John Burroughs High School is a public high school located in

Burbank Burbank may refer to: Places Australia * Burbank, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane United States * Burbank, California, a city in Los Angeles County * Burbank, Santa Clara County, California, a census-designated place * Burbank, Illinois, ...

, in

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is th ...

. It is known for its notable alumni, and being the filming location for many television shows.

History

The school was built in the 1920s, but was not established as a high school until 1948. The school was named after naturalist

John Burroughs John Burroughs (April 3, 1837 – March 29, 1921) was an American naturalist and nature essayist, active in the conservation movement in the United States. The first of his essay collections was ''Wake-Robin'' in 1871. In the words of his bio ...

Academics

The school scored a 768 on the

Academic Performance Index The Academic Performance Index (API) was a measurement of academic performance and progress of individual schools in California, United States. The API was one of the main components of the Public Schools Accountability Act passed by the Californ ...

in 2007, and in 2010 reached a score of 819, meeting the school's 12th consecutive goal. 90% of students passed the math portion of the CAHSEE (

California High School Exit Exam The California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) was an examination created by the California Department of Education, that was previously mandated to administer in high schools statewide in order to graduate. The examination was suspended in ...

s) on the first attempt, while 92% of students passed the English portion of the CAHSEE on first attempt.

Athletics

The track and field team produced Olympic silver medalist Ron Morris (Rome, 1960). In 2016, the boys' varsity water polo team won the school's second CIF championship.

Performing arts

Choirs

The school has seven award-winning choirs including Powerhouse, the advanced mixed show choir, also known as Chamber when competing; Madrigals, the advanced women’s choir, also known as Sound Sensations when competing; Sound Waves, the intermediate mixed choir; Decibelles, the intermediate women’s choir; Men @ Work, the men’s choir; Vocal Ensemble, selected members from Chamber in an a cappella ensemble; Muses, selected members from Madrigals in an a cappella ensemble. The school's advanced mixed show choir, Powerhouse, has won awards including the Grand Championship at Fame Orlando 2007, Grand Champions at Fame Chicago 2008, Grand Champions at Fame New York 2009, Grand Champions at Fame New York 2012, and Grand Champions of FAME Hollywood 2013. The two advanced show choirs of John Burroughs High School, "Powerhouse" and "Sound Sensations" also won Grand Championship at Fame Chicago 2013. They were also awarded Grand Champions of New England Show Choir Showdown in 2015. With the grand championship, Powerhouse also received caption awards for Best Choreography, Best Costumes, Best Diction, Best Female Sound, Best Tech Crew, and Best Male Soloist. Sound Sensations received the award for Best Vocals of the Women's Division. The John Burroughs High School choirs have a record of being undefeated in various seasons. The Advanced Women Show Choir, Sound Sensations, has remained undefeated in 2010, 2013 and 2015; and the Intermediate Mixed Show Choir, Sound Waves, remained undefeated in 2012 and 2017. In 2010 Powerhouse performed on

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...

. Also in the fall of 2010, the Powerhouse Choir performed on

Dancing With The Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series ''Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the form ...

. Powerhouse has performed twice on '' The Voice''. And, in February 2011, Powerhouse Choir performed for the Chinese New Year Night Parade at Hong Kong, representing the U.S.

Band

There are four bands: Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble (A Band and B Band) as well as a Drumline and Color Guard at Burroughs. In 2006, the marching band played in a sound byte for ''

Shrek the Third ''Shrek the Third'' (also known as ''Shrek 3'') is a 2007 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 picture book ''Shrek!'' by William Steig, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The s ...

'' and was featured in the animated movie. In 2010, they recorded for the movie "

Megamind ''Megamind'' is a 2010 American computer-animated superhero comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Tom McGrath from a screenplay by Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, the film stars t ...

". They were selected to play at the 2011 Sugar Bowl half-time show in New Orleans, Louisiana. Soon afterwards, they were invited to be featured on ''

Ellen Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena and Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004. People named Ellen include: *Ellen Adarna (born 1988), Filipino actress *Ellen A ...

'' for her 2011 Super Bowl Special. The JBHS marching band was featured in the 1994 movie "Little Giants," which included sound from the percussion line just prior to the big game. The JBHS Marching band was featured in a comedy skit for the 70's NBC television show "Laugh-In" which aired on Nov. 8, 1971.

