Providence High School (Burbank, California)

In May 1973, school officials began to discuss with the Archdiocese the possibility of making the school coeducational. It was decided in January 1974 that the school should indeed include boys for the following school year.

Enrollment declined in the 1980s, a problem faced by many Catholic schools in the area, leading to the most difficult challenge in the school's history. In the fall of 1988, with enrollment at an all-time low of fewer than 200 students, the Sisters of Providence announced that the school would close at the end of the 1988-1989 school year. A group of determined parents and students were very upset by the news and banded together along with Principal Sr. Lucille Dean, SP to improve Providence's enrollment. Impressed by the parents’ devotion, the Sisters of Providence agreed that if 100 potential students took the school's entrance exam that spring and enrollment reached 400 students within four years, then Providence High School would remain open.

On December 11, 2000, the school held a groundbreaking ceremony for the planned student activity center. Construction of the new facility, featuring a gym, conference room, snack shop, weight room, and exercise room, began on January 9, 2001 and was completed in early 2002. The Fritz B. Burns Student Activity Center was dedicated and blessed at a special liturgical celebration on January 20, 2002.

Sr. Lucille Dean, SP retired from her position as principal at the conclusion of the 2004-2005 school year and, Mrs. Michele Schulte, became the school's 7th Principal. After Mr. Michael Collins spent one year as Interim Head of School in 2010-2011, the school appointed Mr. Joe Sciuto as Head of School.

The 2012-2013 school year marked the opening of the long anticipated Science Center, which contains biology, chemistry and physics classrooms and labs. PHS has been continually accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) and has recently become a member of California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS).

Providence's first head of school, Joe Sciuto served the Catholic high school until the spring of 2019.[4] Administrative leadership changed in the Fall of 2019 when Scott McLarty was selected to become Providence High School's second Head of School and changing former Principal Allison Castro's title to Assistant Head of School.[5][6][7]

The Cinema Arts Focus Program explores the influencer that narrative has in media through an in-depth hands-on curriculum. The Cinema Arts Focus Center is a first-class studio with professional-grade equipment. Cinema Arts students are given the opportunity to compete in various film competitions and to hear from guest speakers currently working in the industry.

The four-year program covers topics from health, medicine, and biotechnology to health care within political, social, economic, religious and ethical frameworks.

The program is the result of a partnership between Providence High School and Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center. Expansion of the program now includes participation and support of the following organizations/institutions: Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, Shriner's Hospital, USC University Hospital, LAC+USC Medical Center, Glendale Memorial Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, Midway Medical Center, Huntington Memorial Hospital, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.[8][9]

The Technology Focus Program is designed as a broad-based introduction into various kinds of technology, providing a launching pad for further college study and industry application.[10]

In 2018, the Technology Focus Program Center held its ribbon cutting ceremony unveiling a 32-station computer lab, four 3-D printers, a CNC machine, a mill machine and a laser cutter. This facility is open for Technology Focus Program students enrolled in the four-year program.[11]