Bullard High School (Fresno, California)

Bullard High School is a public secondary school located in Fresno, California, United States. Founded in 1955 and recognized as one of Fresno's top public schools,[6] it is part of the Fresno Unified School District, and as of 2011 had around 2,650 students on roll in grades 9–12, approximately 650 students per grade.[4][1]

Bullard High School
Law, Justice, and Public Service Magnet
Location
5445 N. Palm Avenue
Fresno California 93704

United States
Coordinates36°49′02″N 119°48′36″W
Information
TypePublic
Founded1955[1]
School districtFresno Unified School District
CEEB code050973[1]
PrincipalArmen Torigian[2]
Faculty111.01 (on FTE basis)[3]
Grades8–12
Enrollment2,523 (2018–19)[3]
Student to teacher ratio22.73[4]
Color(s)Navy, Columbia, and White
Athletics conferenceCalifornia Interscholastic Federation County Metro League
MascotKnight
AccreditationWASC[5]
PublicationThe Charger
YearbookThe Lance
Websitewww.fresnounified.org/schools/bullard

History

The school is named after Edwin J. Bullard, a Fresno area farmer and former member of the Fresno Country Board of Supervisors.[7] The Bullard geographical area originally had its own school district, named Bullard Unified, but it merged with Fresno Unified in 1958. Some parents discussed taking the Bullard area schools back out of Fresno Unified in 1991, primarily over funding concerns but it never moved beyond preliminary stages.[8] Other attempts to disconnect the school from Fresno Unified occurred in 2011, when some parents proposed merging with Fresno and Edison High Schools, creating a new "Van Ness" school district and also in 2016, when teachers created a plan to convert Bullard to a charter school.[9][10]

The campus has grown significantly since its founding in 1955. An all-weather track and field facility as well and an aquatic complex were added in the early 2010s.[11] A three year construction project was completed in 2017 which included two new classrooms, a new administration building, and a new library media center.[12] Solar panels were added over the parking lots in 2018.

The school was selected to host an early anti-plagiarism pilot program in 1999 by alumni John Barrie, who later created Turnitin.[13] A 2014 bomb threat against the school led to two teenagers being arrested.[14] In 2015, a student attacked a teacher and another student, which led to calls for stricter discipline.[15][16] A cheating controversy marred the 2016 graduation, where the valedictorian leveled accusations against the teachers and administration; a school spokesman denied the claims.[17] A Bullard cheerleader's 2019 video spawned widespread racial criticism.[18][19] In 2022, a picture taken in the school's weightroom sparked additional race-based outrage.[20]

Ethnic composition

As of the 2014–2015 school year, the student population was 41% Caucasian, 38% Hispanic, 13% African American, 5% Asian and 3% Other. Approximately 3% of the students have been identified as English Language Learners.[1]

Athletics

For much of its history, Bullard High has competed in the North Yosemite League, playing against the other public high schools in Fresno and Madera for over 40 years. In 2002, the school shifted over to the Tri-City League but after two years there, it moved to the County Metro League. Due to their close proximity on opposing sides of Fresno's 41 Freeway, a rivalry developed between Bullard and Hoover High School. The rivalry was dubbed the "Battle of Barstow" after a street both campuses share.[21] However, as the competitive balance of the area high schools has shifted over the years, more rivalries have developed within league play.

Bullard High School offers a comprehensive Division I interscholastic athletics program with 24 different varsity-level sports.[1] The athletics program has produced Major League Baseball players including Steve Ellsworth, Dave Meier, Stan Papi, Randy Asadoor and Rex Hudler.[22][23][24] Former Fresno State and NFL quarterback Kevin Sweeney is another notable Bullard alumnus.

The school has had consistent success in baseball, softball, volleyball (boys and girls), tennis, water polo, and soccer. The school earned varsity football league championships in the Northern Yosemite League in 1962, 1966, 1967, 1977, 1981 and 1999, as well as in the County Metro League in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2012. The 2009 varsity football team had success in the Division I Central Section playoffs and won the section title that year, being named Valley Champions. The girls tennis team had a string of section championships from 1987 to 1994.[25] The 1999 girls volleyball team made a deep run in the CIF playoffs, beating Mira Costa and sweeping San Marcos before getting knocked out by top ranked Newport Harbor.[26] The 2009 boys soccer team won a section title and were state championship runners-up. The girls soccer team won a section title in 2011 (also state championship runners-up) along with the boys basketball team that same year.

