Palm Desert High School Students Headed to County Academic Decathlon

PALM DESERT, CA - Nearly two dozen high school teams – including several students from Pam Desert High School – will gather this weekend, to take part in the final round of the 34th annual Riverside County Academic Decathlon. The teams, all vying to represent the county in the statewide competition, will gather at Beaumont High School on Saturday to take part in the event.

The first half of the countywide decathlon took place at the same location on Jan. 28, featuring essays, speeches and oral exams in economics, literature, math and science.

On Saturday, 22 teams will have to complete a series of written tests and then put their collective knowledge to work during the "Super Quiz," which this year focuses on events from World War II, according to the county Office of Education.

Hemet's West Valley High School took top honors last year and reached 33rd place in the 2016 California Academic Decathlon, which this year is scheduled for March 23-26 in Sacramento.

In addition to West Valley High, students from the following campuses are taking part in the county contest:

• Beaumont High School, which has two teams
• Corona High School, two teams
• Elsinore High School, Lake Elsinore
• Great Oak High School, Temecula
• Hemet High School
• Heritage High School, Perris
• Lakeside High School, Lake Elsinore
• Moreno Valley High School, two teams
• John W. North High School, Riverside
• Palm Desert High School
• Palm Springs High School
• San Jacinto High School
• Santiago High School Corona
• Shadow Hills High School, Indio
• Tahquitz High School, two teams, Hemet
• Temecula Preparatory Academy
• Valley View High School, Moreno Valley

Since 2009, West Valley High has claimed the championship title every year except one, 2014, when Hemet High carried the day.

An awards ceremony will follow the contest at 1 p.m. in the Beaumont High gymnasium.

– City News Service contributed to this report / Image via Shutterstock