At W.F. West High School The Bearcat Way is about school pride, academic excellence and helping every student discover and achieve their full potential.

We strive for career and college readiness for all of our graduates. We have a 95% graduation rate (higher than the state average of 82%) and we strive for 100% of our graduates to be equipped for their next leg of their journey, whether that be college or certificated program, military service, apprenticeship program or other career and life pathways.

Our core beliefs are:

• Teachers inspire and challenge all students and guide them toward achieving their full potential
• All students are unique individuals who have the potential to become positive contributing members of society. Learning how to learn serves students for a lifetime
• A positive school climate enhances learning
• Co-curricular activities enhance learning and develop self-worth, pride and leadership
• Schools are most effective when parents and the community are integral parts of the educational process

Beyond the classroom, our students show the same pride in activities such as music, clubs and athletics. While our students’ performance in these activities is often recognized at the state and national levels, we also strive for them to be good ambassadors for their school and community and for these activities to help them develop excellent character, strong leadership skills and unfailing work ethic.