By BRITTA GAMINO

  Pasadena ISD Communications  

  When Community School reaches the end of its first year of operations next month, school officials will be able to brag about graduation numbers as lofty as many regular high schools post in a single school year.

  Just a few weeks short of a full year, Community School raised its graduation total to 75 earlier this month. Students and staff at the Pasadena ISD facility joined in a celebration hosted by Community School Director Tom Swan and teacher Tracy Brown.

Keeping with the new tradition at the school, new graduates were presented with a framed photo of themselves in cap in gown. Each photo was also posted on the school's Wall of Honor located near the entrance.

  Because of the remarkably high number of graduates, the wall now dominates the lobby of the facility.

On behalf of the students and staff, Swan was presented with a vase filled with the names of each student who has graduated from Community School.

"We couldn't have done any of this without you," Brown told Swan.

With the restructuring of the school last year, Community School now provides morning, day and evening classes for Pasadena ISD students who either dropped out or were in danger of dropping out of their regular high school due to credit deficiencies.

Students may enroll in Community School with the approval of their principal or counselor. 

 "We have a lot of good, hardworking students here," Swan said. "Community School is just their start."