San Diego High School

In 1881, voters approved $12,000 for the construction of a new school in San Diego. The school was established in 1882, initially named Russ School after lumberman Joseph Russ, who donated the lumber to build the school.[3] The school was built in the Italian Villa style with a low-hip roof, ironwork parapet, and open-bell tower. It consisted of two stories and eight rooms. The school opened to a class of 308 students from grades 1-8.

In 1888 a high school was added, with three teachers. The high school students took over the upper floor; elementary and primary students occupied the lower floor. The first commencement was held in 1889, with four students graduating. In 1893 high school students took over the entire school, which was renamed Russ High School.[4]

In 1906 the school building was moved several hundred feet to allow for construction of a new school. The original building was stripped of its ornamentation and was used for storage, dressing rooms, and a cafeteria. It burned down in 1911.[4]

By 1902 the school had become overcrowded and a new school, San Diego High School, was built on the original site, opening on April 13, 1907.[3] The new building, designed by F.S. Allen, contained 65 rooms and was built in the Gothic Revival style, with towers flanking the entrances. It was built of brick with a veneer of granite. Students thought it resembled a castle and nicknamed it "The Grey Castle."[4] It was later admitted that the design of The Grey Castle took inspiration from Joliet Prison in Illinois.[5]

In 1913 a polytechnic school was added, with three additional Gothic style buildings housing classes in manual arts, domestic arts, and fine arts. By 1913 there were 55 teachers and 1518 students. The school reached its peak attendance, 3327 students, in 1928.[4]

Balboa Stadium, just east of the high school, was dedicated in 1915. The 2,500-seat Russ Auditorium, just south of the school, was dedicated on May 13, 1926.

To comply with California legislation in the 1960s that required all school districts to demolish or retrofit any school building built prior to 1933 for earthquake safety reasons, the "Grey Castle" building was torn down. The first of four buildings constructed prior to 1933 was torn down along with the Russ Auditorium in 1973; Building 101, the "original Grey Castle", was the last building to be torn down in 1975.[3] The current school, consisting of four concrete-block buildings with blue trim, was re-dedicated on November 6, 1976. Gargoyles from the façade of Russ Auditorium can be seen in a fountain near the school entrance, and heavy carved doors from the "Gray Castle" were installed on the administration building.[4]

In June 2004, as part of the national "School-within-a-School" movement and with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, San Diego High School was divided into six thematic schools, collectively called The San Diego High Educational Complex. Each of the six schools of approximately 500 students had its own administration and staff:[3][6] The schools were:

• School of International Studies (incorporating an existing International Baccalaureate program)
• Lead, Explore, Achieve, Discover and Serve High School (LEADS)
• School of Business
• School of Science and Technology (SciTech)
• School of Media, Visual and Performing Arts (MVPA; School of the Arts)
• School of Communication Investigations in a Multicultural Atmosphere (CIMA)

In approximately 2009, the School of Communication shut down due to an insufficient number of students. In 2013 the School of Business and the School of LEADS combined to form the School of Business and Leadership, leaving four academies.[7] At the end of the 2014–2015 academic year the arts academy was also closed down. For the 2015–2016 school year the campus was reunited under a single principal, with the three remaining academies – International Studies, Business, and Science and Technology – each functioning under a vice principal.[8] In 2021, the three remaining schools were merged back into a single school, while still offering its International Baccalaureate and California Partnership Academy programs.[9]

In late 2021, San Diego Unified School district unveiled its plans to modernize the SDHS campus. Among other improvements this included demolishing and replacing the 100 building constructed in 1976, and improved HVAC systems for the 400, 500, and 600 buildings.[10][11] The ground-breaking ceremony occurred on May 2, 2022, and construction is expected to be completed by 2025.[12][13]

San Diego High is home to three academies established within the scope of the California Department of Education California Partnership Academies (CPA) program.[16] The CPA model is a three-year program (grades ten-twelve) structured as a school-within-a-school.[16] The first one, the Academy of Finance, was established in 2007 at the School of Business and Leadership.[17] Two more, the San Diego Medical Technology Academy (MedTech) established in 2011 and the Green Engineering Academy (GeoTech) established 2012 at the School of Science and Technology, with the first classes graduating in 2014 and 2015 respectively.[17] The curriculum at Medtech Academy is based on the Biomedical Sciences program by Project Lead The Way (PLTW).[18]

San Diego High's football stadium, Balboa Stadium, was built in 1914 for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition with a capacity of 19,000 at that time. U.S. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave speeches there. From 1961 to 1966 it was the home of the San Diego Chargers after being expanded to 34,000 capacity.[19] Over the years it has played host to music legends such as Jimi Hendrix, and The Beatles in 1965. The 1914 stadium was torn down in the 1970s and a new one dedicated in 1978 with a seating capacity of about 3,000. In 2009 the stadium saw new turf decorated with the school's mascot, the Caver. The stadium is used for various sports including football, soccer, and track, as well as San Diego High School graduation ceremonies.

• High School Football National Championship: 1916, 1955
• High school baseball national champions: 1921
• CIF football state champions: 2018[20]
• CIF San Diego Section champions, boys' basketball: 1965, 1967, 1975 (D2A), 2008 (D1), 2017, 2018 (D4)
• CIF San Diego Section champions, girls' basketball: 2020

• The 1922 San Diego High baseball team was barred from league play by the CIF after its 1921 National Championship Squad played an unsanctioned game against the East's best baseball team of that time, Cleveland High. This game drew 11,000 fans and saw San Diego High defeat Cleveland 10–0. During the 1922 season the team played college and independent teams, losing to just Stanford and the Sherman Indians. They beat Cleveland again in front of 13,000 fans.
• San Diego High participated in the first high school football game in San Diego County in 1898, defeating Escondido High School 6–0. Players and coaches from San Diego traveled in covered wagons over the course of two days to reach their destination.
• Mia Labovitz In 1987 became the first female in the nation to score multiple points during a Varsity football game. In 1988, she kicked the game winner (3–0) against St. Augustine High School (San Diego), becoming the first female to score all of her team's points in a contest. She would finish her career with 4 FG and 8 PATs.
• Kate Sessions, considered the "mother of Balboa Park," taught at San Diego High in 1884.
• San Diego High claims that, in 1922, its cheerleading squad was the first high school or college to use female cheerleaders.