While not an alumnus, former National Football League head and assistant coach Mike Martz started his coaching career as an assistant coach for the Knights football team in 1973. Bullard's success under coach Tony Amundsen put them on the radar of Southern California basketball programs.[27][28] Tony's older brother, Tim, took the reins of the basketball program in 2016.[29]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Profile". Bullard High School. Archived from the original on 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  2. California School Directory
  3. "Bullard High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  4. "Bullard High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
  5. "Directory of Schools 2005-2006" (PDF). Western Association of Schools and Colleges. June 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-10-10. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  6. La Ganga, Maria L. (20 November 2005). "Fresno's Brain Drain Has Left the Town Smarting". LA Times. Retrieved 15 June 2022. At Fresno's Bullard High School -- among the top public schools in the city
  7. Morison Rehart, Catherine (1 June 1996). The Valley's Legends & Legacies. Word Dancer Press. p. 299. ISBN 978-1884995125.
  8. Alexander, Amy (1 November 1991). "SECESSION DISCUSSED AT BULLARD". The Fresno Bee. between 30 and 40 parents has been researching the possibility of taking the Bullard area schools out of the Fresno Unified School District
  9. Mays, Mackenzie (23 February 2016). "Teachers promote plan to convert Bullard High to a charter school". The Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  10. "No uniforms for Bullard; creating a new school district". ABC30 Fresno. 24 March 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  11. "Bullard High School to Get New Track, Pool Complex". ABC7. 5 May 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  12. "Bullard High will have a brand new look just in time for the first day of school". ABC7. 8 August 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  13. Dudley, Anne (24 October 1999). "SCHOOL CHEATING PUT TO THE TEST BULLARD HIGH TRIES A GRADUATE'S COMPUTER PROGRAMTO DETECT DIGITAL PLAGIARISM". The Fresno Bee. At Bullard, the program is first being tested in science teacher Tom Atkins' classes
  14. Cano, Ricardo (4 September 2014). "Bullard High bomb threat: two suspects arrested". The Collegian of Fresno State. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  15. Appleton, Rory (21 November 2015). "Bullard High student allegedly attacks teacher, student; campus police officer slow to respond". The Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  16. Castillo, Andrea (17 December 2015). "Bullard High School teachers release petition demanding stricter discipline". The Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  17. Mays, Mackenzie (14 June 2016). "Fresno Unified denies Bullard valedictorian's accusations of cheating". The Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  18. La Ganga, Maria L. (31 August 2019). "Cheerleader's blackface video raises ghosts of Fresno's racist past". LA Times. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  19. La Ganga, Maria L. (1 June 2019). "Student in blackface spouting a racial slur roils Fresno high school". LA Times. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  20. Jacob, Brittany; Flores, Alyssa (6 May 2022). "Fresno Unified investigating controversial picture taken at Bullard High". ABC30 Fresno. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  21. "Battle of Barstow rivalry not over yet". ABC30 Fresno. 28 August 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  22. "1977 Draft -- June Regular Phase". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  23. "1969 Draft -- June Regular Phase". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  24. "1980 Draft -- June Regular Phase". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  25. White, David (1 December 1999). "BULLARD'S TITLE RUN SINKS IN 5 GAMES". The Fresno Bee.
  26. Duncan, Sean (1 December 1999). "A Decade of Dominance - Powerhouse Panthers aim for 8th title of 90s". Daily Breeze. The Panthers fell three short of the state record held by Fresno's Bullard High (1987-1994)
  27. Galluzzo, Steve (23 January 2013). "Bullard shoots for recognition in the Southern California basketball scene". MaxPreps. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  28. Reisbeck, Jessob (15 June 2022). "Bullard High's Armstead Brothers Like You've Never Seen Before". FOX26 Fresno. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  29. Giannandrea, Nick (11 July 2016). "Prep basketball: Bullard hires three-time section title-winning coach Tim Amundsen". The Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  30. Boogaard, Andy (3 November 1999). "IT'S NO WONDER REX HUDLER'S FABULOUS JOURNEY ENDS RIGHT WHERE IT OUGHT TO -- FRESNO'S HALL OF FAME". The Fresno Bee. the Bullard High product has better stories to tell
  31. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2009-07-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  32. "high school photo". Retrieved 2012-05-18.
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