# James Monroe High School (California)

James Monroe High School (JMHS), at 9229 Haskell Avenue in North Hills, California, is a public high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is home to Small Learning Communities (SLCs) and two magnet schools. Its mascot is the Viking.

## History

The school opened in the fall of 1958.
The team name Vikings was selected by a student leadership class, as were the school colors and song. The Multipurpose room was named Odin's Hall, and the Annual was named "Valhalla".
It was in the Los Angeles City High School District until 1961, when it merged into LAUSD.
In 2004, five drop-out students including future rapper Hopsin were arrested for vandalizing James Monroe High School property, which was intended to be a school prank. They were later all charged and held on $20,000 bail.
The opening of Panorama High School in October 2006 relieved overcrowding at JMHS.
In 2010, it was ranked 420 in Newsweek's list of U.S. high schools.

## Smaller Learning Communities (SLCs)

* 9th Grade Academy
* ARMY JROTC program called the Viking Battalion
* Arts, Media, & Entertainment
* Public Service (Fire Academy)
* Engineering & Design (including the Monroe SAS)
* Magnet (Law & Government and Police Academy)

## School for Advanced Studies (SAS)

The Monroe School for Advanced Studies, formed in 2001, belongs to the larger SLC of Engineering & Design.

## Magnet schools

The school offers two Magnet programs to prepare students to pursue careers in law, police science, criminology, forensics, and related fields.

### Monroe Law and Government Magnet

* Established in 1991
* Activities like mock trials, debate team, internships, Junior Statesmen of America membership, and invitations to events by local politicians
* Graduates accepted at top universities including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, USC, UC Berkeley, UCLA

### Monroe Police Academy Magnet

* Established in 1996
* Special physical education class with obstacle course
* Student immersion in career opportunities in a range of law enforcement related fields

## Mock trial competitions

Because of the Law and Government Magnet, Monroe has its own courtroom. It has a mock trial team that competes in the Los Angeles County Mock Trial Competition run by the Constitutional Rights Foundation, where about 80 schools compete each year. From 2002 to 2007, Monroe reached the semifinals four times, and the quarterfinals two times. In 2008, it reached the finals but lost to Gabrielino High. In 2009, Monroe once again took 2nd place, losing by .76% to Louisville High School, a private all-girls school.

## Notable alumni

* Angelyne – model and Los Angeles icon
* Meredith Baxter – actress, producer (briefly attended during her sophomore year)
* Guy Benjamin – NFL quarterback for the Dolphins, Saints, and 49ers
* Brandon Browner – NFL player for the Seahawks, Patriots and Saints
* Larry Cedar – TV character actor
* Doug DeCinces – former Major League Baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels
* Dan Eller - professor
* John Ennis – former Major League Baseball player
* Jon V. Ferrara – computer software entrepreneur, CEO Nimble Inc., co-founder of GoldMine CRM, one of the early pioneers in Contact Management, Sales Force Automation (SFA) & Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software
* Hopsin – rapper
* Jimmy Keegan – drummer for Spock's Beard, Santana and Kenny Loggins
* Lori Lively – actress and older sister of Blake Lively and Jason Lively
* Wayne Massey – actor, recording artist, musician, music producer, CEO; varsity baseball pitcher for Monroe and drafted by Los Angeles Angels
* Kevin Mitnick – computer security consultant and convicted hacker
* William T. Perkins, Jr. – Medal of Honor recipient, Vietnam War, 1967
* Gary M. Rose – Medal of Honor recipient, Vietnam War, 1970
* Kerry Rossall – stuntman and actor
* Sharon Shapiro – gymnast
* Steve Wapnick – former Major League Baseball player
* Ron Wasserman – award-winning television composer, songwriter and producer
* Debra Winger – Academy Award-nominated actress