# Marshall Fundamental Secondary School

Marshall Fundamental Secondary School is a secondary school located in Pasadena, California, United States, at 990 North Allen Avenue, and is part of the Pasadena Unified School District.

## History

Named after United States Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, ground was broken for construction in 1924, with completion of the main building in 1925. The building was severely damaged in the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake, causing extensive reconstruction, not opening again until the 1940 school year, with the addition of the North Building. Several expansions occurred in the following decades; in the 1950s (Cafeteria), 1970s (Bungalows - demolished in 2015), 2000s (Science Building) and 2010s (Gymnasium/ M Building). Marshall was a junior high school for nearly fifty years, from its opening until the 1971 - 1972 school year, when it was closed briefly. For the 1973-1974 school year, it reopened as a secondary school (K-12). In 1976, grades kindergarten through sixth were moved to other Pasadena campuses Longfellow Elementary and Washington Elementary, but the sixth grade level was reinstated during the 1985-1986 year.

## Curriculum

Marshall has the following Advanced Placement courses.
* English Language
* English Literature
* Calculus AB
* Calculus BC
* Statistics
* Biology
* Chemistry
* Environmental Science
* Physics
* Human Geography
* World History
* US History
* US Government
* Macro Economics
* Spanish Language
* Spanish Literature
* Music Theory
* Studio Art 2D, 3D, and Drawing
* Psychology
* Capstone Research
* Capstone Seminar
* Computer Science
* Trigonometry

## Extracurricular activities

Marshall Fundamental offers many extracurricular activities such as clubs, sports, dances, and music programs. Clubs include:
* Cultural Clubs: Armenian Club, Asian Club, Black Student Union, Hispanic Heritage, and Pilipino Club
* Community Service Clubs: National Honor Society, Key Club, Hispanic National Honor Society, the Little Helpers Club, Storytellers Club
* Special Interest Clubs: ACI Club, Animal Club, Art Legacy Club, Art Club, ASB Club, Book Club, Buddy Club, Business Club, Cheer Club, Chess Club, Christian Club, Cycling Club, Drama Club, Dungeons & Dragons Club, Fantic, Gaming, Primate Club, Girls Build LA, Golf Club, Harambee, Jazz Club, Journalism, Math Club, Music Club, Nature Club, Orchestra, Rise Up, Rhino Club, Robotics, SAGE Club, Ultimate Frisbee, Yearbook
* Students also have the opportunity to create and charter their own club through approval by the Associated Student Body.
High School Athletics: Football, Baseball, Boys & Girls Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Diving, Girls Golf, Boys & Girls Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Boys & Girls Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball, Wrestling
Music courses include orchestra, band, and choir. Each type of music can be taken in a beginning, intermediate, or advanced class. The award-winning Marshall Fundamental Marching Band is regarded as the best music program in the Pasadena Unified School District. It won 3rd place in the 2014 SCSBOA Field Tournament Championships in the 1A division.

## Sports

The teams are named the Marshall Eagles and their uniforms display white, blue, and red. Some teams have different colors for away games.
The sports at Marshall include:
* Boys' football
* Cross country
* Girls tennis
* Girls' volleyball
* Girls' soccer
* Boys' soccer
* Girls' basketball
* Boys' basketball
* Track and field
* Swimming
* Boys' tennis
* Baseball
* Softball
* Girls Golf
* Marching band
* Winterguard
* Cheer
* Dance Team
* Wrestling

## Academic performance

Jay Mathews, an educator and education reporter for the Washington Post, listed Marshall Fundamental as the 130th best high school as of 2007, chiefly due to its vast number of underprivileged students, high graduation rate, and 70% free and reduced lunch program. It was featured on the cover of Newsweek magazine, indicated as one of America's best schools. Marshall was first posted in 2003 as 119th, but fell in the following years to 255 in 2005, and 286 in 2006. It saw a jump in the 2012 school year, rising 156 places, back into the top 10%. Marshall in 2017 was ranked 897 overall in the nation and 152 in California.
As of 2022, Marshall is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as being the 190th-ranked high school in California and the 1,303rd ranked high school in the nation.

## Proposed name change

In late-2024, a name change was proposed. Justice John Marshall (for whom the school is named) was a known slave owner. A movement has been started to change the name from "John Marshall," to that of the first African American Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall.

## Notable alumni

* Tamala Jones, actress, Castle
* Paul Rodriguez Jr., comedian
* Brian Taylor, writer and director, Crank
* Edward Van Halen, musician, Van Halen (junior high only)
* Alex Van Halen, musician, Van Halen (junior high only)
* Lark Voorhies, actress, Saved by the Bell
* Jaleel White, actor, Family Matters
* Dick Railsback, American pole vaulter