# Palos Verdes High School

Palos Verdes High School (PVHS) is one of three public high schools on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County, Southern California, USA (the others being Palos Verdes Peninsula High School (formerly Rolling Hills High School) and Rancho Del Mar High School). Located by the ocean in Palos Verdes Estates, the school is part of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District.

## History

It originally opened in 1961.
The school had a Parent Teacher Association; in 1969 the association began allowing students to participate, and so it became the "Parent Teacher Student Association."
Originally opened in 1961, the school earned many awards for academic and athletic excellence before declining enrollments led the District to close PVHS in 1991, combining three existing high schools into Palos Verdes Peninsula High School (PVPHS). The campus remained in use as Palos Verdes Intermediate School, with the former intermediate schools having been closed as part of the reorganization. In 2002, climbing enrollments and overcrowding at Peninsula High School led the district to reopen Palos Verdes High School. By the first year, enrollment reached 470 students.

## Athletics

The athletic teams (known as the Sea Kings) are represented by the colors red, black, and white. The nickname comes from the Greek god Poseidon, the school's official mascot. Palos Verdes competes in the Southern Section, Northern Division of the California Interscholastic Federation. In 2024, Palos Verdes won the CIF Division 2-AA state championship in football.

## Notable alumni

* Dana Rohrabacher (Former Member U.S House of Representatives), Class of 1965
* Toulouse Engelhardt, Guitar Virtuoso, Recording Artist and Composer, Class of 69
* Sable Starr was an American groupie, often described as the "queen of the groupie scene" in Los Angeles during the early 1970
* Former Senator George Felix Allen (R-VA), Class of 1970
* Jan van Breda Kolff, former college and professional basketball player, SEC Player of the Year (1974), Class of 1970
* Stephen-Craig Aristei, music publisher, manager, music supervisor, and film and television producer, Class before 1971
* Craig Hogan, Director of Fermilab Center for Particle Astrophysics, Class of 1972
* Blair Bush (former center in the NFL), Class of 1974
* Billy Martin, Tennis Pro & long time UCLA Tennis Head Coach, Class of 1974
* Bill Laimbeer (Detroit Pistons star and former WNBA coach) and leader of the 1975 CIF championship basketball team, Class of 1975
* Daniel Levitin (neuroscientist, musician and author), Class of 1975
* Matt Wuerker, Political cartoonist, winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning, Class of 1975
* Mark Acres, (pro basketball; Boston Celtics 1987-1989, Orlando Magic 1989-1992, Houston Rockets 1992, Washington Bullets 1993), Class of 1981
* Carin Jennings, Member of the USWNT, Class of 1983
* Pete Sampras (tennis great) (attended 1985-88)
* Heather Burge WNBA player, Class of 1989
* Heidi Burge - WNBA player, Class of 1989
* John Welbourn, NFL offensive lineman, formerly with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs (attended 1990-1991)
* Rebecca Mehra (born 1994), American middle-distance runner
* Tai Verdes (born 1995), American singer
* Ellie Darcey-Alden (born 1999), English actress, dancer and model
* Joe Walker, NFL linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles
* Matt Grace, MLB pitcher for the Washington Nationals
* Bryan James Scott, Quarterback for the Generals of The Spring League
* Cameron Terrell (born 2000), former gang member

## Alumni notable for criminal activities

* Christopher Boyce (convicted of espionage, subject of the movie The Falcon and the Snowman, from Robert Lindsey's book of the same name), Class of 1971
* Andrew Daulton Lee (convicted of espionage, subject of the movie The Falcon and the Snowman, from Robert Lindsey's book of the same name), Class of 1970

## Notable faculty

* Jovan Vavic - former water polo coach