Los Gatos High School
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Los Gatos High School | |
---|---|
Public high school | |
Established | 1908 |
School district | Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District |
Principal | Dave Poetzinger |
Staff | 96.62 (FTE)[1] |
Grades | 9–12 |
Enrollment | 1,977 (2023–2024)[1] |
Student to teacher ratio | 20.46[1] |
Color(s) | Orange Black |
Athletics conference | Santa Clara Valley Athletic League CIF Central Coast Section |
Mascot | Willy the Wildcat, Wilma the Wildcat |
Team name | Wildcats |
Communities served | Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga |
Feeder schools | Fisher Middle School, C.T. English |
Website | http://www.lghs.net/ |
Los Gatos High School (LGHS) is a
The school enrolls approximately 2,100 students
History
Los Gatos High School, originally Los Gatos Union High School, was founded in 1908 and remains the only high school in Los Gatos.
Due to the unusual joint cooperative nature of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, until 2005,
Academics and Activities
Los Gatos High School is well known for its rigorous academics. In 2021, Niche[7] ranked Los Gatos High School as #37 with California. In 2021, 96% of graduating seniors went on to attend college, including 74% to four-year colleges, and had an average SAT score of 1326 and average ACT composite score of 29.8.[8] During 2019–2020, 73% (387 students) of LGHS class of 2021 took at least one AP course.[8]
Students participate in over 70 academic, athletic and community service activities that annually raise over $100,000 for charities and non-profit organizations.[8]
Notable alumni
Notable alumni at Los Gatos High School include:
- Jared Allen, former NFL defensive end[9]
- Kiko Alonso, former NFL linebacker
- Nick Bawden, NFL fullback
- Mark Bingham and Todd Beamer, passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 on 9/11 believed to have stormed cockpit after hijacking
- Lynn Burke, swimmer, winner of two gold medals in at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy
- Kari Byron, best known for her appearances on Discovery Channel show MythBusters
- Edmonton Eskimos, winner of 5 Grey Cupchampionships.
- Robert Chambers (1944), track & field, second-fastest all-time high school 880 as of that date; 3rd NCAA 880 for USC 1948; 6th 1948 London Olympics 800 meters
- )
- NHL goaltender for the Calgary Flames
- Jordan Corey, singer/songwriter
- Michael Eugene Couchee, Major League Baseball player
- Trent Edwards, former NFL quarterback, 2007–2014
- Bill Fairband, former NFL linebacker
- Joan Fontaine, Academy Award-winning actress, estranged sister of Olivia de Havilland
- Scott Frank, screenwriter, wrote screenplays to Get Shorty and Minority Report
- Echoes of Life: What Fossil Molecules Reveal about Earth History
- Melanie Hamilton in Gone with the Wind
- Sandy Hill, mountaineer who successfully climbed the Seven Summits and author.
- Madonnaworld tours
- Dan Jinks, producer of American Beauty, Big Fish and Down with Love
- Jason Jurman (Class of 1998), actor (Cougar Club)[10]
- Lynette Knackstedt (Class of 1988), ska musician
- Chris Knapp, drummer for The Ataris
- Audrey Long, film actress
- Fred Markham, Olympic bicycle racer
- Ryan Nyquist, professional BMX rider
- Mike Park, musician and owner of Asian Man Records
- Greg Peters, former NFL offensive guard
- MLB player (Milwaukee Brewers)
- Shane Smith, former NFL fullback
- Jackson Stewart, professional bicycle racer
- Terry Scott Taylor, lead singer and songwriter for Daniel Amos, The Swirling Eddies; founding member of Lost Dogs
- Christine von Saltza, swimmer, winner of three gold medals and one silver medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy
- Carrie Yazel, Playboy Playmateof the Month, May 1991
- Members of bands Dredg, Marco Pitruzzella, Trapt and Skankin' Pickle
In the media

The front façade of the school was shown on The Amanda Show starring Amanda Bynes. It was used in the show's soap opera spoof segment called "Moody's Point". The front exterior of the school was also used on Saved by the Bell.
