| Number of Schools Managed |
7 |
5 |
| Number of Students Managed |
3,614 students |
760 students |
| District Total Revenue |
$38,420,000 |
$10,318,000 |
| District Expenditure |
$37,660,000 |
$10,204,000 |
| District Revenue / Student |
$10,631 |
$13,576 |
| District Expenditure / Student |
$10,421 |
$13,426 |
| District Graduation Rates |
90% |
73% |
|
- Los Alamos High School (or LAHS) is a nationally ranked
[ public high school in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The strength of LAHS's academic record is largely attributed to the academic nature of Los Alamos County, which has the highest concentration of PhDs per capita in the United States.][ The school is located across from the University of New Mexico's Los Alamos Branch Campus where some students occasionally take classes.] - Los Alamos High School is a medium sized, suburban high-school serving the entire county of Los Alamos, including White Rock. On the whole, the student body is homogeneously middle class, although the attendance boundary does contain both upper middle class areas like Barranca Mesa and lower middle class areas like the Royal Crest Trailer Park. Elsewhere in New Mexico, LAHS is sometimes characterized as a school for the "rich".
- LAHS is not a magnet school, but occasionally students from other school districts commute to attend there because the school is well known.
- The mascot of Los Alamos High School is the Hilltopper, often depicted as a rugged Mountain Man with a walking stick atop the scenic Jemez Mountains that overlook LAHS.
- History
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During the Second World War Los Alamos was the site of the Manhattan Project. During wartime, structures in Los Alamos were temporary because people were expecting to leave after the wartime project was completed. In August 1945, following the Allied victory in Japan, it was decided the Los Alamos National Laboratory's nuclear research would continue in order to counter a rising Soviet threat. In 1946 Los Alamos begin erecting permanent structures, including Los Alamos High School.
- Life during the war and post-war transition was difficult for the first students of LAHS. "' were normal teenagers trying to have a normal life in very adverse conditions," said Dan Nelis, one of the school's original students.
- In 1946, much of the budget for construction and operation of the high school was provided directly by the Atomic Energy Commission instead of state or local taxes. This arrangement persisted under the Department of Energy and Washington has traditionally paid for a third of the school system's budget.
- During the 1960s, LAHS began to attract attention for its consistent academic performance, low drop-out rate, and innovative teaching methods.
- In October 1995, after the cold war had ended, a delegation of nuclear scientists from Sarov (Los Alamos's Russian sister city) visited Los Alamos to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Allied Victory in WWII. During their visit members of the delegation both attended and taught classes at Los Alamos High School and UNM-LA.
- The year 2000 was difficult for LAHS students. Two students, Ricky Martinez and Karen Castañon, were slain before daylight on Good Friday while making a traditional religious pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayó.
- Two U.S. Presidents have visited Los Alamos High School: John F. Kennedy in 1962
- Student body statistics
-
Ethnic composition
- European American: 78%
- Hispanic: 17%
- Asian American/Pacific Islander: 3%
- American Indian/Alaskan Native: 1%
- African American: 1%
- Gender composition
- Male: 51%
- Female: 49%
- Future Plans (2004 Graduating Class)
- 4 year college: 86.4 %
- 2 year college: 3.7%
- Technical / Vocational School: 3.2 %
- Military: 4.3 %
- Undecided: 2.3 %
- Nothing: .2%
- Clubs and Organizations
- Anime Club
- Art Club
- Astronomy Club
- Ballroom Dance Club
- Band
- Business Professionals of America
- Chess Club
- Choir
- DECA
- Environmental Club
- FCCLA (Family & Consumer Science)
- Fencing Club
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- French Club
- Gay Straight Alliance
- German Club
- Hilltalkers (Debate Team)
- International Club
- Juggling Club
- Juntos
- Key Club
- LAHS Coalition for Peace
- LAHS Film Society
- Lookout Student Newsletter
- Los Alamos Youth Leadership (LAYL)
- Math Club
- Mock Trial
- National Honor Society
- Natural Helpers
- NJROTC
- Olions (Drama Club)
- Orchestra
- Pegasus
- Political Discussions Society
- Rave Club
- Robotics Club
- Snow Club
- Spanish Club
- Student Council
- Supercomputing Challenge
- Woo Club For life
- X-Scape Landscaping Club
- Yearbook
- Young Republicans
- Athletics
-
Los Alamos High School competes in the NMAA District 2-AAAA, except in Swimming and Diving where it competes in District 1-(1A-5A).
