Oak Park High School (California) - Oak Park High School

Oak Park High School is the main secondary school in the Oak Park Unified School District, taking ninth through twelfth grade students. It is a National Blue Ribbon School and a 2013 California Distinguished School, with 2016-2017 enrollment of 1550 students. The 2012 Academic Performance Index (API) was 929, which is among the highest in California. In 2015 the school was awarded the California Gold Ribbon School Award from the California Department of Education. The 2016 Newsweek Ranking of America's Top Schools ranked Oak Park High as #51 in the nation and #7 in CA

History

As the construction of subdivisions proceeded in Oak Park during the 1970s and the population increased, schooling arrangements became increasingly frustrating for residents. Students had to be bused to high schools in Simi Valley, 23 miles away by road, and back again each day - this despite the fact that the schools of the nearby Las Virgenes Unified School District stood in proximity. With Oak Park lying in Ventura County, California and Las Virgenes in Los Angeles County, though, Oak Park students were not allowed to attend.

Seeking to deal with the problem, Oak Park residents petitioned for annexation to Las Virgenes but were rejected in 1974. In 1977 they created the Oak Park Unified School District and broke ground for the high school in 1978. Students were housed in trailers from 1979 to 1980 until the school began admitting students at its present site in 1981. It functioned as both middle and high school until 1992, when nearby Medea Creek Middle School began educating sixth through eighth grade students.

Campus expansion has continued in recent years with the addition of a library, a performing arts center, updated Gym including a new floor, sound system, and A/C, a new rubberized track, turf football field and stadium sound system (same field as Dallas Cowboys) and Science Labs, student services building and modernized Art classrooms, and computer labs. Additional work, to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has improved access to the Baseball and softball fields. Five Hydration Stations were installed in the summer of 2013.

Academics

Advanced Placement Program

In the Advanced Placement Program of the 985 AP tests taken in 2016, 91% of them received a score of 3 or higher. Particularly strong courses - those with a pass rate above 90% - include Biology (93%), English Language and Composition (96.1%), English Literature and Composition (94.7%), European History (100%), Statistics (94.3%), Government-US (100%), and US History (93.6%).

In 2013, Oak Park's AP program placed it at 188th in Newsweek's Top High Schools. Oak Park High School has a theater program which is led by Allan Hunt.

School facilities

Oak Park High School added a two story bungalow-style set of classrooms in 2005. The school has a Pavilion building that houses a large theater stage, several classrooms, high-ceiling band and choir rooms with acoustic paneling, and the school's lunch area. OPHS received the California Distinguished School Award in 2013 with special distinction for its Exemplary Nutrition, Fitness, and Health programs. School renovation is ongoing and as of the fall of 2013 the projects completed include modernized science labs, student services building, gym, turf field, and Arts and Technology building (summer of 2013). Over 65% of classrooms are equipped with SmartBoard technology.

Sports

For all sports except football and lacrosse, Oak Park High School competes in the Coastal Canyon Leagues League with Moorpark High School, Camarillo High School, Simi High School, and Royal High School.

Oak Park High School's Girls Cross Country Team placed third in the CIF-SS Finals in 2007 and second at the CIF State Meet for Division 3. In 2005, the cross-country team attended the Nike Team Nationals in Portland, Oregon. Boys volleyball won CIF title in 2012 and was ranked 4th in the nation.

Oak Park High School also fields a JV boys lacrosse team and a girls varsity team along with the boys Varsity team for the 2012 season. The Varsity team went undefeated during the regular season, 17-0, the only Oak Park team to ever do so. The Athletic Department has also recently added a freshmen baseball team, girls JV tennis team, boys and girls freshmen soccer in 2012 season. Boys and girls frosh/soph soccer teams were added for the Winter 2012 season.