Gahr High School Explained

Richard Gahr High School
Streetaddress:	11111 Artesia Boulevard
Zipcode:	90703
Superintendent:	Mary Sieu
Principal:	Jeffrey Hernandez (2023)
Grades:	9-12
Language:	English
Area:	Greater Los Angeles Area
Mascot:	Gladiator
Team Name:	Gladiators
Newspaper:	Gahr Forum
Colours:	Blue White Gold
Founded:	1965
Ratio:	23.56
Staff:	81.80 (FTE)
Enrollment:	1,927 (2018–19)^[1]

Richard Gahr High School, often simply known as Gahr High School, is a public, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) magnet high school in Cerritos, California, serving grades 9-12. Gahr High is one of three comprehensive high schools in the ABC Unified School District.

The school is a two-time (2007, 2021) California Distinguished School. It is opposite to Artesia Cemetery.

History

Gahr High School opened in 1965 as the first high school in both the newly unified ABC Unified School District, and the recently incorporated City of Dairy Valley (the city would be renamed to its current state two years later).^[2] The school was officially named after Richard Gahr, who had served as the school district's superintendent. During the 1970s, as the student population in Cerritos rapidly grew, Cerritos High School was created for district expansion, and during its construction the latter used part of the Gahr campus.

Academics

Enrollment

As of the school year 2021–22, there were a total of 1,828 students attending the high school.^[3]

Hispanic or Latino - 52.5% (959)
Black - 14.1% (258)
Asian - 12.9% (236)
Filipino - 10.2% (186)
White - 6.3% (116)
Other/Unreported - 4.0% (73)

Awards

The school is a two-time (2007, 2021) California Distinguished School.^[4]

Notable alumni

Bret Barberie^[5] (1985) - Major League Baseball player (1991–1996)
Morris Chestnut (1986) - actor (Boyz n the Hood)
Chris Devenski (2008) Major League Baseball player, Pitcher, Houston Astros (2016 -)
Jacob Faria (2011) Major League Baseball player, Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) (2017 - 2019), Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) (2019 -)
Shane Mack (1981) - Major League Baseball player (1990–1994)
Kris Medlen (2003) - MLB pitcher for the Atlanta Braves^[6] ^[7]
Tom Nieto (1978) - Major League Baseball player (1984–1990)
Al Osuna (1983) - Major League Baseball player (1990–1994, 1996)
Valentino Pascucci (1996) - Major League Baseball player.
Nicolle Payne (1994) - UCLA water polo goalie; Silver medalist in 2000 Sydney Olympics; Bronze medalist in 2004 Athens Olympics.
Steve Shak (1996) - Pro Soccer player and first round draft pick of MLS Superdraft in 2000, played for the NY Metro-Stars and the Colorado Rapids.
Broderick Thompson (1978) - NFL player (1984, 1986 -1996)
Emeka Obi (2014) - Musician, Songwriter.
Casper Ware (2008) - NCAA basketball player for the Long Beach State 49ers.
Joshua Perkins (2012) - National Football League tight end, Joshua Perkins (2016-)
Dwayne Washington (2012) - National Football League running back, New Orleans Saints (2018-)
Jim Zorn (1971) - Seattle Seahawks Quarterback (1976–1987); Head Coach of the Washington Redskins (2008–2009).

External links

Notes and References

Web site: Gahr (Richard) High. National Center for Education Statistics. May 12, 2020.
Web site: 2009-06-30 . The Story of Cerritos - Chapter 7 Zoning Changes and a New Name . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080323122909/http://www.ci.cerritos.ca.us/library/history/chapter7.html . 2008-03-23 . 2010-11-28 . ci.cerritos.ca.us .
Web site: Enrollment by Ethnicity and Grade - Richard Gahr High (CA Dept of Education) . 2023-01-28 . dq.cde.ca.gov.
Web site: California Distinguished School Awardees 1986 to 2021 . 2023-01-28 . California Department of Education.
News: Wagner . Dick . Gahr High's Bergeron Puts Emphasis on Fundamentals . 29 October 2022 . . 4 April 1991.
Web site: Kris Medlen Stats Baseball-Reference.com. Baseball-Reference.com. en. 2018-06-05.
Web site: Kris Medlen. ESPN.com. 2018-06-05.