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Española Valley High School
Information:
Established:1975
Type:Public, Senior High School
City/Location:1111 El Llano Road Española,
New Mexico, United States 87532
PrincipalArthur Salazar
Vice PrincipalsDeVanna Ortega
Ruben Salazar
Athletics Dir.Theresa Flores
Enrollment1,140 [1]
CampusSuburban, 40 acres
MascotSundevil
Colors█ Devil Red
█ Valley Gold
█ White
█ Black (unofficial)
Athletics Conf.NMAA, AAAA Dist. 2
NewspaperThe Weekly Sundevil Torch
YearbookThe Flame
Feeder SchoolsVigil Middle School
Rival SchoolsLos Alamos High School
(Hill-Valley Rivalry)
Santa Fe High School
(Purgatory Rivalry)
Websitek12espanola.org
Phone505-753-2254

Española Valley High School (EVHS) is a Title-1 [2] public senior high school of the Espanola Public Schools District located in the City of Española, New Mexico.[3] It is known for its large Hispanic population, recent academic improvements and the successful AAAA boys' basketball program, which were the state co-champions for the 09-10 season.[4] The school's once famous marching band appeared in the 1984 Tournament of Roses Parade.[5] EVHS is also known for Edward Medina Memorial gymnasium, which is the largest high school gymnasium in the state.

The school is located in the Española city limits in "Fairview", a small suburb community in the southern part of Rio Arriba County. EVHS also serves the northern part of Santa Fe County, including Chimayo, Alcalde, Velarde, Santa Cruz, and Sombrillo. EVHS also attracts commuter students from other school districts and neighboring towns such as Dixon, Pojoaque and Santa Fe.

History

Española Valley High School opened to students in the fall of 1975; the class of 1976 was the first graduating class.

Prior to 1975, Española had two high schools: Santa Cruz High School "The Crusaders", and Española High School "The Hornets" which was founded in 1945. The two schools were located on opposite sides of town and were rivals. The community urged school districts to merge because the city of Española was divided because of the two schools.[citation needed] The 900 students of both schools were consolidated into one large high school. The first principal of EVHS was Merce Villareal.

The large gymnasium today known as the "Edward Medina Gym" stands as the largest high school gymnasium in the state.[citation needed] The gym's basketball court is 23 feet underground.

Football and other sporting events were held at the old Española High School campus till 1979; by then the sports complex at EVHS was completed. The buildings of the former Santa Cruz High School became part of Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School, and the old Española High School became the Española Middle School East (Prather), which closed in 2007.[6]

Enrollment

In 1987 student enrollment was approximately 1,335. In earlier years attendance hit nearly 1,490 the highest enrollment at EVHS. In 2004 the enrollment dropped to nearly 781 students. In the 2010/2011 school year enrollment rose to over 1,123 students for the first time since 2001.[7][8]

Bands

File:Espanola marching band (1984).jpg
EVHS Marching Band of 1984
File:Senator Obama in Espanola (2008).png
President Obama with several members of the mariachi band in 2008

Marching Band

Espanola Valley High's Band "Sound of Northern New Mexico" received an invitation from the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California in 1984. In the 1980s EVHS was well known throughout New Mexico for its marching band which also attended many band competitions including many college bowl games. EVHS is only 1 out of 4 schools in New Mexico to receive the honor of attending and marching in the Rose Parade.[9]

Mariachi Band

In the late 1990s there no longer was a marching band at Espanola Valley. Music teacher Alfonso Trujillo started a small mariachi band as an elective class. The group was named "Mariachi Sol del Valle" and performed for local events for several years. In 2008 when President Barack Obama stopped in Espanola for a campaign rally the band performed in the event.[10] Months later the schools band received an invitation from out of 1,400 schools throught the country to be a participant in the 2009 2009 Presidental inaugural parade in Washington D.C.[11][12][13]

Curriculum

Students of Espanola Valley High School are on a individualized four-year plan due to standards-based curriculum set up by the school. Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors courses are offered at EVHS in almost every subject. There are as over 16 elective classes offered to students including concurrent enrollment at Northern New Mexico College. Their main campus is located half a mile from the high school in Espanola.

