Downey High School

Last updated
Downey High School
Address
11040 Brookshire Ave.

Downey
,
California
90241

United States
Information
School type Public, High school
MottoHome of the Vikings
Established1901
School district Downey Unified School District
SuperintendentJohn Garcia
PrincipalTom Houts
Teaching staff174.52 (FTE) [1]
Grades 9th - 12th
Enrollment4,063 (2022-23) [1]
Student to teacher ratio23.28 [1]
Color(s) Cardinal and Gold
  
Athletics conference San Gabriel Valley League
SportsBoys' and Girls': Basketball, Baseball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Track & Field, Tennis, Volleyball, Water Polo, Wrestling
MascotViking
RivalsWarren High School
Website downey.dusd.net

Downey High School is one of two senior high schools located in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey, California, and within the Downey Unified School District. It is located at 11040 Brookshire Ave. At the present time the school has an enrollment of about 4340 students, of a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds and socio-economic levels.

Contents

Currently, Tom Houts is the principal. In addition, there are five other administrators, as well as seven full-time counselors. The instruction staff consists of 151 teachers and the operation functions with the assistance of a staff of 85 specialized employees (custodians, secretaries, nurses, security guards, etc.)

History

Around the start of the 20th century, Downey was a small agricultural community. There were, however, enough boys and girls of high school age that a group of citizens got together and organized what was then called Los Nietos Valley Union High School. On August 16, 1901, Los Nietos Valley High School became the eleventh[ citation needed ] high school in the Los Angeles County School System.

In 1903, the first building at Second and Church Streets, where Walker Hall now stands, was formed. The original cornerstone of this building is now preserved in front of the Viking Tower. Before the building was ready for use, classes were held for 45 students in the auditorium of a grammar school. The faculty consisted of one principal, A.E. Farlington and one teacher, Miss Gertrude Smith. The first graduating class of 1904 had four students who received their diplomas. The course of study for the first few years was a college prerequisite curriculum, but in 1911, a commercial course was offered for students which enabled them to work immediately after graduation.

The name of the school was changed to Downey Union High School in 1919. The following year, the school got its first bus, since the only previous transportation had been supplied through Mrs. Van Matre, who used her car to bring students who lived within a mile of the school. In 1926-1927, the original building was condemned as a fire hazard and torn down. A gymnasium was built on the site. In turn, the gymnasium was demolished in 1957-1958, and Walker Hall constructed in its place. It was named in honor of William H Walker, a retired teacher and former superintendent. The first building for junior high school students was built in 1929-1930, which is the present “R” building. The senior and junior high schools were combined on a single campus in 1951-1952. Because agricultural lands were being developed as residential sub-divisions, more schools were needed. The first separate junior high school was South Junior High School (Sussman Middle School), dedicated on May 1, 1952, teaching about half the students in grades seven, eight, and nine. The remaining half of the students stayed in what was then called Central Junior High School. In 1953, these students moved away to become North Junior High School (Griffiths Middle School). In 1954, the third junior high school, East Junior High School was formed. In 1957, a second senior high school, Earl Warren Senior High School, and a fourth junior high school, West Junior High School opened their doors. A fifth junior high school, Woodruff Junior High School, opened in September, 1959. On July 1, 1961, the Downey Union High School District was merged with the four elementary districts to form the Downey Unified School District.

Academics

Downey High School offers a wide variety of AP (Advanced Placement) courses: AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Psychology, AP Calculus, AP Spanish, AP European History, AP United States History, AP Government/Economics, AP Music Theory, AP Studio Art, AP Human Geography, AP English Literature, AP English Language and Composition, and AP Seminar.

Demographics

In terms of race and ethnicity, Hispanic and Latino students comprised the majority (75.5%) of the student body. Caucasian students were the second largest group; they make up 12.7% of the student body. African American students and Asian students made up 5.5 and 5.4% of the student body respectively. The remaining 0.9% of the student body are composed of American Indian and multiracial students. [2]

Athletics

Downey High School is part of the San Gabriel Valley League, which also includes the Dominguez High School Dons, Gahr High School Gladiators, Lynwood High School Knights, Paramount High School Pirates, and Warren High School Bears. They have lost to Warren in their last 6 rivalry football game appearances. Warren leads the all-time series 37-29. [3]

Student activities

Student government

Downey High School's student government, more popularly known as the Associated Student Body (ASB), comprises 30 different jobs. It usually has about half its members as seniors and the other half as lower classmen. The top four positions, ASB President, ASB Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, are all returning ASB members and the captains of the group.

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downey, California</span> City in California, United States

Downey is a city located in Southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, 13 mi (21 km) southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of the Gateway Cities. The city is the birthplace of the Apollo space program and Taco Bell. It is also the home of the oldest operating McDonald's restaurant in the world. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 114,355.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynbrook High School</span> Public high school in San Jose, California, United States

Lynbrook High School is a co-educational, public, four-year high school located in the West San Jose neighborhood of San Jose, California. It was founded in 1965 and graduated its first class in 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foothill College</span> College in Los Altos Hills, California

Foothill College is a public community college in Los Altos Hills, California. It is part of the Foothill–De Anza Community College District. It was founded on January 15, 1957, and offers 79 Associate degree programs, 1 Bachelor's degree program, and 107 certificate programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolling Meadows High School</span> Public secondary school in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, United States