The school was also used as a filming location for several scenes in the 1996
The school, its stadium and track, and nearby Santa Cruz Avenue were also used for filming an episode of the 1986 television series Starman; drama students played the role of some extras.
The 1988 made-for-TV film Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story was based on the life of former Los Gatos High School head football coach
In 1992, Principal Ted Simonson, former Dean of Boys during earlier decades, attracted media controversy for a series of racist and bigoted jokes he made during a roast at the Lions Club in which he referred to female joggers as "jigglers" and described gay-friendly city of San Francisco as "Fairyland" and the city of Oakland, California, with its large African-American population, as "Jungleland."[11][12]
In 2021, Mark Rober used the school's football field to test his robotic field kicking machine.[13]
In 2021, NBC Bay Area published an investigative report about "a wave of sexual misconduct allegations by current and former Los Gatos High School students on social media".[14] The report details an ongoing student-led movement to change the culture of LGHS that gained momentum in 2020.[15]
Principals
- Henry Meade Bland (1887–1889) – later California Poet Laureate
- C. H. Crowell (1889–1891)
- H. E. Shumate (1891–1895)
- A. M. Kelley (1895–1898)
- Louis K. Webb (1898–1899)
- George C. Russell (1899–1901)
- W. W. Wilson (1901–1905)
- Charles I. Kerr (1905–1908)
- Allan B. Martin (1908–1909)
- Frank M. Watson (1909–1915)
- Edwin Forrest Blayney (1915)
- W. F. Walton (1916–1918)
- E. N. Mabrey (1918–1920)
- Irving Wallace Snow (1920–1922)
- J. Warren Ayer (1922–1931)
- Prentiss Brown (1931–1956)
- Fred Canrinus (1957–1970) – older principals[16]
- Dr Allen Coryell (1971–1978)
- Ted Simonson (1978–1998)
- Trudy McCullough (1998–2005)
- Doug Ramezane (2005–2009)
- Markus Autrey (2009–2015)
- Kristi Grasty (2015–2020)
- Paul Robinson (2020–2021, interim)
- Kevin Buchanan (from 2021)
References
- ^ a b c "Los Gatos High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
- ^ Niedzwiecki, Stephen (May 18, 2021). "This Is the Best School District in Every State". Newsweek. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
- ^ "Newsweek Magazine Names Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District the Best School District in California". Brian & Dan | Sereno Group. June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ^ "California School Dashboard (CA Dept of Education)". www.caschooldashboard.org. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c Salem, Avi (September 19, 2018). "Fast Times at Los Gatos High". Metro Silicon Valley. pp. 14–19.
- ^ ISBN 0-7385-2903-6.
- ^ "Niche: Find the School that Fits You Best". Niche.
- ^ a b c "Los Gatos High School Official Profile 2020-2021" (PDF). Los Gatos High School (official site).
- ^ Stone, Larry (October 31, 2012). "Vikings' Jared Allen channels his inner beast". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
- San Jose Mercury News. October 15, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
- ^ Bryant, Dale (May 27, 1998). "Principal Lessons: Whether the road is bumpy or smooth - and it's been both - Ted Simonson stays the course". Los Gatos Weekly-Times.
- ^ "Principal Apologizes for Veiled Slurs Against Blacks, Gays". AP NEWS. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
- ^ World's Longest Field Goal- Robot vs NFL Kicker, retrieved December 4, 2023
- ^ "#MeTooLGHS: Investigating Sex Assault Accusations by Los Gatos High Students". NBC Bay Area. April 29, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ "Los Gatos: Rally to fight sexual assault & harassment highlights slow change". The Mercury News. July 26, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ Bruntz, George. The History of Los Gatos 1971, p. 111.
External links
Media related to Los Gatos High School at Wikimedia Commons
- Los Gatos High School official website