Type Public secondary Principal Mitzi Lizarraga Enrollment 835 (2014-15) Founded 1985 | Established 1985 Grades 9–12 Phone +1 323-343-2787 Number of students 835 (2014–2015) | |
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School district Los Angeles County Office of Education Address 5151 State University Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA District Los Angeles County Office Of Education Profiles | ||
Los angeles county high school for the arts vocal ensemble 2016 ngjf
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA, /ˈlɔːksə/) is a Visual and Performing Arts high school located on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, United States.
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Pacific cinderella at the los angeles county high school for the arts
History
The school was founded by philanthropist Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson in 1985.
Overview
LACHSA is a public and tuition-free school. Most people identify the school by its aesthetic campus along with its ability to "offer both college preparatory courses and conservatory style training". Though it shares facilities with Cal State LA, the two schools' activities are usually separate. It is operated by the Los Angeles County Office of Education. LACHSA maintains a unique affiliation with International Polytechnic High School, which is also run by LACOE.
The school specializes in the training of music, theatre, dance, visual arts, and film. It is one of two arts high schools in Los Angeles that allows students from any district within Los Angeles County to attend, the other being Charter High School of the Arts in Van Nuys. Acceptance into the school is based on an audition process for the approximately 130 spots available for incoming students, about 90% of whom are freshman. In 2011 more than 1000 students auditioned, the highest number ever. The school has five departments, Dance, Music (Vocals and Instrumental), Theatre, Visual Arts, and Film. Dual-majors are not permitted except for Musical Theatre. The Music Department has the most students, followed by the Theatre Department, Visual Arts, Dance, and Film. In 2012, Academy Award nominee Scott Hamilton Kennedy made an award-winning documentary about LACHSA called "Fame High."
In late March 2013, LACHSA officially moved to its brand new building on the edge of California State University's campus. It has three stories, the top being a full black box where most performances from the school take place.