| Huntington Beach High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 1905 Main Street Huntington Beach, California, Orange County, 92648 USA |
|
| Coordinates | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Motto | Preparing our students to become educated, responsible and successful citizens within our global community. |
| Established | 1906 |
| School district | Huntington Beach Unified High School District |
| Principal | Janie Hoy |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 2,602 |
| Color(s) | Black and Orange |
| Mascot | Oiler |
| Team name | The Oilers |
| Newspaper | 'Oiler Times' |
| Yearbook | The Cauldron |
| Website | www.hboilers.com |
Huntington Beach High School (HBHS) is a public high school in Huntington Beach, California. Opened in 1906, it is part of the Huntington Beach Union High School District. HBHS is a California Distinguished School.[1] Huntington Beach High School is also the home of the Academy for the Performing Arts.
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Huntington Beach High School's founding was one of uncertainty and political opposition. Originally known as Las Bolsas High School, the school opened in Los Alamitos in 1902 and served as a secondary school for Westminster, Garden Grove, Los Alamitos, Bolsa, New Hope, Fountain Valley, Chica, Ocean View and Springdale elementary districts. However, after only one student showed up for class, the site was scrapped four days after its opening. After attempts to find a permanent location failed due to political opposition and controversy, the remaining districts of Ocean View, Springdale and Fountain Valley were joined by those of Huntington Beach and Newport Elementary.
In 1906, the "school on wheels," as it was often called because of its inability to secure a permanent location, finally settled in Huntington Beach and began operation as Huntington Beach Union High School. Classes were initially held in the basement of an auditorium operated by the local Methodist church. Having received a land grant from the Huntington Beach Company, the high school completed construction of its first permanent buildings at its current location in 1908. By 1910, there were seven teachers and three clubs; Huntington Beach had a population of 815 people. By this time the four graduates had become an average of 14 graduates a year. The first graduating class consisted of six students, but expanded rapidly in the next decade into the hundreds.
In 1921, the Huntington Beach Company increased mining in abundant oil fields around the city bringing a wave of prosperity to the area. In 1926, the school's architects, Allison & Allison, a Santa Ana firm, described the school's structure as a Lombard Romanesque Revival. The iconic bell tower and auditorium were the first buildings constructed, and seven other buildings were built between 1926 and 1952.[2]
In the 1970s, Huntington Beach High School began construction of new facilities for a variety of reasons, the most prevalent was the earthquake on February 9, 1971. Some older buildings were demolished and rebuilt because of damage.
Huntington Beach High School is known for its bell tower and auditorium. They were originally built in 1903 and were rebuilt in 1926.[3]
The demographics of the student body are as follows:
American Indian/Alaskan Native 7.8%
Asian 9.0%
Pacific Islander 0.9%
Filipino 1.0%
Hispanic/Latino 15.2%
African American 1.1%
White 64.6%
Other/Declined to state 0.3%[4]
The school serves as the host campus for the District's magnet arts program, the Academy for the Performing Arts, an audition-only extracurricular school focused on dance, music, and theater. Originally formed under the name School of the Performing Arts (SPA), the program opened in 1993. It was renamed to Academy for the Performing Arts (APA) in 1997. The Academy has six separate departments: Dance, Music Media Entertainment and Technology (MMET), Orchestral Music, Musical Theater, Theater, and Technical Theater. APA puts on two musicals annually, along with a multitude of other various performances.
The school competes in the Sunset League. In 2006 the school moved to the Sea View League (which consisted of Huntington Beach, El Toro, Foothill, Woodbridge, Northwood, and Trubuco Hills) from the Sunset League, but moved back to the Sunset League in 2009. The Sunset League now contains Huntington Beach, Edison, Newport Harbor, Fountain Valley, Marina, and Los Alamitos.[5]
The first high school varsity surfing team in the United States was founded at Huntington Beach High School by Bruce "Snake" Gabrielson.[6]
In 1989, the Huntington Beach Oilers football team went 8-2, losing only to Mater Dei and Ocean View, winning first place in the Sunset League. The Oilers, however, had to forfeit all of their games because of an ineligible player. The starting tackle had moved from Maryland, however his mother had not sold their home in Maryland before moving to Huntington Beach. Because of this, CIF ruled that this was a case of dual residency, and he was ineligible. A school-wide walk-out ensued the following day, with students marching down Main St., up Yorktown Ave., and then settling on Sheue Field, the football field. Later that night, a candlelight vigil was held in front of the school. The Oilers appealed the CIF ruling in the court. Judge Thomas N Thrasher ruled in favor of Huntington Beach High School. As the team began to practice for the playoffs the next night, news broke that the judge's ruling had been overturned. Local televisions stations covered all the events.