History
Buena Park High School opened its doors with 508 students on September 11, 1956, as the third school in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District. The school was made possible by a bond issue voted by citizens in the FJUHSD to serve students in Buena Park and west Fullerton.
Under the leadership of its first principal, Richard Spaulding, the enrollment increased to 2,900. John Machisic succeeded Spaulding in 1974, and served in that capacity until 1975. The BPHS student body recognized Richard Spaulding for his many years of service as principal by renaming the football stadium in his honor. Jack Holm followed Machisic for the next seven years until 1983, when Jim Bremer, a BPHS graduate (1960) began his tenure at Buena Park. George Giokaris assumed the responsibilities of principal from 1987 to 1989; Christine Hoffman served from 1989 to 1992; and Tom Triggs served from 1992 to 1998. Michael Conroy served from 1998 to 2001. Maggie Buchan served from 2001 to 2006. Benjamin Wolf served from 2006 to 2009. Jim Coombs served as principal from the summer of 2010 until Sonje Berg took office January 3, 2017. [2] All of these leaders, including the assistant principals, have given their time, energy and creative talents to mold BPHS into the fine school it is today.
Since 1967, Buena Park High School has undergone the accreditation process eight times. Most recently, the school went through the process in 2016–2017. Under the supervision of the Western Association of Schools and colleges, an intensive review was completed of every facet of the school's operation. A full six-year accreditation was awarded to Buena Park High School which certifies to all other educational institutions that the high school meets all standards set for high quality schools and that credits and grades earned by its graduates are based on quality criteria.
Buena Park High School enjoys high status in academics, athletics and the performing arts. High performance standards in the classroom, in competitive sports, and in artistic productions have earned an outstanding reputation. Eight years ago, the school adopted the first of two magnet academic programs: AP Capstone Diploma and a Golden Bell Award winning Early College Academy.
AP Capstone Diploma
Adopted in 2018, the AP Capstone Diploma is a prestigious College Board award for high school students who excel in two skills-based advanced placement cources: AP Seminar and AP Research. The full diploma is awarded to students who pass these along with four other content-based AP courses. All students in the two courses demonstrate advanced college-level research, critical thinking, and presentation skills. It signifies strong academic readiness, offering a distinct advantage in college admissions by showcasing a student's ability to manage complex, independent work, akin to an undergraduate thesis, and stand out to universities. As part of the Early College Academy, in the AP Capstone Program, students learn how to do college level research while in high school, essentially completing a mini dissertation, complete with research surrounding a unique question that is individualized to the researcher and defended in front of an educator panel. Students learn transferable skills colleges desire for incoming students. Just last year, 32 students completed the AP Capstone Certificate, having passed both the AP Seminar and Research courses, with 16 students also passing four other AP courses to earn AP Capstone Diploma recognition. This is the most in school history. and a great accomplishment for BPHS.
Buena Park High School's Early College Academy (Dual Enrollment) a 2025 California School Board (CASB) Golden Bell Award Winner
Buena Park High School's Early College Academy has emerged as a leading dual enrollment program that prioritizes equity and access to higher education. Originally the program partnered with CSUF, and was relaunched in 2023–24 with new partnerships with Fullerton and Cypress Colleges along with in-day student support structures. The BPHS Early College Academy now offers broader opportunities for students across the academic spectrum, particularly those from traditionally underserved backgrounds.
Equity and Access
Buena Park serves an 85% Title I student body, with 84% Hispanic students in a lower socio-economic area. The previous model limited dual enrollment to a small group of high-achieving students. In contrast, the new Early College Academy provides embedded support systems during the school day, opening access to students with disabilities, English learners, and a wide range of academic levels. With an average participant GPA in the mid-3.0 range, the program enables all students early college access. 34% of the most recent graduating class of 2025 completed at least one college course while in high school.
Innovative Design
Buena Park's Early College Academy blends asynchronous online courses taught by community college professors with daily, in-person Academy Lab classes led by high school teachers. These credentialed teachers act as academic coaches, helping students manage coursework, stay accountable, and bridge communication with professors. Students can take up to 11 units per semester, aligned with general education transfer requirements, with a goal of graduating high school with up to two years of college completed. This design counters historically low pass rates for high school students in asynchronous college classes by providing time and structured, personalized support.