District

John Burroughs High School is a member of the

Burbank Unified School District Burbank Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Burbank, California, United States. History Originally students attended Burbank schools until the high school level, when they moved on to Glendale Union High School Distr ...

(BUSD).

Notable alumni

Many actors and actresses have attended the school due to its proximity to major entertainment studios such as

NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. NBCUniversal is primaril ...

, Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Studios, as well as voice recording and animation studios including

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

and Cartoon Network. *

Wayne Allwine Wayne Anthony Allwine (February 7, 1947 – May 18, 2009) was an American voice actor, sound effects editor and foley artist for The Walt Disney Company. He is best remembered as the 3rd official voice of Mickey Mouse. He is the longest-tenured ...

, actor, official voice of '' Mickey Mouse'' from 1977-2009 *

Eric Balfour Eric Salter Balfour (born April 24, 1977) is an American actor and singer. He is the lead singer of Born as Ghosts, formerly known as Fredalba. He made his film debut in the drama '' Shattered Image'' (1998), followed by roles in '' What Women Wan ...

, actor *

Patrick Bristow Patrick Bristow (born September 26, 1962) is an American actor, comedian and director. He is best known for playing Peter Barnes on '' Ellen'' (1994-1998), and Patrick on ''The Suite Life of Zack and Cody'' (2005-2008), and for the film '' Pai ...

, actor, ''

'', '' Showgirls'' * Eben Britton, NFL player * Debbe Dunning, actress and model, ''

Home Improvement The concept of home improvement, home renovation, or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), ...

'' * Joan Freeman, actress and director, ''

Roustabout Roustabout (Australian English, Australia/New Zealand English, New Zealand English: rouseabout) is an occupational term. Traditionally, it referred to a worker with broad-based, non-specific skills. In particular, it was used to describe show ...

'', '' The Reluctant Astronaut'', '' Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter'' * Sam Gifaldi, former child actor, ''

Hey Arnold! ''Hey Arnold!'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Craig Bartlett. It originally aired on Nickelodeon from October 7, 1996, to June 8, 2004. The show centers on fourth grader Arnold Shortman, who lives with his grandpare ...

'', ''

A Bug's Life ''A Bug's Life'' is a 1998 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It was the second feature-length film produced by Pixar. Directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Andrew ...

'', '' The Mommies'' *

Dan Haggerty Daniel Francis Haggerty (November 19, 1942 – January 15, 2016) was an American actor who was best known for playing the title role in the film and television series '' The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams''. Early life Haggerty's birthplace ...

, actor, '' The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams'' * Adam Hendershott, actor * Elden Henson, actor *

Clint Howard Clinton Engle Howard (born April 20, 1959) is an American actor. He is the second son born to American actors Rance and Jean Howard, and younger brother of actor and director Ron Howard. His 200-plus acting credits include feature films such a ...

, actor, '' Gentle Ben'' TV series and many films *

Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of ''The Twilight Zone''. He ...

, actor, ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. Th ...

'', ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...

'', and Academy Award-winning director * Erik Kramer, NFL quarterback and sports commentator * Jonna Lee, actress, '' Making the Grade'', '' Another World'' * Mike Magnante, professional baseball player * Guy Mariano, professional skateboarder * Tim Matheson, actor, ''

National Lampoon's Animal House ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas ...

'', ''

The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the ...

'', ''

Van Wilder ''National Lampoon's Van Wilder'' (released internationally as ''Van Wilder: Party Liaison'' and ''Party Animals'') is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Walt Becker and written by Brent Goldberg and David T. Wagner. The film stars Ryan ...

'' *

Lindsey McKeon Lindsey McKeon is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Marah Lewis on ''Guiding Light'' and Taylor James on ''One Tree Hill''. She previously starred on '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' as Katie Peterson from 1996–2000. Lif ...

, actor, ''

One Tree Hill One Tree Hill may refer to: * "One Tree Hill" (song), a 1987 song by U2 referencing One Tree Hill, New Zealand volcanic peak * ''One Tree Hill'' (TV series), a 2003–2012 American drama series named for the U2 song ** ''One Tree Hill'' (soundtr ...

