While construction has gone on at the school for the last seven years, the administrative staff has worked in a large hall separated by temporary partitions. This is where Ramezane, principal since July, oversees his kingdom.

He has been in the business of education for 35 years. "I took to teaching because of a wonderful biology teacher and a wonderful basketball coach I had at Gilroy High School," he said.

Those teachers left a lasting influence on him, so much so that for the first 20 years of his career he taught nothing but biology in the morning and basketball in the afternoon. "I taught at Lincoln High School and Gunderson High School in San Jose," Ramezane said.

Seven years ago, he saw a vacancy for an assistant principal's position at Los Gatos High. Ramezane moved fast. He knew that the school would be deluged by applications because of its good reputation.

"I had been here for an athletic event. I always thought Los Gatos was a beautiful town," Ramezane said. In no time at all, he was making the transition to one of the highest achieving schools in the area.

"I was very happy to be chosen. It was different--a small town school which was the hub of the community," he said.

Once he moved, Ramezane found that Los Gatos High was a little different from the other schools where he had taught. "Many at the school have grandparents and parents that graduated from high school. Many come back after they graduate to tell us how much they loved the learning experience at the school," he said. "In fact, there are former students in their 60s who come back and talk fondly about their experience. You will not find that in too many other places."

Ramezane is even proud of the large open area that the school has in front. "How many schools have a park like this in the front?" he said.

Thankfully, the construction at the school will be complete by January. He is looking forward to moving into his new office then. And he is not leaving anytime soon. "There is no place like here--weather-wise, people-wise, mountains-wise. There are small towns and big cities all within a couple of hours," he said. Ramezane said that he had tried living in other areas of the state and has always come back to the Bay Area.

He really misses being a basketball coach. "I always loved the excitement of being a coach. It's challenging and fun, but it can also be overwhelming," he said. "Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are my favorite players of all time."

But such are the exigencies of being an administrator that Ramezane has not coached in the last 10 years. These days, he is more preoccupied in boosting the performance of the school.

"The competition here is intense. The teachers push and challenge our students. It really isn't a surprise that many feel really comfortable in college," Ramezane said. "I enjoy getting to know the new students as much as I like talking to the older ones."

There was a time he was proud to be able to remember every student's name in the school. But he can't do it any longer. "My brain can't hold the information anymore," he said.

El Camino Hospital