Alameda High School Explained

Alameda High School
Motto:Always High Standards
Established:1874
Grades:9-12
Principal:Angela Barrett
Faculty:Approximately 100
Staff:75.18 (FTE)
Ratio:23.97
Enrollment:1,802 (2022–23)[1]
Athletics:Football, basketball, cheerleading, track & field, soccer, softball, volleyball, tennis, baseball, swimming & diving, golf, cross country, badminton, and water polo
Conference:CIF North Coast Section – WACC
Colors:Gold and white
Mascot:Hornets
Streetaddress:2200 Central Ave, Alameda, CA 94501
Zipcode:94501
Country:USA
Website:School website
Module:
Alameda High School
Embed:yes
Location:2200 Central Ave., Alameda, California
Coordinates:37.7646°N -122.2465°W
Built:1928
Architect:Carl Werner
builder: Kump, Ernest J.
Architecture:Classical Revival
Added:May 12, 1977
Refnum:77000280

Alameda High School is a co-educational state high school serving grades 9–12. It is located in Alameda, California, United States, and is part of the Alameda Unified School District.[2] [3]

History

The suggestion to open a "Preparatory Department of a High School" was first presented at an Alameda Board of Education meeting held on March 6, 1874. On April 17, 1874, C. Y. Johns was elected as the first principal. Classes began with 52 students, in July 1874, in a rented room over a drugstore on Park Street known as "Boehmer's Hall". The building still exists today as the China House restaurant.

Boehmer's Hall was only temporary. A new building was already being built on a site on Santa Clara at Chestnut, and was completed and occupied in 1875. The high school shared space with the Grammar Department in what became known as Haight School. The site is still occupied by this school today. The class of 1878, totalling nine students, was the first to graduate from Alameda High School.

It was not long before the number of students enrolled in the high school outgrew the space available at Haight. Temporary quarters were located at the Porter school, located on Alameda Avenue, by 1900. A campaign was started for a new separate high school building.

With the help of the high school student body, a bond was passed in the city for the new school. The cornerstone was laid in 1902 on the new site at Central and Walnut. The building was dedicated in 1903 and occupied in time for the December 1903 term.

Continued growth in enrollment required an even larger campus. In 1925 a new bond issue was voted on. The new school, dedicated in 1926, comprised three connected buildings, including the original 1903 structure which was refurbished to blend with the architectural style of the other two. The architecture, designed by local architect Carl Werner, is early twentieth-century Neo-Classical Revival in nature, evoking images of ancient Greek temples with Ionic columns in front of the Kofman Auditorium, a facility known throughout the Bay Area as one of the best of the local playhouses.[4]

By 1955, the "old building" had outlived its usefulness and was replaced with what became known as the "new building" by subsequent students until 1977.

Campaigns to replace old public buildings with newer earthquake-safe structures led to the construction of the newest high school building, across the street from the established campus, on Encinal at Walnut.

Original plans involved tearing down the 1926 buildings and replacing them with a sports complex, and only keeping the "new building" of 1955. A dedicated group of alumni and citizens saved the venerable buildings, and the planned new construction was scaled back to what exists today.

The newest building was first occupied in 1978 and included the site of the former Porter school. The west wing now houses Language and Fine Arts, as well as the Frederick L. Chacon Little Theater. The school was made an Alameda Historical Monument in 1976 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Enrollment and academics

Alameda High School is an ethnically diverse school and in 2018 has a composition that is 41% Asian, 30% White, 13% Hispanic, 6% Black, and 4% two or more races.[5]

Alameda High School has a good academic performance in general, and Alameda High School is ranked #109 in California. In 2017, 95% of the students graduated.[6]

Other student activities

Athletics

AHS is part of the West Alameda County Conference (WACC) of the North Coast Section (NCS) of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).[7]

Encinal High, Alameda High, and St. Joseph Notre Dame High School collectively field men's and women's rugby union teams.[8]

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alameda High. National Center for Education Statistics. April 7, 2024.
  2. Web site: Alameda Unified School District: Schools. www.alameda.k12.ca.us. en. 2017-12-10.
  3. Web site: Alameda High - School Directory Details (CA Dept of Education). www.cde.ca.gov. en. 2017-12-10.
  4. Web site: Residents: Fix old Alameda High buildings for students. https://web.archive.org/web/20140701065717/http://thealamedan.org/news/residents-fix-old-alameda-high-buildings-students. usurped. July 1, 2014. thealamedan.org. The Alamedan. April 12, 2013. Ellson. Michelle. August 20, 2016.
  5. Web site: Explore Alameda High School in Alameda, CA. GreatSchools.org. 2018-04-22.
  6. Web site: Alameda High. US News. April 5, 2018.
  7. Web site: CIF-North Coast Section. CIF-North Coast Section. en. 2017-12-10.
  8. Web site: Alameda Rugby .
  9. Web site: Dick Bartell Stats Baseball-Reference.com. Baseball-Reference.com. en. 2017-12-10.
  10. News: Alamedan's link to Larsen's perfect game in 1956. 2007-11-27. East Bay Times. 2018-04-03. en-US.
  11. News: INTERVIEW: 38 SPECIAL. The Summer Local. 2018-04-03. en.
  12. Web site: Keelan Doss. Raiders. en-US. 2019-08-15.
  13. Web site: Debbi Fields - Alameda - LocalWiki. localwiki.org. en. 2018-04-22.
  14. Web site: One Step from the White House. publishing.cdlib.org . en. 2018-04-03.
  15. Web site: Around Town - Alameda, California. www.alamedamagazine.com. en. 2017-12-10.
  16. News: Jab From the Past : With New Fight Facing Him, Lou Nova Focuses On the Many Memories of a Memorable Boxing Career. GUSTKEY. EARL. 1988-07-24. Los Angeles Times. 2017-12-10. en-US. 0458-3035.
  17. Web site: Around Town - Alameda, California. www.alamedamagazine.com. en. 2018-04-03.
  18. Web site: Chris Speier Stats Baseball-Reference.com. Baseball-Reference.com. en. 2017-12-10.
  19. News: Where Did You Get That Dress? It's Awful! And Those Shoes and That Coat! Jeez!. 2014-05-22. easilycrestfallen. 2018-04-22. en-US.
  20. News: Alameda: City hires Don Perata as lobbyist. 2013-12-04. The Mercury News. 2018-04-03. en-US.