is well known for its magnet programs, Advanced Placement classes, and career and technical programs. Sammamish was named the Washington state recipient of 2006-07 Siemens Awards of Advanced Placement. This award recognizes the excellence of Sammamish's Advanced Placement instruction and student performances.
