{{Short description|Public high school in California, United States}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox school | name = Reseda Charter High School | image = Reseda High School.JPG | established = 1955 | status = Open | type = Charter | affiliation = | district = Los Angeles Unified School District | grades = 6-12 | principal = Pia Damonte | faculty = | staff = 78.04 {{FTE}}<ref name=NCES/> | ratio = 17.35<ref name=NCES/> | enrollment = 1,354 (2023–24)<ref name=NCES>{{cite web |url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&ID=062271003301 |title=Reseda Charter High |publisher=National Center for Education Statistics |access-date=September 28, 2025 }}</ref> | athletic_conference = Valley Mission League<br>CIF Los Angeles City Section | colors = Navy, Columbia blue, White {{Color box|navy|border=darkgray}} {{Color box|skyblue|border=darkgray}} {{Color box|white|border=darkgray}} | mascot = Regent | rivals = | free_label = | free_text = | free_label2 = | free_text2 = | location = 18230 Kittridge Street, Reseda, Los Angeles, California 91335 | information = | coordinates = {{Coord|34.19|-118.53|format=dms|type:edu_region:US-CA|display=inline,title}} | website = [https://resedacharterhs.lausd.org/ Official Website] }} '''Reseda Charter High School''' ('''RCHS'''), established in 1955, is located in the Reseda section of the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States. In the fall of 2018, the school became a charter and is now Reseda Charter High School. In the fall of 2020, the school added middle grades becoming 6-12. It is in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The school's Police Academy Magnet and Science Magnet were named a national Magnet School of Distinction by the Magnet Schools of America in 2017, 2018, and 2019. As of July 2017, the school was issued a full six-year term of accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges' accreditation process.
The charter school is now home to Charter Academy 6-12 with enrollment by charter lottery and automatically for former residential boundary students, an International Dual Language Center (Spanish) 6-12, a School for Advanced Studies 6-12: PLTW Biomedical Science CTE pathway 9-12, the Arts, Media & Entertainment 9-12 Magnet: Film Production and Management Magnet 9-12, the Police Academy Magnet 9-12, and the Reseda High School Science Magnet 9-12: PLTW Biomedical Science & PLTW Engineering Magnet.
Reseda Charter High School is in the planning stages of a 180+ million dollar renovation. New buildings will include administration, library, auditorium, Regent Hall (cafeteria), kitchen, and food service and two classroom buildings which will replace three industrial arts buildings. The new administration building will house administration, counseling, three magnet offices (AMEM, PA, Science), campus security, school police, college counseling, parent center, nursing and psychological services.
==History== Reseda Charter High was the first complete high school to be built in the San Fernando Valley after World War II.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} Reseda opened with complete academic and science buildings, a gymnasium, track & field, Industrial shops, including an automotive repair facility. Reseda High School has a three-color system of navy, Columbia blue, and white.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} It was one of few high schools in the San Fernando Valley to have a complete auditorium when it was built.
It was in the Los Angeles City High School District until 1961 when it merged into LAUSD.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/history/schoollist.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980207051712/http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/history/schoollist.html |archive-date=February 7, 1998 |title=Los Angeles City School District |publisher=Los Angeles Unified School District |access-date=October 27, 2020 }}</ref>
==Academic programs== Reseda Charter programs include Charter Academy residential school 6-8 & 9-12, an International Dual Language Center 6-8 & 9-12(Spanish), a School for Advanced Studies 6-8 & 9-12: PLTW Biomedical Science CTE pathway, the Arts, Media & Entertainment Magnet: Film Production and Management CTE Magnet, the Police Academy Magnet CTE Magnet, and the Reseda High School Science Magnet: PLTW Biomedical Science CTE and PLTW Engineering CTE Magnet an award-winning arts program including: animation, marching band, dance, graphic art, jazz band, orchestra, stagecraft, studio art, and theater arts Academic Decathlon program, Navy Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, chapter of Health Occupations Students of America, Science Bowl. In addition, Reseda Charter has a competitive flag and drill team performing and competing with the marching band. The Reseda Charter Marching Brigade won 1st place in the LAUSD Band Competition in 2019 and 1st place in the 2019 Granada Hills Christmas Parade. Additionally in 2019, Reseda opened a professional dance CTE pathway led by a working professional dancer.
Reseda Charter has the only robotics program in the San Fernando Valley competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition and was in the 1st place alliance in the spring of 2018 in Pomona, CA.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.resedarobotics.com |title=Reseda Regents Robotics }}</ref>
== Sports == Reseda Charter fields teams for boys & girls in football, basketball, cheerleading, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, tennis, golf, track & field, cross country, water polo, swimming & wrestling.
* Football 5-A South Regional Champions in 2019..
