Established 1952 Faculty 92 Mascot Highlander Founded 1952 | Principal Mike Lewis Grades 9-12 Phone +1 619-644-1940 | |
Type Charter public comprehensive secondary Motto Once a Scottie, Always a Scottie Similar Grossmont High School, Mount Miguel High Sch, Steele Canyon High Sch, Monte Vista High School, Henry High School | ||
Meet the helix high school football team
Helix High School, in La Mesa, California, is a charter high school built in 1952. It received its charter in 1998. Part of the Grossmont Union High School District, it serves a mid-level socioeconomic community and has a student body of approximately 2,400 pupils. Helix serves parts of La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and Spring Valley; however, as a charter school, all high school students in the state of California are eligible to attend.
Contents
- Meet the helix high school football team
- Argument at helix high school ends with girl pepper spraying boy in face
- History
- Remodeling
- Bagpipe Band
- Battle for the Musket
- Sexual misconduct
- Notable alumni
- Notable faculty
- References
Helix High School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and is a California Distinguished School in 2001 and 2009.
Argument at helix high school ends with girl pepper spraying boy in face
History
Helix Charter High School opened as the second high school in the Grossmont Union High School District in September 1951, to relieve record enrollment of 3000 at Grossmont High School. In November 1950, East County voters overwhelmingly approved a local bond issue for $1.9 million that financed "the University Avenue high school." Helix's first year of studies were held at Grossmont while the new campus was being built. The two schools operated on double sessions that year.
Helix, receiving half of Grossmont High School's students, attended class in the afternoon. Grossmont's 1500 students attended in the morning. Because of rapid population growth in the area, Helix soon grew overcrowded itself. This resulted in plans to build and open El Cajon Valley High School four years after the opening of Helix.
Remodeling
Since the opening of the school, much of the campus and technology has deteriorated or become outdated. With voter approval of Proposition H in 2004 and Proposition U in 2008, Helix High School will undergo remodeling projects. These projects include a new administration building, a new science building, a new performing arts center, and remodeling of all standard classrooms.
The remodeling of the campus has already started, and has been completed for buildings 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, the new science building (1800) and the performing arts center (900), which officially opened in January 2014. The remaining buildings to be remodeled include 700, 1000 (Gym), 1100, 1140, 1200, 1300 (lecture hall), and 1600 (cafeteria). Building 800 will be demolished, and the new Administration/Student Services Office will be located in its old location. In addition to the renovation efforts of the campus buildings, all of the landscaping on the school grounds will be rehabilitated.
Bagpipe Band
Helix Charter's Scottish tradition is brought to life by the school's pipe and drum corps. The pipe band includes several pipers and a drum corps consisting of several snare drummers, tenor drummers, and one bass drummer. During autumn, the bagpipe band accompanies the Helix Highlander Band in parades, football games, and sometimes field competitions. Additionally, they march the varsity football team out onto the field before home games. During the rest of the year, the pipe band frequently performs at paid as well as volunteer gigs, and competes at various Scottish Highland Games in Southern California. The bagpipe band is funded by the Helix Instrumental Music Association.
Battle for the Musket
Every year since the school's opening in 1951, Helix and Grossmont High School have competed against each other for this musket, given to the winner of the Grossmont vs. Helix varsity football game. Typically, this football game is one of the most attended of the season. This is just one of several weapon-themed rivalry games that Helix holds with the surrounding high schools.
Sexual misconduct
Since 2006, four former Helix High School teachers (hired by the Grossmont School District) have been convicted of sex crimes. In June 2008, the school hired an ethics consultant to develop a training program for employees to prevent future cases and improve reporting of illegal and questionable conduct around students. Because of controversy over the way the school handled the misconduct cases, the Grossmont Board of Supervisors voted to issue a letter of "Intent to Revoke" the school's charter.
In 2010, the Grossmont Charter Board voted, and Helix was able to keep its charter under the condition that its principal, Douglas Smith, step down at the end of the 2009–2010 school year. Many believed the district was aiming at Smith because of his charter against the district in 1998. After Smith resigned as the school's principal, Rani Goyal was hired during the summer of 2010 to fill the vacancy. Goyal served as school principal for nearly two years before resigning in May 2012. She was succeeded by former assistant principal Mike Lewis.
Notable alumni
In 2004, two of the five finalists for the individual honor in college football, the Heisman Trophy, were Helix graduates quarterback Alex Smith and running back Reggie Bush. This was the first time ever that two graduates from the same high school achieved this. Bush would then go on to claim the 2005 Heisman—since vacated.