Results
The program has exceeded expectations. In fall 2023, 114 students enrolled in 143 college courses (English 100, History 170, Psychology 101), completing 93% of courses with a 96% pass rate and a 4.26 weighted collegiate GPA. In spring 2024, 92 students enrolled in 115 courses, completing 99% of courses with a 100% pass rate and a 4.45 GPA. Expansion in 2024–25 doubled offerings to 16 college courses across fall and spring, including high-interest electives (Business, Administrative Justice) and CTE courses (Computer Science and Gaming). Over 200 students earned more than 1,400 units, maintaining a 96% pass rate with a 91% completion rate. Additionally, legacy CSUF courses continue to provide 70–80 elective credits annually.
Board Support and Replicability
The Fullerton Joint Union High School District has supported the academy by adjusting policies so dual enrollment courses are weighted and clearly designated on transcripts. Academy Lab courses receive credit/no credit, ensuring GPA accuracy. The program aligns with the district's vision of equitable, rigorous pathways, has been replicated at another district high school, and is regularly reported to the Board and superintendent.
Conclusion
Through intentional redesign, innovative structures, and district support, Buena Park High School's Early College Academy has created a scalable, sustainable model of dual enrollment that expands equitable access to higher education and serves as a model for other schools statewide.
Athletics
Buena Park's sports teams are known as the Coyotes, and are members of the CIF Southern Section. They currently compete in the Golden Empire Conference, a 15 team conference broken up into 3 - five team leagues based off the power ranking of each sport each year. The 2001 football team made it to the D3 CIF Championship game and lost to Brea Olinda. In addition, The 2008 water polo team placed second in the freeway league and advanced to the CIF quarter finals. The 2009 Girls' Varsity Tennis team advanced to CIF for the first time in BPHS history. The Cross Country team also advanced to CIF for the first time in almost 20 years under the leadership of Barry Migliorini. The Cross Country team swept the freeway league titles for the Frosh off and JV levels, varsity came in second losing to Troy high school. In 2011, they won the league title and went on to the CIF SS finals and one individual boy, Gilberto Solorza, advancing to the state finals in cross country. Cross Country is also one of the most winning sports in Buena Park, followed by Wrestling, Water Polo, and Football. In 2016, the Varsity football team was undefeated and went on to CIF.
Coyote Athletics has seen a resurgence in more recent years. In 2019, girl's water polo won the CIF Championship, a year after boy's water polo were CIF Runner Ups. Also in 2019, the cross country team would make their 18th appearance at the CIF championship. As for the women's cross country team, this would mark their third CIF appearance since 1997. In 2022, boy's water polo advanced to the semi-finals of CIF. The 2022/23 school year saw the rise of the girl's basketball program, who not only made it to the CIF finals, coming up short of a CIF championship by two points, but also to the Division 1 state quarterfinal round. The 2023/24 school year, and last year of the Freeway League, saw over 60% of the Coyote athletic teams reaching the post season, highlighted by four teams reaching the CIF semifinals, a girls basketball team who won their first League title (undefeated), Girl's Water Polo, Boy's Soccer, and Baseball. Football also reached the CIF quarterfinals, their first CIF berth since 2016. In the 2024/25 season, almost 60% of the programs reached the CIF playoffs again, with Girl's Basketball winning their second undefeated league title in a row, now playing in one of the Golden Empire Conference leagues, Girl's Water Polo winning their first undefeated league title, Girls Track and Softball also winning league titles. For the first time in school history, a Boy's Golfer, Kilo Brown, won a league title for BPHS. The Coyotes continues have continued their post-season qualifications into the 2025/26 school year, with seven of eight fall athletic programs qualifying for CIF postseason play, highlighted by boys water polo who made it to the CIF semi-finals, football (quarterfinals), girls volleyball, 1st CIF berth in over 30 years, and girls flag football, who won league in only their second year, and made it to the 2nd round of CIF. Olivia Cervantes Mendez won a league title in Girl's Golf for the first time in school history.
