California High School

9870 Broadmoor Dr, San Ramon, CA 94583

California High School is a four-year public comprehensive high school in the city of San Ramon, one of four comprehensive high schools in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, situated along the 580/680 corridor of the East Bay. The school colors of Cal High are orange and black; The Grizzly is the mascot. The crest of the school portrays the rich California mountains, deserts, and coastline.

In what was then known as San Ramon Village, California High School was built in 1973. The school was constructed with four primary classroom pods in an open classroom design: Coast Pod, Desert Pod, Mountain Pod, and Valley Pod. The four pods were grouped around a core that housed the upstairs library and below the science rooms; elective Gold Coast classrooms were situated off the backside of the main building.

Teachers covering various subjects, a dean, and a counselor in an academic unit were teamed together in each pod. Ernie Berger, Cal High, watched over by its first principal, initially opened as an intermediate/high school with students in grades 7-10. The school added 11th and 12th-grade classes over the next few years. California High School grew into a conventional high school serving grades 9-12, with a seven-period day, after Pine Valley Middle School opened in 1977. The internal layout of the open-classroom pods of the main building was updated in 1977 to produce self-contained wedge-shaped classrooms separated by folding walls. In the green, blue, and brown locker bays, students found places to hang out.

In the Tri-Valley area surrounding California High School, the 1970s saw major development and transition. Housing and light industry technologies have increased. In 1978, Bishop Ranch Business Park opened in San Ramon, attracting Chevron, Pacific Bell, Toyota, and United Parcel Service corporate headquarters and regional business centers.

San Ramon was incorporated as a city in 1983. Partnerships with the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, including shared-use facilities and parks, were established by the cities of San Ramon and Danville. Examples of this active and ongoing partnership include the San Ramon Olympic Pool and Aquatic Center and the tennis courts at California High School.

From its inception, California High School has been the recipient of community support, including community volunteers, student internships, and corporate partnerships. Students, educators, and services have been sponsored by Cal High Booster organizations, the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation, and corporate partnerships. State grants and voter-approved bond initiatives and parcel taxes have financed the renovation, remodeling, and technological improvements of facilities. In 1998-1999, the school was able to add new commons and facilities for science, technology, music, athletics, and administration to new development financed by a local parcel tax. California High School added a World Language Building with ten classrooms in 2004.