West High School (Torrance)

seealso|West High School "for schools of the same name"

West High School is a public high school in Torrance, California, United States. The mascot is the Warrior.

Overview

West High is one of four comprehensive four-year high schools in the Torrance Unified School District, and has an enrollment of 2,000 students. Its certificated faculty includes 1 teachers, four administrators, five counselors, and one library media teacher, with a pupil-teacher staffing ratio of 28 to one. West High has a tradition in sports, and a tradition of academic excellence. The school mascot are the Warriors. Academically speaking, the West High Academic Decathlon team also performs exceptionally well. They are currently on a three-year winning streak for Los Angeles County competition, getting 1st place in the years 2005, 2006, and 2007. The school has a history of doing well in county and state competition. Jefferson Middle School and Bert Lynn Middle School run into West High.

History

"West Torrance High" opened in September, 1962. (45 acres obtained in 1959 for $703,000). Additions in 1963, 1967, 1968, 1974. Reinforced concrete, 240,562 sq. ft., 9 buildings, 92 classrooms. Construction cost: $7,238,000. Serves area bounded by 190th Street, Hawthorne, Sepulveda and west city boundary. Peak enrollment: 2,692 in 1976. Solar gym and other additions completed, 1976 at cost of $1,308,000. Capacity: 3,000.

Dedication Statement

J.H. Hull, Superintendent -- October 11, 1962

West High School represents two years of coordinated planning by a committee of high school principals, staff members and consultants working with the architect and the superintendent within board policy.

The people of Torrance are to be commended for providing the opportunity to do forward-looking school planning and supporting this kind of educational facility for the youth of Torrance.

As Torrance's thirty-seventh school and fourth high school, West High School shows the result of the experience the district has gained in school planning and construction over the past fifteen years.

Torrance can be proud of West High School as a facility that will do much to support the goals of the community in educating its youth as expressed by the policies of the Board of Education. It also will contribute to carrying out Thomas Jefferson's admonition, "Schools and the means to education shall be forever encouraged."

Project Information - Chronology

Award of architectural contract - May 1958
Purchase of site - August 1959
Site development - July 1960
Award of construction contract - March 1961
Start of construction - April 1961M
Acceptance by School District - August 1962
Start of instruction - September 1962

Achievement

West High School was ranked the top high school in the Torrance Unified School District. Fact|date=October 2007 It has been named a California Distinguished School four times: in 1984, 1994, 1999 and 2005. West High School was named a Blue Ribbon school (top one hundred in the nation) in 1984.

In the academic year of 06-07 the West High School in Los Angeles scored 46,182points in the California Academic Decathlon and placed 8th overall.

The West High School Baseball program has been recognized for it's ability to consistently bring talent to Division 1 collegiate teams and professional baseball. The program has also maintainted a strong bid for CIF contingency year over year.

Alma Mater

The Alma Mater is sung immediately following the conclusion of a rally, and at various other school-sponsored events.

Salty breezes sweeping o'er us
Cries of gulls and terns on high
Purple casts of distant mountains
On the far horizon lie
Hearts united in one purpose
Hands clasped strongly in one tie
We salute our Alma Mater
Staunch defenders of West High!

Athletics

External links

* [http://www.whs.tusd.org/ West High School] Official website
* [http://www.whs.tusd.org/vnews/display.v/ART/46043b79246cd/ West High School Athletics]
* [http://www.westhsalumni.com/ West High School Alumni Website]
* [http://home.earthlink.net/~aristocracy/ West High School Aristocracy]
* [http://www.westhigh.com/users/csf/ West High School California Scholarship Federation]
* [http://www.westhighsoccer.com/ West High School Soccer Program]