La Quinta High School (Westminster, California)

La Quinta High School (or LQHS) is a public high school located in Westminster, Orange County, California, is one of seven high-schools of the Garden Grove Unified School District — recipient of the 2004 Broad Prize for Excellence in Urban Education. It currently has the highest API score of all the high schools in Garden Grove Unified School District, and 10th in Orange County (a score of 865 in 2010), as well as a high rate of college matriculation.

History

La Quinta High School was founded in 1963, "the fifth" high school to be founded in the Garden Grove Unified School District. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, La Quinta gained notoriety for expressed racial tensions between those of Asian and Hispanic/Latino descent.^[2][3] In 1994, La Quinta was known for a tuberculosis outbreak of 106 students and faculty who tested positive, and subsequent quick response and compliance with county public health officials.^[4] And in summer of 2011, another student tested with TB. In 2009, La Quinta again made headlines for student demonstrations in support of a teacher allegedly abused by the high school's administration.^[5]

Administration and Organization

The La Quinta mascot is an Aztec. La Quinta's current principal is Denise L. Halstead. The assistant principals are Beth Fisher, Adrian Lucero and Loan Sriruksa. The school couselors are Sara Williams (A–Hoa), Adriana Esquivel (Hob–Nguyen, D.), Patricia Tran (Nguyen, E.–Q), Lucy FitzRandolph (R–Z), and Caren Glowalla who is a supplemental counselor.

The structure of the school is divided into three main buildings. The 200 building to the east specializes in world languages, social sciences, English, business and mathematics. The 300 building to the west features classes in the science, mathematics, fine arts, and special education. The 400 building to the south houses weight rooms and classrooms for miscellaneous subjects, such as art, music, French and computer graphics. The 500 buildings, which are seven portable rooms to the south of the 400 building, house social science classrooms. Students traverse the campus through the space between buildings, known as "the quad." The student store, located in the 200 building, is the center of the school's activities.

There are two primary parking lots, the junior parking lot located on Ward Street and senior parking lot on McFadden Avenue. Both lots require permits for parking. The fields south and west of the main campus have courts for sports such as basketball, soccer, track and field, tennis, football, softball and baseball. On May 16, 2016, the campus took down the junior parking lot to add more buildings, and also extended the senior parking lot. On April 2017, the campus added three buildings: the 600 building for art, business and Vietnamese, 700 building for science classes, and the 800 building for math classes. During the summer of 2017, the school took down the 200 buildings, causing the teachers who taught at 200 buildings move into the 300 buildings to teach.

For the upcoming 2017–18 school year, the school have decided to make a student parking policy, allowing seniors to be able to park their cars in the senior lot with having a parking permit, and staff having their own parking lot. This was adopted due to the close of the front office parking lot.

On May 2018, the school opened 100, 200, and 300 buildings from the teachers who taught from the 300 buildings. The 300 buildings are expected to be taken down this upcoming summer.

Student body

There are about 2,150 students, grades 9th-12th, who reside in Westminster, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, and Santa Ana. La Quinta’s student demographic breakdown is as follows; 78.2% of the students are Asian, 16.5% Hispanic, 4.3% are Caucasian, .5% Filipino and .2% Pacific Islander representing approximately 26 different home languages. The class of 2006 sent approximately 90% of its graduates to higher education; 25% to four-year colleges and 65% to two-year colleges.^[6]

Academics

La Quinta High School offers many Advanced Placement classes. AP classes, if mastered, will give students college credit in that course. Mastery is determined by a score on the AP tests given in May. A score of 3, 4, or 5 allows the student to gain college credit. La Quinta offers the following AP classes:
English
AP English Literature
AP English Language and Composition
Math
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
AP Statistics
Sciences
AP Computer Science Principals
AP Computer Science A
AP Psychology
AP Physics 1
AP Physics C
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
AP Environmental Science
World Languages
AP Spanish Language
AP Spanish Literature
Social Sciences
AP World History
AP US History
AP Economics (Macro)
AP Civics
Arts
AP Music Theory

Athletics

La Quinta High School consists the following sports.

Music Department

La Quinta High School has an award winning marching band, known as the La Quinta High School Marching Aztecs. Their most recent show is titled "Where the Clouds Dance" (2017), and past shows include "Tribal Affect" (2016), "Sacred Geometry of Chance" ft. "The Gambler" (2015), "The Machine" ft. Mechanize (2014), "Playback" (2013), "One" (2012), "Heroes" (2011), "Ex Astris Scientia" (2010), "Fantasmic" (2009), "Pyramids of Egypt" (2008), "Pirates" (2007), "Cowboys" (2006), "La Nouba" (2005), "Pearl Harbor" (2004), "Jesus Christ, Superstar" (2003), "Circle of Life" (2002), "Cabaret" (2001), & "Salute to John Williams" (2000). Mr. Richie Sebastian is the current music department director, and previous directors include Mr. James Baker and Mr. William Gustaskus. The band currently competes in Class 3A of the WBA (Western Band Association) circuit as of 2017 and placed 4th overall in the 2017 WBA Grand Championships for classes 1A, 2A, and 3A. They have previously competed in Class 5A of the SCJA (Southern California Judging Association) circuit and advanced to the California State Band Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. They have earned second place (overall band) and high percussion in Division 4A at the CSBC (California State Band Championships) in 2013 and continued on to earn fourth place (overall) with both high percussion and high auxiliary for the first time in Division 5A in 2014.

Along with Marching and Symphonic Band, La Quinta High School offers other music classes such as Concert Choir and String Orchestra. The Vocal Ensemble and the Zero Period Advanced Orchestra have earned Superior ratings at festivals throughout Southern California. The past Vocal Ensemble and Concert Choir was Mr. Steve Hensley. The current Vocal Ensemble and Concert Choir director is Ms. Shelby Smith.

Electives

La Quinta has two elective departments: Fine Arts and Business. Fine arts students win numerous awards each year for their projects. La Quinta has one of the largest Business departments in Orange County, California; it offers classes to obtain either an Accounting Certificate or Business Ownership Certificate as a supplement to college applications or resumes.

Notable alumni

• Brent Kutzle, American musician best known for playing the bass guitar and cello for the band OneRepublic
• Bobby Crosby, Major League Baseball (MLB) shortstop who is currently a free agent^[7]
• Brandon Laird, former MLB third baseman for the New York Yankees & Houston Astros, currently playing for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters^[8]
• Gerald Laird, MLB catcher who is currently a free agent^[9][10]
• Ian Kennedy, MLB pitcher for the Kansas City Royals^[11][12]
• Ian Stewart, MLB third baseman who is currently a free agent^[13]
• Joon Park, Korean-American singer, actor and leader of the Korean pop group g.o.d
• Christian Ramirez, professional soccer player^[14]
• Jamie Subandhi, Olympic badminton player
• Oscar Munoz, CEO, United Airlines

References

External links

• Official site of school
• School Report Card
• Garden Grove Unified School District
• Orange County Department of Education
• La Quinta High School API Score
• County Schools API Scores
• CIF Southern Section
• Maxpreps LQHS