Bell Gardens High School is a public

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

Bell Gardens, California Bell Gardens is a city in the U.S. state of California in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Located in Los Angeles County, the city's population was 42,072 at the 2010 census, down from 44,054 at the 2000 census. Bell Gardens is part of the ...

, part of the

Montebello Unified School District Montebello Unified School District is a school district based in Montebello, California, United States. Montebello USD serves the city of Montebello, portions of the cities of Bell Gardens, Commerce, Downey, Monterey Park, Pico Rivera, Rosemead ...

History

The campus was built in the 1930s and 1940s. After years of development and construction, BGHS's new three story building was opened on December 18, 2005. In 2005, the high school underwent a further phase of renovation when the school's athletic field, otherwise known as "Lancer Stadium", received a $1 million upgrade. This was the change the school decided to make instead of sizing up the auditorium and building up the schools music room and choir room (plans on that are set to happen on the next big loan). The gradually decaying long-standing natural dirt/grass field was replaced with a state of the art synthetic turf playing field along with a new 400 meter track surrounding it. The process commenced during the latter half of the 2004–2005 school year and was gradually completed the following spring in January 2006.

Notable alumni

Michael Granville Michael Granville (born February 14, 1978) is a retired American 800 metres runner. He is known for being the National High School record holder in the race. Running for Bell Gardens High School he set the record of 1:46.45 in the trial round ...

, 800 meter high school national record holder at 1:46.45 * Bob Bedell 1961, back-to-back CIF basketball champion, CIF MVP 1961 & 1962, played professionally in American Basketball Association *

Patty Cardenas Patricia Cardenas (born August 19, 1984) is an American water polo player. She played for Bell Gardens High School, Golden West College, University of Southern California, and the United States national water polo team. She won a silver medal wi ...

, 2002, Olympic medalist,

water polo Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...

Eddie Cochran Ray Edward Cochran (; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. Cochran's songs, such as " Twenty Flight Rock", "Summertime Blues", " C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desir ...

, musician, 1987 inductee of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame * Lawrence "DJ Muggs" Muggerud, Cypress Hill's DJ and producer; produced tracks for

Funkdoobiest Funkdoobiest was an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California, United States, composed of rappers Jason "Son Doobie" Vasquez, Tyrone "Tomahawk Funk" Pacheco and DJ Ralph "Tha Phunky Mexican" Medrano. They are members of the Soul Assassi ...

House of Pain House of Pain was an American hip-hop trio that released three albums in the 1990s. The group consisted of DJ Lethal, Danny Boy, and Everlast. The group's name is a reference to the H. G. Wells novel '' The Island of Dr. Moreau'', a refer ...

Dizzee Rascal Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a British MC and rapper. A pioneer of grime music, his work has also incorporated elements of UK garage, bassline, British hip hop, and R&B. D ...

, Ice Cube, U2, Depeche Mode and more *

John Force John Harold Force (born May 4, 1949 in Bell Gardens, California) is an American NHRA drag racer. He is a 16-time NHRA and 1 time AHRA Funny Car champion driver and a 22-time champion car owner. Force owns and drives for John Force Racing (J ...

NHRA The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorsp ...

drag racer Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most ...

, 16-time Funny Car division champion, 18-time champion car owner *

Brenda Villa Brenda Villa (born April 18, 1980) is an accomplished American water polo player. She is the most decorated athlete in the world of women’s water polo. Villa was named Female Water Polo Player of the Decade for 2000-2009 by the FINA Aquatics Wo ...

1998,

, 3-time Olympic medal winner *

Esteban Rodriguez Esteban "Stevie" Rodriguez Loera (born February 11, 1994) is an American professional soccer player. Career Club Rodriguez signed with Club Tijuana upon turning 18 in 2012, with his youth club, Chivas USA, having been unable to reach a deal for ...

, soccer, currently plays for

Atlante F.C. Atlante Fútbol Club, is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. Founded in 1916, Atlante were original members of the Mexican Primera División when it began in 1943. Atlante has won three national league championships, t ...

in Ascenso MX, on loan from

Club Tijuana Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente, commonly known as Tijuana, or simply as ''Xoloitzcuintle, Xolos'', is a Mexican professional Football team, football club based in Tijuana. The club's badge is the founder's (Jorge Hank) hairless xoloit ...

; started four matches for U.S. at 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup * Hector Jiménez, 2006, soccer, defender for

Columbus Crew SC The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as one ...

. 2-time MLS Cup Champion with

Los Angeles Galaxy LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pla ...

in 2011 and

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

Johnny Lee Clary Johnny Lee Clary (June 18, 1959 – October 21, 2014) was an American former professional wrestler, white supremacist, and later preacher. Clary served as a Ku Klux Klan leader before he became a Pentecostal Christian, traveling around the world ...

, aka

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

champion Johnny Angel, former racist KKK leader turned born again evangelist
The Way We Were Bell Gardens High
''
Mr. Hogue's Wisdom
/ref>

References

External links

Bell Gardens High School website
{{authority control Bell Gardens, California High schools in Los Angeles County, California Public high schools in California 1947 establishments in California