Granite Hills High School (El Cajon, California)

Granite Hills High School
Address
Map
1719 East Madison Avenue

El Cajon
,
California 92019

United States
Information
TypePublic secondary
Established1960
School districtGrossmont Union High School District
PrincipalEric Jesperson
Teaching staff97.98 (FTE)[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment2,398 (2022-2023)[1]
Student to teacher ratio24.47[1]
CampusUrban
Color(s)   Navy blue and Columbia blue
RivalValhalla High School
AccreditationWestern Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
NewspaperThe Clarion
YearbookPageant
NicknameEagles
Websitegranite.guhsd.net

Granite Hills High School is a public comprehensive high school in El Cajon, California. It serves students in grades nine through twelve. Opened in 1960, Granite Hills is one of 13 high schools in the Grossmont Union High School District. GHHS is the home of the Eagles. Granite Hills High School has been an IB World School since July 2001; it is a California Distinguished School.

History

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Shooting

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Just minutes after lunch ended and fifth period began on March 22, 2001, an 18-year-old former student, Jason Hoffman, arrived on campus with a 12-gauge shotgun (with size 7 or 8 birdshot) and a .22 pistol, opening fire outside the attendance office which also houses the principal and vice principals' offices.[2] Five people were injured by shrapnel or suffered severe symptoms from the traumatic experience, but few victims incurred bullet wounds. Hoffman was shot in the buttocks and jaw. Hoffman was arrested by police officer Rich Agundez,[3] who had been on campus during school hours since the shooting two weeks earlier at Santana High School.[4] Hoffman would later commit suicide by hanging himself from bedsheets in his prison cell in October 2001.[5]

Recent history

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Recently, Granite Hills has been undergoing some construction to many of its classes. The football field has also been renovated.[citation needed]

It was discovered that Granite's soil contains a large amount of carcinogens. As of January, 2009, studies were in progress and the source of contamination was unknown. Tainted dirt has also been found at other schools in the district.[6] In January 2009 the long time eagle statue, "Ernie", was ripped off of its base by vandals and destroyed.[7]

Granite Hills Marching Band

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The students in the GHHS Marching Band perform at the Mother Goose Parade, Christmas in the lights, Alpine Parade, and at every home football game especially the Homecoming game. The marching Eagles also go to "Band Night" featuring the SDSU Marching Aztecs and gathering other marching bands from the GUHSD District. Popular tunes such as the "007 Theme" and "Bon Jovi Theme" highlight the "GUHSD Marching Band and Color Guard Field Show Extravaganza" held every year. During second semester they do winter and spring concerts as the "Concert Band". Some are joint concerts with middle schools from Cajon Valley School District.

Athletics

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Granite Hills offers every California Interscholastic Federation sanctioned sport.[citation needed] On December 10, 2022, the Granite Hills Eagles beat San Ramon Valley of Danville for the California State 2-A football title at Saddleback College, scoring in overtime and then holding on. This was the first state football championship in school history.

On November 18, 2023, the Eagles won the San Diego Section Open Division football championship, defeating the favored Lincoln Hornets 27-26. The Eagles lost to Mission Viejo in the next round. Mission Viejo went on to win the Div. 1AA state championship.

On November 30, 2024, the Eagles won the San Diego Section Division 1 football championship, beating the favored San Marcos Knights by a score of 42-25. Eleven years earlier, the Knights had knocked the Eagles out of the playoffs in the semifinal round. This win left the Eagles with three consecutive San Diego Section titles.

Notable alumni

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Granite Hills High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  2. ^ writer, Scott Martelle Scott Martelle is a former Times staff; Massacre, member of the editorial board He also is the author of several nonfiction books on such disparate subjects as the Ludlow; war, 1913-14 Colorado coalfield; Detroit, the history of; Walker, William; Nicaragua, the pre-Civil War American adventurer who for a brief time made himself president of (2001-03-23). "5 Hurt in Gunfire at High School Near San Diego; Student Is Held". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-12-28. {{cite web}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Ojeda • •, Artie (28 March 2018). "Officer Who Stopped Granite Hills High Gunman in 2001 Recounts His Actions 17 Years later". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  4. ^ "The San Diego Union-Tribune - San Diego, California & National News".
  5. ^ "Photo: Alleged school shooter Jason Hoffman commits suicide -". UPI. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  6. ^ Carcinogen discovered in soil at 5 schools[permanent dead link‍] by Leonel Sanchez, San Diego Union-Tribune January 16, 2009
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2009-10-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "To Tribe of, Shane's Success No Surprise". New York Daily News. 6 October 1998.
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32°48′N 116°55′W / 32.800°N 116.917°W / 32.800; -116.917

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