Hoover High School (San Diego, California)

The school was established in 1930 and named in honor of then U.S. president Herbert Hoover. The first principal was Floyd Johnson. It originally opened as a beige stucco building with a red-tile roof and unreinforced concrete, giving it a Spanish-style appearance. As part of a tradition related to signing their yearbooks, 12th grade (senior) students climbed a tower that became a signature defining aspect of the campus. The school underwent renovations in the early 1970s. The tower and other architectural features were erased by the renovation. Adam Berman, who previously taught at Hoover, wrote that in 1988 Hoover had low teacher morale, acts of violence, and a high dropout rate in addition to poor academic performance. In 2000 the school met its California state accountability target. This was the first time it had done so in 15 years. File:Herbert Hoover High School Entrance.jpg|Entrance to new building as of 2023. File:Girl Reading Donal Hord.jpg|The statue "Girl Reading" by Donal Hord was created as a WPA art project. (2019) File:Hoover High School Security Gate.jpg|Security Gate ==Student body==

As of 2016 the school had over 2,100 students. The school consists of 73% Hispanic, 10% African American, 10% Indochinese, with Asian at 1.8% and white at 1%. Hoover is a Title 1 school. That status is determined by the number of students who receive free or reduced lunch. 90% of Hoover students qualify for meal eligibility. The City Heights neighborhood, in the school's attendance area, houses many immigrant families and low income families. ==Programs==

As of 2015 Hoover High is establishing a wellness center which will offer counseling services as well as some medical services. ==Student discipline==

In 2013 the school enacted a program in which teachers learn to recognize signs of trauma in students. Suspensions from school were reduced by 80%. ==Academic performance==

In 1999 the school had a 444/1000 Academic Performance Index (API), the lowest score in San Diego County. It had a statewide rank of the lowest 10% (first decile), and the lowest 20% of schools with similar demographics. The Gates-MacGinitie reading assessments at this school resulted in a 5.9 grade level equivalent for the average student. At that time the school was among the twenty high schools in California with the worst academic performance. In 2002 it had an API of 506, an increase by 62 points. By 2000 the reading achievement scores had risen by an average of 2.4 years. ==Athletics==

By the 2010s Hoover High received renovations that improved its football stadium. Artie Ojeda of NBC San Diego stated that it then had "one of the nicer high school stadium facilities in San Diego". In 2012 the school began holding football games at night. Some residents of Talmadge were unhappy with this, so a legal battle between the school and residents was begun, and night football games stopped in September 2013. In 2014 a judge ruled that the night football games could continue. ==Notable alumni==

• Tony Banks (b. 1973) — former NFL quarterback • Ben Chase (1923–1998) — NFL player • Michael Davis (b. 1959) — played for Oakland A's and for LA Dodgers 1988 World Series team • Jerry DaVanon (b. 1945) — former MLB infielder • Bob deLauer (1920–2002) — NFL player • Bennie Edens (1925–2008) — 2002 NFL High School Coach of the Year • William Gay (b. 1955) — former NFL defensive end • Ted Giannoulas — San Diego Chicken (The Famous Chicken) • Ted Williams (1918–2002) — Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, Boston Red Sox • Eddie Williams (b. 1964) — former MLB first and third baseman • Mickey Wright (1935–2020) — pro golfer, member of World Golf Hall of Fame ==See also==