Madera High School (Madera, CA)
Madera High School is the first and original high school in the central San Joaquin Valley city of Madera, California, and has been serving students since 1894. The school colors are royal blue and white, and its mascot is the coyote.
The school now known as the flagship school is the original Madera High. It it located on the corner of sixth and L streets, about one mile south of downtown Madera.
Madera High School’s layout has been changed over the years. Originally, a brick schoolhouse served as MHS; this was destroyed in a fire in the early 1900s. In 1907 a new similarly styled brick building—nicknamed the “Main Building”—was constructed. Soon, more buildings started to appear. In 1976, the “Main Building” was demolished, because it didn’t meet earthquake standards; the area where it was located is now known as “The Pit” and is the hub for lunchtime activities. By the year 2000, the school’s current layout had been completed. In 2004, the main office building was refurbished, and most of the school followed suit in 2006.
The school’s original colors were purple and white. In 1949, with the color purple becoming scarce after the events of World War II, it was changed to its current blue-and-white color scheme. In honor of the centennial year of 1976, red was added into many of the athletic and band uniforms. The addition of red only lasted for a couple of years. When those uniforms were replaced, red has not been seen again. Purple has since been adopted as one of the main colors of Madera South High School.
When MHS opened, there were only three years required for each student to graduate: the first year students were called Juniors, followed by the Middlers and lastly the Seniors. In 1902 the school was officially named Madera Union High School, by which name the school was known until 1966.
In 1989, the Madera Unified School District commissioned the building of a new, separate high school; overcrowding at MHS was the main reason for this. Construction began in 1990, but the project was brought to an abrupt end in 1992, for budget reasons. Because the site wasn’t big enough to be considered a stand-alone high school, the campus was renamed “South Campus,” and served as the second half of Madera High School. The original flagship campus was nicknamed “North Campus” as a result. Thanks to the passing of a school bond in November 2002, South Campus was expanded to form its own high school, and proper renovations were completed at the main campus, allowing for the creation of Madera South High (formerly South Campus) in 2006. The last “mega class” of Madera High graduated in 2008, being the largest graduating class in MHS history.
Since the official split of the two schools, Madera High School and Madera South High School have been rivals. In 2008, the first annual Stadium Road Showdown game was played, named for the street that connects both schools. The winning team is awarded a giant “saw,” in reference to Madera’s roots as a lumber town.
Madera High School always extends a warm welcome to all. With more than 100 years of Coyote tradition, their goal is to continue to strive towards excellence and promote a positive school culture where students feel safe and welcome. A climate of civility and respect amongst all is key to students enjoying a positive high school experience.
As a student, know that you are supported and valued by all the staff members at Madera High School. They partner with students and parents to make MHS engaging, memorable and academically challenging. Their goal is for students to be equipped with the 21st Century skills that are essential to become College and Career ready. The staff is involved both in and out of the classroom to “make a difference” and want all students to be able to graduate. They encourage all to take advantage of the many activities that are offered and become an integral member of the Coyote Community.
To meet the needs of their diverse student population, MHS offers a variety of curricular and extracurricular programs designed to challenge and inspire their students. Our goal is for every student to desire to come to school each day and feel connected to the MHS community. The staff of Madera High is also committed to ensuring that all students achieve at high levels and are challenged to become global citizens equipped with 21st Century skills. Madera High offers many academically rigorous programs which include Advanced Placement course offerings.
Madera High offers a total of ten different Career Pathways that focus on the fields of Engineering, Medicine, Technology, Hospitality, Education, Robotics, Criminal Justice and Visual & Performing Arts. Career pathways help students make connections between the world of work and academics. Each career pathway offers an academically challenging curriculum while providing a variety of hands-on, real world learning opportunities. Students who complete a pathway (3 years of coursework) may also have the opportunity to earn post-secondary college credits through dual enrollment while also attaining industry recognized certifications.
Madera High also continues to partner with the Business and Industry sectors of our community. These vital relationships ensure that Madera High School will continue to offer programs that equip our students with College and Career readiness skills.
Madera High School also offers a variety of opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular activities. They have over Thirty clubs and 60 athletic teams that represent Madera High School from the freshman through varsity levels.
Some of the athletic opportunities include:
Cross Country, Football, Golf, Tennis, Volleyball, Gymnastics, Water Polo, Basketball, Soccer, Wrestling, Cheer & Dance, Baseball, Softball, Swimming, and Track & Field.
Of course, this isn’t all Madera High School has to offer. Visit their website to learn more!
Madera High School – Over 100 years of coyote pride and tradition.
Madera High’s strong tradition of spirit and pride will live on for many generations to come.
GO COYOTES!
Madera High School | 200 South L Street. | Madera, CA 93637 | (559) 675-4444