== School shooting == On February 22, 1993, 15-year-old Robert Heard shot and killed 17-year-old Michael Shean Ensley in a corridor of Reseda High School. Although police declined to characterize the shooting as gang-related, they did say both boys were involved in tagging. Ensley was the younger brother of actress Niecy Nash.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-05-me-43640-story.html |title=Fatal Shooting at School Prompts Project to Spread Anti-Weapons Message - Los Angeles Times |publisher=Articles.latimes.com |date=June 5, 1993 |access-date=May 27, 2017 |first=Tracey |last=Kaplan }}</ref> Heard was convicted as a juvenile for his crime. In 2017, Heard was charged with second-degree murder for stabbing his wife to death in 2012 during his parole and faced up to life without parole.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dailyworld.com/story/news/local/2017/08/17/eunice-man-who-killed-niecey-nashs-brother-found-guilty-wifes-murder/578383001/ |title=Eunice man who killed Niecey Nash's brother found guilty in wife's murder }}</ref>
The murder prompted LAUSD to install hundreds of metal detectors throughout the school district and a California State Assembly bill was passed allocating $1.5 million to buy metal wanding devices for all secondary schools in the state.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://laschoolreport.com/the-10-violent-incidents-at-lausd-schools-that-prompted-stricter-metal-detector-monitoring/ |title=The 10 violent incidents at LAUSD schools that prompted stricter metal detector monitoring {{!}} LA School Report |website=laschoolreport.com |language=en-US |access-date=June 14, 2019 }}</ref>
==Notable alumni== * Hal Bedsole (1959), former NFL tight end * Bob Christiansen, former NFL defensive tackle * Paul Durousseau, serial killer * Bill Griffeth, (1974) Author and TV news anchor * Robert Hilburn (1957), former ''Los Angeles Times'' music critic * Randy Kerber, (1976) Award winning pianist, composer * Greg Lee (1970), former ABA and NBA point guard<ref>{{cite news|first=Richard|last=Goldstein|title=Greg Lee, a Key Member of Two U.C.L.A. Title-Winners, Dies at 70|date=September 25, 2022|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/25/sports/basketball/greg-lee-dead.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925164710/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/25/sports/basketball/greg-lee-dead.html|access-date=September 26, 2022|archive-date=September 25, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> * Christine Maggiore, deceased AIDS denialist * Caroline Menjivar, California state senator<ref>{{Cite web |title=Caroline Menjivar prepares for state Senate |url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/san-fernando-valley-ventura/politics/2022/12/01/caroline-menjivar |access-date=December 23, 2022 |website=spectrumnews1.com |language=en }}</ref> * Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (1978), animator, writer, director, producer, voice actor, and composer. Co-creator of ''Phineas and Ferb'' and ''Milo Murphy's Law'' * Jim McGlothlin (1961), former MLB pitcher * Elizabeth McKenzie, 1976, Author and editor * Odis McKinney (1974), former NFL cornerback * Ted Nash, (1977), Grammy winning jazz saxophonist, composer * Mark Nordquist (1963), former NFL lineman * Dan Peña (1963) Wall Street as a financial analyst * Bobby Pfeil, former MLB third baseman * Leo Rosales (1999), former MLB pitcher * Brenda Scott, former film and television actress<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/701584548/?clipping_id=171969803 "Local Beauty Featured in 'Look' Article"]. ''The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet''. March 22, 1962. p. 15. Retrieved May 8, 2025. "Sharing the limelight with six other attractive young television actresses in a current Look magazine illustrated feature titled "TV's Beauties" is talented Brenda Smith, 19, graduate of Reseda High School, who is known professionally as Brenda Scott. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dewey E. Smith, Brenda has had parts in three movies, and appears in such television shows as 'The Detectives,' 'Dr. Ben Casey,' 'My Three Sons,' 'Window on Main Street,' 'Hazel,' and others. Currently, she is being considered by a leading studio for roles in two movies. Miss Scott, who holds the title of honored Queen of Job's Daughters Bethel 254 of Reseda, studied drama at Reseda High and San Fernando Valley State College where she appeared in "Cinderella.'."</ref> * Willie Sims, professional soccer player * Brody Stevens, stand-up comedian and actor * Mark Summer. (1976), Grammy winning Cellist, composer, former member of the Turtle Island String Quartet * Bob Swaim (1961), film director * Michael Tigar, criminal defense lawyer * Jeff Widener, photographer<ref name="tankman">{{cite news |last1=Calouro |first1=Eric |title=Jeff Widener: The Photographer Behind the Iconic 'Tank Man' Photo |url=https://petapixel.com/jeff-widener/ |access-date=June 10, 2025 |agency=PetaPixel |date=November 17, 2022 }}</ref> * David Wilson, former NFL defensive back
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * Recalde, Tony (coordinator at Reseda Environmental / Physical Sciences Magnet High School). "[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-02-04-me-32163-story.html Reseda High School Can House Gifted Program]". ''Los Angeles Times''. February 4, 1996.
==External links== {{commons category}} * [https://resedacharterhs.lausd.org/ Official site] {{Portal bar|Schools|California|Education}}{{Reseda, Los Angeles}} {{LAUSD}} {{San Fernando Valley Schools}}
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Category:High schools in the San Fernando Valley Category:Los Angeles Unified School District schools Category:Public high schools in Los Angeles Category:Educational institutions established in 1955 Category:Magnet schools in California Category:Reseda, Los Angeles Category:1955 establishments in California