Valley High School (Sacramento, California)
| Valley High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
|
6300 Ehrhardt Ave Sacramento, California, Sacramento County 95823 United States of America | |
| Coordinates | 38°27′13″N 121°25′43″W / 38.45369°N 121.42849°WCoordinates: 38°27′13″N 121°25′43″W / 38.45369°N 121.42849°W |
| Information | |
| Established | 1977 |
| School district | Elk Grove Unified School District |
| Principal | Chelsea Bowler |
| Colour(s) | |
| Mascot | Vikings |
| Rival | Florin High School |
| Feeder schools | Samuel Jackman Middle School |
| Website | Official website |
Valley High School is a 9th-12th grade college preparatory high school located in Sacramento, California, near the city limits of Elk Grove, California. The school was established in 1977 as part of the Elk Grove Unified School District. Valley's mascot is the Viking and their cross town rivals are Elk Grove High School and Florin High School.
History
Valley was Elk Grove's second comprehensive and traditional high school. The new school was built to serve the northern part of the huge 320-square-mile (830 km2) district, which covered a large portion of south Sacramento. The name chosen for the high school was intended to reflect the Valley Hi community, which was then one of the newer subdivisions in the south area. It was also chosen to remind local citizens of the great Sacramento Valley and the vast meadowlands that once covered south Sacramento.
Academics
Valley High School has a similar school ranking of a 10 (the highest there is on the API) but an overall API of 3 [1](on a scale of 1 to 10). Valley has seen an increase in its CST scores for nine years. Valley has been recognized nationally; Valley High School ranked in the top 1,300 high schools in the United States by Newsweek in 2008.
The school has increased the number of students completing A-G requirements from 21 percent in 2005 to 30 percent in 2007. The number of Valley High School students who successfully completed CSU applications rose by 56 percent from 2005 to 2007. The number of students taking the PSAT rose from a 4 percent participation rate in 2005-2006 to 80 percent in 2007-2008. During the same time period, the EGUSD participation rate rose from 16 percent to 79 percent in 2007-2008. The numbers of students participating are now far higher than the state level at 34 percent and the nation at 37 percent.[2]
Academic competitions
National History Day
In the National History Day program, participants from Valley High have reached the national finals a number of times. In 1997, a student won second place in the Senior Individual Exhibit category.[3] In 1998, a group won third in the Senior Group Exhibit, and one student won third in Senior Individual Exhibit. In 2007, three students won second place in the Senior Group Exhibit category.[4]
Notable alumni
===Athletics===
Football
- Robert Awalt - NFL, tight end
- Rae Carruth - NFL, wide receiver
- Keith Lewis - NFL, safety
- Charles Mann - NFL, defensive tackle Super Bowl Champion
- Jeremiah Pharms - college football player
- Jamie Nieto - 3 Times Olympian high jumper
- Marshall Sperbeck - football coach
- Fernando Viña - MLB, infielder
- Jerry DeLoach - NFL, defensive tackle
- Damen Wheeler - American football player
Track & Field Women
- Jamie Whitmore - ParaOlympic Gold Medalist 2016
- Sonja Smith 100 yard 10.9
Heptathalete Womens
- Lissa Vargas 100 meter Hurdles 13.9
- Lissa Vargas High Jump 5'8"
- Lissa Vargas Discus Throw 172'
- Lissa Vargas Shot Put 59'
- Lissa Vargas Long Jump 18'8"
- Lissa Vargas 400 meter relay
- Lissa Vargas 200 meter
- Lissa Vargas 100 yard 11.3
Politics
- George A. Plescia - State Assemblyman, former Republican leader
Entertainment
- Kevin Brewer - Founding member of Jabbawockeez
- Danielle (Thrower) Truitt - Lead character on BET's, Rebel
- Key Lewis Comedian
- Lance Woods Comedian
- Joe Mendonsa Comedian