Rolling Meadows High School, RMHS, is a public four-year high school located in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 214, the second largest high school district in Illinois, after Township High School District 211. The other five schools include Buffalo Grove High School, Elk Grove High School, John Hersey High School, Prospect High School, and Wheeling High School. It serves primarily central and east Rolling Meadows, a significant part of Arlington Heights and a small part of Mount Prospect. Its feeder schools are South Middle School, Holmes Junior High School, Carl Sandburg Junior High School, and Our Lady of the Wayside, a private Catholic school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cerritos College</span> Public community college in Norwalk, California

Cerritos College is a public community college in Norwalk, California. It offers degrees and certificates in 87 areas of study in nine divisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cupertino High School</span> Public school in Cupertino, California, United States

Cupertino High School, colloquially referred to as "Tino", "CHS", is a four-year comprehensive public high school located near the Rancho Rinconada and Fairgrove neighborhoods of Cupertino, California, USA. The school serves mostly suburban residential and areas in eastern Cupertino, southern Santa Clara, and west San Jose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairfax High School (Los Angeles)</span> High school in Los Angeles, California

Fairfax High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located in Los Angeles, California, near the border of West Hollywood in the Fairfax District. The school is located on a 24.2-acre (98,000 m2) campus at the intersection of Fairfax Avenue and Melrose Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Technical High School</span> Public high school in Oakland, California, USA

Oakland Technical High School, known locally as Oakland Tech or simply "Tech", is a public high school in Oakland, California, United States, and is operated under the jurisdiction of the Oakland Unified School District. It is one of six comprehensive public high school campuses in Oakland. Oakland Tech's attendance jurisdiction includes several neighborhoods, including Oakland Chinatown, Rockridge, North Oakland, and Temescal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodrow Wilson High School (Los Angeles)</span> Public school

Woodrow Wilson High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) high school in the Northeast region of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is located in the community of El Sereno, atop the Ascot Hills at 4500 Multnomah Street.

Henry M. Jackson High School is a public high school in Mill Creek, Washington, United States. Named after the late Henry M. Jackson, an Everett native and former U.S. Senator, the school opened on September 7, 1994, as the third high school in the Everett School District.

Temescal Canyon High School is a public high school part of the Lake Elsinore Unified School District. Though it is located in Lake Elsinore, California, it also serves the areas of Canyon Lake and Horsethief Canyon. The school was opened for the 1991–1992 school year, graduating its first class in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Encinal High School</span> Public high school in the United States

Encinal High School is a co-educational public high school serving grades 6–12. It is located in Alameda, California, United States, and is part of the Alameda Unified School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archbishop Riordan High School</span> Private, co-ed school in San Francisco, California, United States

Archbishop Riordan High School is a diocesan, co-ed Catholic high school established by the Society of Mary in San Francisco, California. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco. It opened in fall 1949 as Riordan High School, named after Archbishop Patrick William Riordan, the second Archbishop of San Francisco; "Archbishop" was officially added to its name in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anaheim High School</span> Public high school in California, US

Anaheim High School is a public, four-year high school in the city of Anaheim, California, United States and serves students living in the Colony District of Anaheim. Anaheim High School was first established in 1898, which makes it the oldest of nine comprehensive high schools in the Anaheim Union High School District. It is the third oldest high school in Orange County, behind Santa Ana High School (1889) and Fullerton Union High School (1893).

Thomas Downey High School (TDHS) is a High School in Modesto, California. It is one of the seven high schools in Modesto. Thomas Downey High is the second oldest high school in the city of Modesto and its doors opened to students in the Fall of 1951. Its mascot is the Knight, but they are sometimes humorously referred to as the "Downey Ducks." The school's current student population is approximately 2,000 in Grades 9 through 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pioneer High School (Los Angeles County, California)</span> Public secondary school in Whittier, California, United States

Pioneer High School is a public school in West Whittier-Los Nietos, a census-designated place in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University High School (Washington)</span> Public school in Spokane Valley, Washington, United States

University High School, often referred to as "U-Hi" or "U-High", is a public high school for grades nine through twelve in Spokane Valley, Washington, United States. It is part of the Central Valley School District in Spokane Valley.

Los Angeles Baptist High School (LAB) was a Baptist, private, coeducational day school located in North Hills, California with approximately 848 students enrolled in grades 6 through 12. In the summer of 2012, the school was acquired by another Christian day school in the San Fernando Valley (Hillcrest Christian School), and the two merged to become Heritage Christian Schools. The L.A. Baptist campus is now the South Campus of Heritage Christian School. The campus was home to approximately 945 students in grades 7-12 under LAB ownership.

Earl Warren High School is a public secondary school located in Downey, California. Warren High School enrolls students in grades 9-12 and is a part of the Downey Unified School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jefferson High School (Los Angeles)</span> Public school in California, United States

Thomas Jefferson High School, usually referred to as Jefferson High School, is a public high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Founded in 1916, it is the fourth oldest high school in the school district. Located in South Los Angeles, its surrounding communities are Downtown, Central-Alameda, Florence, Historic South-Central and South Park. Jefferson's school colors are kelly green and gold and the sports teams are called the Democrats, or Demos for short. In 2006, a pilot program called New Tech: Student Empowerment Academy began in the northeast portion of the school. New Tech has since become a separate charter school housed in the Jefferson building. In 2016 New Tech closed down and the available space is now used by Nava College Preparatory Academy a pilot school that was established in 2014.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Downey High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2009-10-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ↑ Galluzzo, Steve (2023-10-14). "Warren defeats Downey in rivalry game at SoFi Stadium". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  4. ↑ "George Pajon Jr. Is only moving forward". Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Joe Rudi". Baseball Gauge. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.