Commitment to one another, determination to prove stereotypes wrong, and a strong belief in the power of education are the core values at San Ysidro High School in San Diego, California. The school serves 2,364 students in one of the poorest communities in the country. The community celebrates its predominately Mexican-American heritage and recognizes its close proximity to the Mexican border as an important reality of the students and their families. The geography and poverty of this urban community isolate it from the city of San Diego and from its feeder schools, underscoring the need for the school to create its own sense of community. San Ysidro has become the social and cultural center of the area. Building a sense of community begins with intentional decision making. At San Ysidro, school starts later than most high schools, uniforms are worn, teachers plan together in professional learning communities using an Understanding by Design format, literacy is supported throughout the curriculum, community partnerships add depth to the program, and parents are fully involved on a daily basis in school life. All of those factors have been shown to affect student success and were implemented with that goal in mind.