Legacy High School (South Gate, California) Explained

STEAM Legacy High School
Address:5225 Tweedy Boulevard
Founded:2012
Principal:Michael Santiago
Nickname:Tigers
Website:https://legacyhs.lausd.org/

Legacy High School, or STEAM Legacy High School , is a STEAM public school located in South Gate, California. It was ranked the 322nd best high school within California for the 2023–2024 school year by U.S. News & World Report.[1] The school is part of and within the Los Angeles Unified School District and is affiliated with the International Studies Learning Center. As of 2023, the school currently has around 583 students.[2] Students in the school participate in various programs such as the Water Equity Technology Program[3] and the ELAC Early College Program.[4]

History

Plans to construct the school started in 2008 under the name South Region High School #9.[5] On February 23, 2009, construction for South Region High School #9 was approved.[6] The principal planned to administer the school at the time, Carla Barrera-Ortiz of the Los Angeles Unified School District, claimed the main goal of the school was to "reverse the underrepresentation of Latinos in the field of mathematics and technology".[7] Masonry for the school was at the cost of around 3 million US dollars[8] and construction costed around 13.5 million dollars.[9] The school opened on August 14, 2012, in the Gateway Cities city of South Gate.[10] [11] [12] On January 8, 2016, the girls' basketball team of Legacy High School won against Palisades Charter High School with a score of 65-62 for the CIF Los Angeles City Section championship.[13] In 2019, STEAM Legacy High School won in the 2019 Horizon Grand Prix, an automotive competition in Prague, by building a prototype hydrogen vehicle.[14] [15] [16]

On August 30, 2023, Varsity Head Football Coach, Steve Medina was named Week 1 - Coach of the Week by the Los Angeles Chargers.[17] Coach Medina led an undefeated Legacy Tigers team into week 7, and finished the regular 2023-24 season at 8 - 2. This was the most successful season by any varsity team in school history, but it was overshadowed by the untimely passing of Coach Medina on November 5, 2023, when he succumbed to a long battle with kidney disease. A few weeks later, he was also posthumously awarded the Coach of the Year for Los Angeles County during a special halftime ceremony of the Chargers Sunday Night Football game versus the Baltimore Ravens on November 26, 2023 at SOFI Stadium in Inglewood, California.

On October 26, 2023, a police officer opened fire on campus[18] at around 9:30 PDT[19] after an SUV driver attempted to run another police officer over.[20] The SUV then crashed into a parked car[21] and the school was placed on lockdown.[22]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: STEAM Legacy High School . usnews.com . . 2 October 2023.
  2. Web site: STEAM Legacy High School . niche.com . . 2 October 2023.
  3. Web site: Gonzalez . Natalie . LA River Walking Tour with STEAM Legacy High School . riverla.org . River LA . 3 October 2023.
  4. Web site: ELAC Early College Program . . 3 October 2023.
  5. Web site: South Region High School No. 9 . ceqanet.opr.ca.gov . 5 December 2008 . . 3 October 2023.
  6. Web site: South Region High School No. 9 . ceqanet.opr.ca.gov . 24 February 2009 . . 3 October 2023.
  7. Web site: Board Informative_SRHS 9 . lausd.org . . 3 October 2023.
  8. Web site: SouthRegionHighSchool9-Block . masonryinstitute.org . Masonry Institute of America . 3 October 2023.
  9. Web site: LAUSD South Region High School #9 . icsinc.tv . Innovative Construction Solutions . 3 October 2023.
  10. Web site: Blume . Howard . New South Gate high school is finally opening . . 11 August 2012 . 3 October 2023.
  11. Web site: Arzate . Guillermo . New High School to Open Next Month . patch.com . 30 June 2012 . . 3 October 2023.
  12. Web site: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics at Legacy High School Complex . cde.ca.gov . . 2 October 2023.
  13. Web site: Sondheimer . Eric . South Gate Legacy has risen quickly in girls' basketball . . 25 January 2016 . 2 October 2023.
  14. Web site: McDonnell Nieto Del Rio . Giulia . L.A. Latino students take prize in Prague, could help conquer climate change . . 15 July 2019 . 3 October 2023.
  15. Web site: Williams . Bret . Californian high school students win championship for hydrogen prototype vehicle . www.hydrogenfuelnews.com. 16 July 2019 . Hydrogen Fuel News . 3 October 2023.
  16. Web site: Resendiz . Eric . South Gate students make history with hydrogen prototype vehicle, win world automotive competition . abc7.com . . 2 October 2023.
  17. Web site: Los Angeles Chargers . 2024-06-13 . www.chargers.com . en-US.
  18. Web site: Leong . Tracy . Chinchilla . Rudy . Students locked down when shots are fired after football game at high school in South Gate . nbclosangeles.com . . 22 January 2024.
  19. Web site: Police shoot at suspect at Legacy High School during football game in South Gate . presstelegram.com . . 23 January 2024.
  20. Web site: Students placed on lockdown after police shooting at Legacy High School in South Gate . abc7.com . . 22 January 2024.
  21. Web site: Graciette . Gigi . Johnson . Kelli . Legacy High School police shooting: Gunshots ring out following football game in South Gate . foxla.com . 23 January 2024.
  22. Web site: Kiszla . Cameron . Officer, suspect hurt after chase, shooting near South Gate high school football game . ktla.com . . 23 January 2024.