Branham High School
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| Branham High School | |
| School type | Public |
|---|---|
| Established | 1967 |
| District | Campbell Union High School District |
| Principal | Tom Utic |
| Students | 1400 |
| Mascot | Bruin |
| Location | 1570 Branham Lane San Jose, CA |
| Information | (408) 267-1020 |
| Website | branham.cuhsd.org |
Branham High School is a high school located in San Jose, California. It first opened in 1967. From 1991 to 1999, Branham had been leased out to Valley Christian Schools. In 1999, the school was reopened as part of the Campbell Union High School District due to increased enrollment within the district and graduated its first senior class in over a decade in 2002. Branham, as well as Branham Lane, is named after Isaac Branham, an early pioneer of California who became a successful farmer and lumber mill owner. The Branham colors are blue and white and the official mascot is the Bruin. Branham is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
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[edit] Academics
Branham participates in the College Board's Advanced Placement program and offers seven AP courses for students.
[edit] Sports
Branham High School participates as a member of the Blossom Valley Athletic League (BVAL). Branham fields teams in numerous sports, including football, basketball, baseball, swimming and diving, boys tennis, girls tennis, badminton, boys soccer, girls soccer, softball, track and field, cross country, golf, field hockey, and wrestling. Branham teams have won a number of awards and championships relative to the age of the school and annually sends representation to the Central Coast Sectionals (CCS).
- The 2006 girls tennis team won their division with a 12-0 record.
The traditional "rivals" for Bruin athletes are the Leigh High School Longhorns, mostly due to the close proximity between the two schools. The main meeting between the two schools in recent years has been the annual Branham-Leigh football game. The Bruins have met the Longhorns three times on the gridiron since 2004 with the Longhorns leading the series in wins.
- 2004 Branham 7 Leigh 46
- 2005 Leigh 27 Branham 28
- 2006 Branham 13 Leigh 43
The Bruins baseball team also consider the Westmont High School Warriors to be a division rival.
Branham alumni have also gone on to play sports at the collegiate level. Notable examples include:
- Jenelle Gomez: Class of 2004, went on to play golf for San Jose State University. Was named the 2006 WAC individual champion.
- Louis Sakoda: Class of 2005, went on to play football for the University of Utah as a kicker. Considered to be one of the most consistent and accurate kickers in NCAA football, proved to be a key player in the 2006 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl against Tulsa which resulted in a 25-13 Utah win and earned him the game MVP award.
[edit] Student Body
The majority of the Branham student body is Caucasian (Non-Hispanic), making up 70% of the total student population. The rest of the student body is mainly represented by Hispanic (16%), Asian (7%), African-American (3%), and Indian-American or Filipino (3%) students.
[edit] 2003 Code Red alert
On October 29, 2003, Branham High School was the location of an emergency situation when the campus was locked down for about two hours after a potentially dangerous situation unfolded. San Jose police officers chasing a suspect close to the high school alerted school administrators after the suspect dropped a bag that was found to contain a sawed-off shotgun. Just a few minutes after school had been let out, school officials broadcast a "Code Red Alert" over the PA system and students were hustled into classrooms in order to wait for the all-clear signal. The irony of this is that earlier that same day, the Branham students had practiced a "Red Alert" drill earlier in the day. Police eventually arrested the suspect close to the BHS parking lot without incident, but the campus remained locked down until about 3:15 PM.
Branham High School was praised for its quick and effective response to the situation by San Jose mayor Ron Gonzales on November 5th, 2003 in which Gonzales stated, "We are safe because of successful completion of training," and that "Branham did everything it was supposed to do." Branham's administrators and office staff received praise for their quick handling of the situation.
[edit] School hymn
The official school hymn of Branham, sung to the tune of Edelweiss, is as follows:
- Branham High
- Branham High
- Alma Mater we hail thee
- Blue and White
- Colors bright
- Proud to wear them are we.
- Proud in keeping our standards high
- We shall strive forever
- For Branham High
- Branham High
- Glorious Alma Mater
