# North Monterey County High School

North Monterey County High School is a high school in Castroville, California, USA, was established in 1978. It serves the populations of Aromas, Castroville, Prunedale, Royal Oaks, Elkhorn and Salinas. The school is part of the North Monterey County Unified School District. North Monterey County High School is abbreviated on some official documents as NMCHS although it is more commonly known as either "North County" or "NC".

## Students

The school serves just under 1,500 students. 56% are Hispanic or Latino, 36% are White, 2% are African American and 3% are Asian. About one-fifth of North County students are designated as English Language Learners.

## Background

Before 1978, North Monterey County students traveled to Salinas for high school. Many local residents wanted to have their own high school so that their children would not have to travel. In 1978, voters approved a bond measure to build the high school under the campaign slogan "Yes is Best". In fall 1978, North County opened to a new student body that did not include a senior class. In June 1980, the first class graduated. In 1985, the high school won national recognition from President Reagan as one of the best 100 high schools in the cUS and subsequently won two distinguished California High School Awards in the 1990s. The school has been recognized at the California Conference of Superintendents for its high Latino graduation rate.

## Governance

The school's budget is determined by the Board of Trustees of the North Monterey County Unified School District. Internally, the administration of the school is led by three co-ordinators. An activities director oversees school activities and an athletic director manages school athletics. Some funding for the school is controlled by the School Site Council or SIP (School Site Improvement Project). The SIP committee is co-ordinated by the SIP Co-ordinator who is a salaried school official. The committee members include parents, staff, the principal and students. The members elect their president.

## Academics, courses, graduation requirements

North County offers a selection of courses to istudents. It has ROP, art, photography and technology courses. NC has an honors and AP program that includes several AP courses. The first AP courses offered at North County were AP US history and English. NC's API test scores place it as average in California, but its API scores in the context of similar schools ranks it as above average.

## Activities
### Marching band

The NMCHS marching band, directed by Barry Capiaux, has received attention for performances in China, Italy and Hawaii, and participation in President Clinton's second inaugural parade. Likewise, the wind ensemble, symphonic and jazz bands have performed at these localations as well as competitions in Canada, Colorado Springs and the Monterey Jazz Festival.

### Sports

* American football
* Baseball
* Softball
* Soccer
* Track and field
* Golf
* Wrestling
* Boys' basketball
* Girls' basketball
* Cross country
* Volleyball
* Marching band

### Non-sport activities

* Cheerleading
* Color Guard

### Clubs and organizations

* Coding Club
* Link Crew
* Slough Crew
* AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)
* Drama: Encore!
* Yearbook
* Math Club
* Aguilas Guererras
* MESA
* Auto shop
* Skills USA

## Notable alumni

* Jamie Iredell — writer