''; briefly attended but did not graduate *

Brittany Murphy Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack (; November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) was an American actress and singer. Born in Atlanta, Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and pursued a career in acting. Her breakthrough role was as Tai Fras ...

, actress *

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portra ...

, Oscar-nominated actress, singer and entertainer, ''

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd C ...

''; attended when the school was a junior high school Graduated from Burbank High School. *

Rene Russo Rene Marie Russo (born February 17, 1954) is an American actress and model. She began her career as a fashion model in the 1970s, appearing on magazine covers such as '' Vogue'' and '' Cosmopolitan''. She made her film debut in the 1989 comedy ' ...

, actress, '' Lethal Weapon 3'', '' Tin Cup'', ''

Ransom Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or the sum of money involved in such a practice. When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French ''rançon'' from Latin ''re ...

'', '' The Thomas Crown Affair'', ''

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing ...

'' * Lynn Shackelford,

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...

basketball player and sports commentator for Los Angeles Lakers *

Ron Stillwell Ronald Roy Stillwell (December 3, 1939 – January 25, 2016) was an American Major League Baseball player who played parts of two seasons for the Washington Senators. A shortstop, he batted and threw right-handed, stood tall and weighed . St ...

, professional baseball player *

Veronica St. Clair Veronica St. Clair (born 6 April 1994) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role Riley Velez on the NBC drama ''La Brea''. Early life Born to a Cuban mother and Filipino-American father, St. Clair grew up in Burbank, Cal ...

, Actress ''La Brea'' * Angela Watson, actress, '' Step by Step'' *

Weston "Westballz" Dennis Weston Dennis, better known as Westballz, is an American professional ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' player from Burbank, California. Widely considered one of the game's best and most technical Falco players, he has defeated several top professiona ...

, (Class of 2009, dropped out) professional ''

Super Smash Bros. Melee ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' is a 2001 Fictional crossover, crossover fighting game, fighting video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second installment in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. I ...

'' playerBurroughs High School Yearbook, 2009 *

Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit The American television sitcom '' Full House'' ran for eight seasons on ABC from September 22, 1987, to May 23, 1995. Its sequel series '' Fuller House'' followed 21 years later, airing on Netflix, beginning February 26, 2016; the two parts ...

, child actors, ''

Full House ''Full House'' is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC. The show is about widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and childhood best friend Joey Gladstone to help raise his thr ...

'', *

Rob Zabrecky Robert Zabrecky (born June 2, 1968, in Burbank, California) is an American actor, author, magician, and songwriter. His career began as a musician while being the front man for the band Possum Dixon. In the later years of his career, he has f ...

, actor, magician, and songwriter

In the media

*''

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age comedy/drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from January 31, 1988, until May 12, 1993. The series premiered immediately after ABC's coverage of Supe ...

'' used the school for the TV series. *''

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, af ...

'' filmed on campus. *''

The Good Place ''The Good Place'' is an American fantasy comedy television series created by Michael Schur. It premiered on NBC on September 19, 2016, and concluded on January 30, 2020, after four seasons and 53 episodes. Although the plot evolves signifi ...

'' used the school's cafeteria. * Tonic's music video, ''"

You Wanted More "You Wanted More" is a song by Los Angeles band Tonic that originally appeared in the 1999 film '' American Pie''. It was released on June 7, 1999, and was also featured on Tonic's second album, '' Sugar'', released later in the year. The singl ...

"'' was filmed at Burroughs for the movie. '' American Pie'' *''

Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...

'' scenes were filmed in the hallways. *'' Fired Up'' filmed scenes showing the school. *Walt Disney's ''

Blackbeard's Ghost ''Blackbeard's Ghost'' is a 1968 American fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, and Suzanne Pleshette. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and Bill Walsh. It is based upon the 1965 nove ...

'' used the football and track fields. *'' On My Block'' was filmed throughout the school.

References

External links

Burroughs High School

Burroughs Athletics

John Burroughs Vocal Music Program
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burroughs, John High School Burbank Unified School District High schools in Los Angeles County, California Public high schools in California Buildings and structures in Burbank, California Educational institutions established in 1948 1948 establishments in California