McClatchy, C.K., Senior High School

About this property

C. K. McClatchy High School, also known as McClatchy High School, is a high school in the Sacramento City Unified School District. It is located in the Land Park area of Sacramento, California. Established in 1937, it is the oldest operating high school in the district, having succeeded crosstown rival Sacramento High School following the latter's closure in 2003. McClatchy High School has over fifty clubs and over 50,000 alumni. Population growth in the city of Sacramento during the 1930s prompted the construction of C.K. McClatchy Senior High School, the city's second high school. Construction financing came from local sources as well as the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a New Deal economic stimulus program instituted by President Franklin Roosevelt. The school's design was done by local architectural firm of Starks and Flanders, whose existing portfolio included downtown landmarks such as the Elks Temple, the U.S. Post Office, and the Courthouse. On May 20, 1937, local dignitaries and students from the city's junior high schools gathered to watch the laying of the school's cornerstone bearing the name of C.K. McClatchy, the late editor and owner of The Sacramento Bee. On September 19, 1937, the school was officially dedicated. Sitting on 30 acres (120,000 m2), the school included a shooting range, and a band room complete with soundproof practice rooms as well as dressing and music rooms near the auditorium. A nurse's suite with bathrooms and a sun porch and a quartered garden with central fountain in the Moorish style were also features of the new campus. The school has served students in the Sacramento area for over 70 years. Many local, state, national, and international figures have graduated from McClatchy. Current enrollment is around 2,400 students. In 2002, the school was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. McClatchy's newspaper, The Prospector, has been serving students for 75 years. In 2005, C.K. McClatchy High School began to be recognized as a California Distinguished School. Since then, McClatchy continues to be unique among California high schools by “beating the trends.” CKM's school-wide measure of achievement—the Academic Performance Index (API)—jumped 32 points to 745 in 2008, an additional 11 points in 2009 to 756, and the trend is expected to continue. The Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps works with students who desire to develop leadership potential. The open-enrollment program provides a scholastic program in the areas of aerodynamics, science, history and cultural awareness. The Criminal Justice Academy is offered through a partnership with the Sacramento Police Department. Students study the basic course materials used by those in training to be police cadets. Additionally, the curriculum covers investigative procedures, forensic science, physical training and principles of the law.

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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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