Terra Nova High School was established in 1961 to serve the growing population in the Linda Mar district of southern Pacifica. Students attended from Vallemar, Rockaway Beach, Mori Point, Fairway, Sharp Park and Pacific Manor districts until Oceana High School was completed the following year.
The original buildings and campus were designed by Mark Falk & Corwin Booth (of Falk & Booth). The main building originally had only two stories when the school opened in 1961. Portables were added to the rear of the school campus to accommodate the increase in students and need for more classrooms. A major facilities remodel was completed in 1998, and construction of a 400+ seat theater and a new science building began in early 2010 and was completed in 2012.
According to U.S. News & World Report, 62% of Terra Nova's student body is "of color," with 22% of the student body coming from economically disadvantaged households, determined by student eligibility for California's Reduced-price meal program.[2]
In 2011, Terra Nova scored an API of 801, the sixth highest in San Mateo County. By 2013, the last year on record, the school had scored 792, the second highest in the Jefferson Union school district.[3]
The state of California replaced the API system with the California School Dashboard system in 2017, in order to provide "a fuller picture of how districts and schools are addressing the needs of their students while also identifying the specific strengths and areas in need of improvement."[4]
For the school year 2018–2019, Terra Nova scored 6.3 points above the state average in English Language Arts, but 40.4 points below standard in Math.[5] It ranked above average for both Campus Climate - with an annual suspension rate of 5.6% - and Academic Engagement - with a graduation rate (measured by the percentage who received a high school diploma within 4–5 years of entering 9th grade or completed their graduation requirements at an alternative school) of 94.7%.[5]
Terra Nova has an award-winning marching band, which won first place in their division at the Foothill Band Review in 2007 and 2009. The marching band received the Sweepstakes award at the 2008 and 2009 Fog Fests. Most recently the marching band won 2nd place at championships 2016 in Napa
The Terra Nova drama department performs spring and fall productions, often produced in conjunction with directors from the local theatre company, the Pacifica Spindrift Players.
The school's student-run newspaper is the Terra Nova Times and has won awards from the Peninsula Press Club.
Terra Nova has had a team on the Bay Area's Quiz Kids show since the show's debut.
Greg Reynolds, Class of 2003, the Colorado Rockies' No. 1 draft choice in 2006 (Major League Baseball), and Rockies starting pitcher in the 2008 season
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