Loara High School is a public four year American high school in the Anaheim Union High School District, located in the Southwest Anaheim region of Anaheim, California. Loara is a Title I school that serves many students from low-income families, and the campus consists of 1,783 students and 75 certificated staff.[2] Loara is a California Distinguished School which prepares students to "innovate in service of their community". The school was one of the premier institutions becoming an International School under the International Baccalaureate in Orange County in 1999, however, the program was discontinued in 2009 due to the lack of funding.
Students
In 1962, the student body consisted of the following percentage of ethnic groups: 90% Caucasian, >0.1% Native Americans, >0.5% Asian/Indian American, >0.1 Filipino American, 8% Hispanic, >0.1% African American. As of 2010, the campus' over 2,686 students consists of the following percentage of ethnic groups: 0.3% American Indian, 11% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander, 3% Filipino, 71% Hispanic, 1% Asian Indian, 2% African-American, and 12% Caucasian.[2] Over half of the student qualify for the reduced lunch program. Nearly one fourth of the students participate in an English learners program.
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History
Loara was established in 1962, with the first graduating class in 1965, and is one of eight comprehensive high schools within the district.
In 1971, then-California governor and future U.S. President Ronald Reagan visited the Loara campus on a tour of the city of Anaheim.
The school has recently undergone modernization under Bond Measure Z, which includes two gyms, a science building, and a math building.[4] In 2006, the campus completed an extensive technology improvement plan. This includes the construction of the prototype for "Classroom of the Future," two technologically advanced rooms that were designed to model future prospects.
Sammy Saxon is the school mascot. His appearance is typically depicted as a caricature of an Anglo-Saxon warrior.[5]
Academics
Loara had one of the largest International Baccalaureate (IB) programs in Orange County. The IB program is no longer offered at Loara.[6] Loara was authorized to offer the IB Diploma Programme in July 1999, the program is taught in English to 148 students.
Lauren Lappin; member of the 2008 Summer Olympics Women's Softball Team Silver Medal winner. Her Olympic Number 37 was retired by Loara Softball on March 20, 2023
Augie Nieto; founder of Lifefitness and inventor of the Lifecycle. Augie has recently become a spokesman for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and was featured on the cover of Parade Magazine.[14]
