Type Public Established 1897 Grades 9-12 Phone +1 818-394-3600 Colors Blue, Gold | Motto "Victory with Honor" Principal Ari Bennett Enrollment 3,500 Students Founded 1897 | |
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Similar North Hollywood High Sch, Verdugo Hills High School, San Fernando Senior Hi, East Valley High School, Arleta High School | ||
John H. Francis Polytechnic High School is a secondary school located in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Despite its name, Polytechnic is a comprehensive high school.
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History
Polytechnic High School opened in 1897 as a "commercial branch" of the only high school at that time in the city, the Los Angeles High School. As such, Polytechnic is the second oldest high school in the city. The school's original campus was located in downtown Los Angeles on South Beaudry Avenue, the present location of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education headquarters.
In 1905, Polytechnic moved to the corner of Washington Boulevard and Flower Street, in downtown Los Angeles. Polytechnic High School was the first school to offer studies in multiple class subjects, which is now modeled by many high schools, as "periods". Polytechnic High School was renamed in 1935, in favor of the school's founder and first principal John H. Francis.
In February 1957 Polytechnic moved to its present site in the San Fernando Valley and opened its doors to new students for the then fast growing suburb. Since Poly's relocation, the former site has been the campus of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. The school mascot is a parrot named Joe Parrot, and he now has a female companion named, Josie.
In 2006, the establishment of Arleta High School and Panorama High School relieved much of the overcrowding at Polytechnic. The 2009 opening of Sun Valley High School additionally relieved overcrowding.
In February 2012, a 27-year-old athletic assistant was arrested for having a relationship with a 16-year-old student from another school.
Poly's football and track stadium is named for NBA Hall-of-Famer Gail Goodrich, a Poly alumnus. The Parrots have had a longtime rivalry with both Van Nuys High School and North Hollywood High School.
Bell Schedule
Poly works on a 4x4 block schedule. Throughout the day students attend only four classes, compared to that of the traditional 6. With two fewer classes, students have more time to concentrate on completing their homework and thoroughly learning their subjects. Each class is now 90 minutes, giving the teachers time to delve deeply into the important concepts and really help the students master them. Because the class periods are so much longer now, each quarter is only eight weeks and an entire year's course of study sixteen weeks (the time they used to spend for just a semester), it means that each day is equivalent to two days on the old system. It is therefore crucial that all students really cannot afford to miss school or come unprepared. Students must be seated in their classes by 8:05am or they will be picked up in the tardy sweep. Each time they are late, they not only miss valuable instruction but they will also receive detention and phone calls home.