- Since its transition from a AAA to a AAAA school in 2001, the students of LAHS have won over 30 state titles in competitive high school sports (see below). LAHS was honored with the AAAA Girls all-sports trophy in 2000-01, 2001-02, and 2003-04. In 2003-04 LAHS also received The "New Mexico Athletic Director of the Year" award.
- In 2007, the LAHS boy's cross country team (competing as the Los Alamos XC team and led by coaches Rob and Kathy Hipwood) placed second at the 2007 Nike Team Nationals held in Portland, OR. Results: 1-Naperville XC Club (IL) 125 pts; 2-Los Alamos XC Club 127 pts; 3-Albuqerque XC Club (Academy HS, NM) 134 pts.
- In 2002 the LAHS Girls Cross Country, coached by Rob (LAHS '82) and Kathy Hipwood, won the AAAA State Championship with a perfect score of 15 (i.e. their runners finished in places 1-5).
- In 2000 the Hilltoppers won state in AAA boys' bastetball led by star player Chris Jackson.
- In 1995 Kevin Dotson set the national high school record for the high jump at 7'2".
- In the fall of 1977 the Hilltopper Soccer Team, coached by Luis Cernicek, outscored their opponents 66-19 on their way to winning the state championship.
- In 1975 Lynn Bjorklund set the national high school record for the women's outdoor 3000 meter at 9:08.6. This record still stands.
- State Championships
- Recent awards
- LAHS was awarded Silver Medal in US News and World Report's Best High School Search 2008.
- In 2005 LAHS was named one of the "1,000 Best High Schools in America" (#649) by Newsweek Magazine.
- A recent LAHS history teacher, Nancy Schick, was named the 2005 New Mexico Teacher of the Year.
- LAHS graduating classes of 2004 and 2005 had 12 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists each.
- An LAHS student was one of six New Mexico semifinalists in the 2005 Presidential Scholars competition.
- Five LAHS students were awarded Scholar designation in the National Hispanic Recognition Program, based on their performance on the 2004 PSAT and their five-semester transcripts.
- The National Achievement Scholarship Program, established to recognized outstanding African-American students, has given a designation of commended student to an LAHS student.
- In 2005 Los Alamos High School had 28 AP Scholar awards. 16 AP Scholar with Honor awards, 26 AP Scholar with Distinction awards, and 4 National AP Scholar awards.
- LAHS literary magazine, Pegasus 2004, was "Recommended for Highest Award" in the 2004 NCTE Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines.
- In 2008 LAHS's NJROTC Unit was designated a "Distinguished Unit" for the fifth year in a row. This designation included academic honors, which are reserved for only a handful of units.
- All four LAHS choirs received superior ratings at the District Large Group Festival. Two of these choirs also received "Best in Class" for Class AAAA schools.
- LAHS Wind Ensemble Band received a superior rating from the New Mexico Music Educators Association Large Group Festival; Symphonic Band received an excellent rating.
- LAHS Topper Marching Band won first place in their category at the tournament of the bands in 2006.
- No Child Left Behind Act
-
LAHS has a history of meeting the AYP requirements of No Child Left Behind, often achieving exemplary ratings from the New Mexico Public Education Department.
- Notable alumni
- Ari Turner, Putnam Fellow of the 1998 William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition (class of 1996).
- Anthony Sandoval (MD), winner of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials, Olympic hopeful for the boycotted Moscow Olympics.
- Carol Cady (MD; PhD) two time competitor in the Olympic games: Shotput in '84, Discus in '88. Held US Women's Discus record for 21 years.
- Nelson Martinez, former anchorman of KOAT "Action 7" News
- Drew Goddard (class of 1993), screenwriter and a co-executive producer of Lost.
- Gregson L. Barker, Chicago businessman; an original investor in the Chicago Bulls.
- Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, foreign minister of Croatia
- Kim Paffenroth, author, winner of the Bram Stoker Award for horror writing.
- External links
- LAHS Website
- LANL "Schools in Los Alamos"
- LAHS Profile by Los Alamos Schools
- Top Public School Ranking by AP Exams
- New Mexico Activities Association
- Los Alamos High School Alumni Association
- Los Alamos High School NJROTC
- Additional Images
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Image:Lahs sign.jpg | Old Main Sign for LAHSImage:LAHS Science.jpg |Science WingImage:LAHS Halls.JPG| CorridorsImage:LAHS Duanesmith.JPG | Duane W. Smith Auditorium
- Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.
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