Hollywood High School is a four-year public secondary school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.

History

In September 1903, a two-room school was opened on the second floor of an empty storeroom at the Masonic Temple on Highland Avenue, north of Hollywood Boulevard (then Prospect Avenue). Hollywood was incorporated as a municipality in November 1903. The Hollywood High Organ Opus 481 was a gift from the class of 1924. After suffering severe water damage from the Northridge earthquake in 1994, it was restored in 2002. The campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 4, 2012. The school's mascot was derived from the 1921 Rudolph Valentino film of the same name, The Sheik. It was in the Los Angeles City High School District until 1961, when it merged into LAUSD. In the 2015–16 football season, the boys' varsity football team played in the school's third championship game led by head coach Frank Galvan. They finished the season with a 12–2 record. Coach Galvan ended his 6 year Hollywood coaching career with 4 league titles, 6 play off appearances, 1 city championship appearance, city semi finals, beating rivals 5 years straight (owning SUNSET), 25 plus all city players and ended as the winningest coach in Hollywood history. In the 2016–17 season, coached by Beverley Kilpatrick, the boys' varsity volleyball team played in the school's first-ever championship game. Their historic season ended with an overall record of 17–5.

Filming location

Hollywood High has been the filming location for movies, television shows, and other productions, including:

Skate spot

During the rise of street skating in the 90s, the school became a famous skate spot. Many skate videos were filmed there and one of the more iconic sites at the spot is the set of stairs, called the "Hollywood High 16."

Mural

In 2002, artist Eloy Torrez painted a mural of 13 famous entertainers, titled "Portrait of Hollywood", across the entire east wall of the school's auditorium. From left to right, the entertainers displayed are Dorothy Dandridge, Dolores del Río, Brandy Norwood, Selena, Lana Turner, Cantinflas, Carol Burnett, Cher, Ricky Nelson, Bruce Lee, Rudolph Valentino, and Judy Garland. In 2007, Torrez added a 50 ft tall mural of John Ritter, who died four years earlier, on the connecting portion of the building's north wall. All but five of the entertainers—Cantinflas, Lee, Selena, Del Rio, and Valentino—were students at Hollywood High School. The artist said the mural is a celebration of a diverse ethnic range of actors and entertainers.

Present-day learning academies

Hollywood High School has four academies, each with a different purpose. Teaching Career Academy. For students who seek to work with children as a career. Potential careers range from becoming a teacher to being a social worker. In order to give a student a little experience, the school works with other elementary schools and allows Hollywood High School students to tutor elementary school students. Performing Arts Magnet. Helps students develop their talents as actors, singers, and/or dancers. New Media Technology. For students who would like to go into filmmaking. Helps students build their knowledge of technology. They are afforded hands-on experience with equipment usually found inside a film studio. This academy also provides internships to permit graduates to immediately start working in that field. School for Advanced Studies. This academy does not focus on a specific career but helps students prepare for university life. Offers classes that are at the same level of difficulty as a college class.

Notable alumni