Savanna High School

Savanna High School (SHS) is a public high school in the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD), located in the city of Anaheim, California in the United States. Savanna was established in 1961 and is one of eight comprehensive high schools within the district. The school currently services the Northwest Anaheim region and southeast Buena Park.

Not to be confused with Savannah High School.
Savanna High School
Address
301 North Gilbert Street

Anaheim
,
California
92801

United States
Coordinates33°50′6″N 117°58′5″W
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1961 (1961)
School boardAnaheim Union High School District
SuperintendentMichael B. Matsuda
PrincipalMichael Pooley
Faculty71.00 (FTE)[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment1,863 (2018-19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio26.24[1]
Color(s)Red & Gray   
MascotRebel[2]
NicknameRebels
YearbookSavannan
Websitesavanna.auhsd.us

History

Savanna was the second of three new high schools opened in response to the city's rapid postwar growth, between Magnolia and Loara, all built by the Beckner Construction Company.[3] The school was not completed until November 1961, and for the first quarter, students double-sessioned at Magnolia's campus.[3] The school originally served grades 10 through 12, and did not enroll freshmen until 1980.[4]

The students of the school voted in 1961 to adopt the "Rebels" as its nickname over the "Surfers."[5] In 1964, a freelance artist named T. Howard Ball built a fiberglass statue[4] representing the mascot "Johnny Rebel," a Confederate soldier appearing to charge at its enemy with a rifle.[6] The statue stood in the quad until 2009, when it was removed due to its deterioration.[5] An art teacher proposed restoring the statue in 2015, but the school board rejected the project unanimously, citing its racial insensitivity as well as the projected cost of $45,000.[6]

In October 2017, in response to student and alumni objections to the mascot, the school held a nonbinding referendum of the student body on the future of the mascot and nickname. A majority of students voted to retain the nickname "Rebels" but to rebrand it to remove Confederate references and imagery.[7] The school board agreed and voted in November to eliminate the Civil War references, including painting over an image of a Confederate soldier in the school gym and another mural which included a Confederate battle flag.[8]

A memorial to alumnus Stephen Hillenburg was unveiled at the school in November of 2021. Hillenburg was the creator of Spongebob SquarePants, and was honored with a yellow bench and plaque donated by a committee including Hillenburg’s wife, Karen.[9] Much of the cast and crew from Spongebob attended the unveiling, including Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, and Clancy Brown.[10]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Savanna High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  2. Marroquin, Art (February 19, 2015). "School board rejects bid to restore 'Rebel' statue". Orange County Register.
  3. "Savanna Hi Opens Doors, Eases School Congestion" (PDF), The Anaheim Gazette, vol. 90, no. 26, p. 1, November 30, 1961, retrieved 2021-06-29
  4. "25 Years of History", Savannan, pp. 280–81, 1987
  5. San Román, Gabriel (June 25, 2015), "How the Confederate Flag and Johnny Rebel Fell at Anaheim's Savanna High School", OC Weekly, retrieved 2021-06-29
  6. Marroquin, Art (February 19, 2015), "School board rejects bid to restore 'Rebel' statue", Orange County Register
  7. Robinson, Alicia (October 25, 2017), "Most Savanna High students want to re-brand Johnny Rebel mascot to avoid Confederacy links", The Orange County Register, retrieved 2021-06-29
  8. Vo, Thy (November 7, 2017), Anaheim's Savanna High School to Get New "Rebel" Mascot, retrieved 2021-06-29
  9. Gruppetstudios. “The Stephen Hillenburg Memorial (And How We Did It!)” on YouTube. Published December 2nd, 2021. Accessed March 6th, 2023.
  10. Ponsi, Lou. “SpongeBob voice actors help celebrate memorial at Savanna High for creator Stephen Hillenburg”. "The Orange County Register". Published November 19th, 2021. Accessed March 6th, 2023.
  11. Vecsey, George (27 February 1983). "Sports of The Times; An Outdoor Job for Rick Ownbey". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  12. K.E.D. (April 2003). "Cover Biography for April 2003". Current Biography. H. W. Wilson Company. Archived from the original on August 14, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
  13. "Trevor Hoffman Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
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