Will C. Crawford High School, also known as Crawford High School and formerly Crawford Educational Complex, is a

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

in the El Cerrito neighborhood of

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, California, United States. In the fall of 2012, the school was reorganized as a traditional school with one principal and two vice principals, and returned to its original name, Will C. Crawford High School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,119 students and 48.54 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 23:05:1. There were 931 students (20.19% of enrollment) eligible for

free lunch A free lunch is the provision of a meal at no cost, usually as a sales enticement to attract customers and increase revenues from other business. The practice was once common in saloons and taverns in many places in the United States, with the ...

and 81 (7.24% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch. It is part of

San Diego Unified School District San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) is a public school district based in San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 ...

. Erected in 1957 and dedicated in 1958, it is a comprehensive school serving 1,500 students in grades 9–12.

History

Naming

The school was named after Dr. Will C. Crawford, Superintendent of the San Diego Unified Schools from 1934 to 1954. It was officially opened during a dedication ceremony on April 27, 1958.

Mascot and Colors

In 1957, the incoming Horace Mann Junior High School graduating 9th grade class and transfer students from Hoover High School formed the 10th and 11th grade classes (at the time, the school was 10th through 12th grade). There was no 12th grade the first year. The entire student body of Crawford High School decided on the school colors and mascot. Crimson, white and blue were chosen. The mascot was chosen in line with Dr. Crawford's other career as an Air Force pilot; the student body voted for it to be some kind of aircraft or bird. To keep with the rivalry with Hoover High School (whose mascot was the Cardinal), and because the yearbook was named ''Centaur'', it was decided that the mascot would be the Colt. The alma mater was later written, and the ''Pacer'' newspaper was founded.

Crawford Educational Complex

Crawford High School reopened in 2004 as the Crawford Educational Complex through a grant from the

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation The Gates Foundation is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be List of wealthiest charitable foundations, the third largest char ...

. It consisted of four schools within a school: the School of Law and Business (LAB), Multimedia and Visual Arts School (MVAS), Invention and Design Educational Academy (IDEA) and the School of Community Health and Medical Practices (CHAMPs). The small schools were closed due to district budget cuts, and the school returned to a comprehensive campus in the fall of 2012.

50th anniversary

In the 2007–2008 school year, Crawford celebrated its 50th anniversary. The campus was repainted blue and crimson by the end of the school year. The automotive department was reopened and rededicated by State Superintendent of Instruction Jack O'Connell. The department achieved NATEF (National Automotive Technician Education Foundation) certification on the one-year anniversary of its opening.

2010's

The school established a "restorative justice" program in 2014.Burks, Megan.
San Diego Campus Builds On School Discipline Reform With Wellness Center
" '' KPBS''. Friday August 21, 2015. Retrieved on May 18, 2016.

Reconstruction

In 2015,

announced a modernization project, with new athletic fields and improvements at Horace Mann Middle School & Will C. Crawford High School. The project began in the 2015–2016 school year.

Feeder schools

Public feeder schools include two middle schools and ten elementary schools. Middle schools: * Horace Mann Middle School *Monroe Clark Middle School Elementary schools: *Andrew Jackson Elementary School *Carver Elementary School *Euclid Elementary School *Hardy Elementary School *Henry Clay Elementary School *Herbert Ibarra Elementary School *John Marshall Elementary School *Mary Lanyon Fay Elementary School *Oak Park Elementary School *Rolando Park Elementary School

Curriculum

Crawford High consists of a 4x4 block schedule, which means that students are able to complete four full classes a semester (fall term and spring term) totaling eight full classes a year, rather than the traditional six year-long courses. This enables students to complete a full year's curriculum in a more condensed term, allowing them to enroll in additional electives or ROP courses.

Community service requirements

All students are required to complete 20 to 40 hours of community service a year. Opportunities for community service are available through on or off campus organizations, or students may complete this requirement independently. On-campus organizations include Division 11

Key Club Key Club International, also called Key Club, is an international service organization for high school students. Key Club International is the high school branch of the Kiwanis International family, classified as a Service Leadership Program ...

, a community service organization which recently returned to Crawford during the 2010–2011 school year; Peer Helping, the largest and most active service organization started by teacher Julie Reinhardt in the early 1990s; and Auroras, a senior honor society (requiring a GPA over 3.0) specializing in service, which has been on campus since the 1960s. Crawford boasts its own garden, and internships are available to current students. Off-campus organizations include the San Diego Asian Youth Organization and the East African Youth Organization, both based at the UPAC center. Community service requirements were put forth in an effort to boost college acceptances.

Centaur

''Centaur'' is Crawford's award-winning, nationally recognized

yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of Annual publication, a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually ...

. It consistently takes best of class and places in the top two at the

San Diego County Fair The San Diego County Fair is an annual fair held in Del Mar, California. It is held every summer at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Established in 1880, the fair is the longest running event in San Diego County, California, San Diego County. History The ...

and other contests. A

centaur A centaur ( ; ; ), occasionally hippocentaur, also called Ixionidae (), is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse that was said to live in the mountains of Thessaly. In one version o ...

is a Greek mythological creature that is half human and half horse. San Diego County Fair awards

Sports

Crawford's main rival is the neighboring

Hoover Hoover may refer to: Music * Hoover (band), an American post-hardcore band * Hooverphonic, a Belgian band originally named Hoover * Hoover (singer), Willis Hoover, a country and western performer active in 1960s and '70s * "Hoover" (song), a 201 ...

Cardinals located west on El Cajon Boulevard. Other significant rivals include the

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736 ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. May 18, 1736une 6, 1799) was an American politician, planter and orator who declared to the Virginia Conventions, Second Virginia Convention (1775): "Give me liberty or give m ...

Patriots,

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln (na ...

Hornets and

Helix A helix (; ) is a shape like a cylindrical coil spring or the thread of a machine screw. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis. Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is for ...

Scotties.

CIF Championships

Notable alumni

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(musician), bass player (

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...) * Tim Blackwell, former professional baseball player (

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) *

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, former

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and

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, four-time

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* Salvatore Joseph Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco, former Bishop of Oakland * Dave Duncan, Major League Baseball player (

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, Montreal Expos,

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, Montreal Expos) * Sherri Lightner, San Diego City council member *

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, Oakland Athletics) *

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, professional player, National Football League *

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Alma mater

All hail Crawford High School,
Crimson, white and blue,
Loyalty and honor
We will pledge to you,
Our banner's always waving,
Crowned with victory,
All hail Crawford High School,
We will be true to thee!

References

External links

Crawford High School

Crawford High School Alumni Association

Crawford ColtsSan Diego Unified School DistrictSchool Data for the West Morris Regional High School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

{{authority control 1957 establishments in California San Diego Unified School District Educational institutions established in 1957 Public high schools in California Schools in San Diego County, California Schools in San Diego High schools in San Diego High schools in San Diego County, California Education in San Diego County, California Education in San Diego