Block schedule

Española Valley High School was on a block schedule for 4 school years; the scheduling began in the 2006/2007 school year. Many students and staff members surveyed believed it was a success. In this system a student would have four classes per semester and eight classes in a single year. The block scheduling was used until the 2009/2010 school year; the schedule for the 2010/2011 school year was changed to a 6-period day because it was cost effective according to the new superintendent Jeanette Archuleta.

In the modified block schedule any particular student could have up to eight classes in one day. Modified block scheduling allowed some classes to be "half-block" and last year-round in opposition to a "full-block" course which would last 1 semester. The modified block was implemented because some teachers and administrators felt that some courses needed to be year-long. Courses offered as half-blocks were core classes like Math, English, Science and other various electives including Spanish and Yearbook.

The Española Valley High School staff and faculty—in collaboration with parents and community—are dedicated to the academic, emotional, social and physical development of each student. Students develop personal skills, responsibility, independence, a positive attitude,an interest in education, and the necessary skills for life-long learning. A holistic approach which encompasses cultural diversity, varied learning environments, and opportunities for personal growth is used. Emphasis is placed on improving those skills that enable students to assume responsibilities of citizenship in our community and society.

— EVHS Mission Statement

No Child Left Behind Act

EVHS's former principal Bruce Hopmeier was a vocal proponent of former President Bush's controversial No Child Left Behind Act.

...I think it's great. I feel it's the best thing that came down from the federal government. It forced down innovative practices on education. A lot of schools and districts were getting by with just the basic educational process. This forced equality across the country. It also aired out a lot of dirty laundry. Without it, teachers would still be teaching like they did in the '40s or '50s.

— W. Bruce Hopmeier (2004) [14]

Since the 2004 testing, EVHS has satisfied the New Mexico State Board of Education's criteria for Adequate Yearly Progress mandated by No Child Left Behind as determined by the school's performance and participation rates in the New Mexico AYP standardized test for math and reading proficiency. 76% of EVHS's participating 11th grade students had adequate proficiency in math and reading in 2006/07.[15]

Principals

File:Espanola Logo 2010.png
  • Arthur Salazar - Current
  • W. Bruce Hopmeier (2004–2010)
  • Ralph Chacon (2003)
  • Andrew Rendon (2000–2002)
  • Beverly Averitt (1998–2000)
  • Ted Salazar (1995–1997)
  • Henry Andaloza (1993–1994)
  • George Gonzales (1990–1992)
  • Arthur Salazar (1985–1989)
  • Gilbert Vigil
  • Benito Chavez
  • Merce Villareal

Student body statistics

Race Number Percentile
Hispanic American 985 88%
White 46 4%
Asian American 2 0%
Native American 90 8%
African American 2 0%

The student body at EVHS is mostly made up of mostly middle class, upper middle class and a few low income students. [16]

Credit requirements

The current course credits needed to graduate from EVHS is 24; from 2003 to 2010 only 23 credits were needed.

Notable alumni

  • T. Glenn Ellington, State of New Mexico District Court Judge, Div 7. (1997–2001, 2011–Present), State Court of Appeals Judge (2002–2010), Class of 1979[17]
  • Daniel Sanchez, State of New Mexico District Court Judge, Div 7. (2002–2010) [18]
  • Debbie A. Rodella, State Representative Dist. 41 (1993–Present) Chair of Legislative Business & Industry Committee, Class of 1979[19]

Athletics

Edward Medina Gym of EVHS
State Basketball Championship game, sold-out crowd of 14,500 at University Arena. Espanola lost to Roswell 60–63.

Española Valley High School competes in the New Mexico Activities Association in District 2-AAAA.[20]

In the 2010–2011 school year, Santa Fe High School will join district 2AAAA, taking the place of Taos High School which will drop in classification to AAA.[21] EVHS has been a AAAA school since it opened in the fall of 1975. EVHS has two sport-related state championships and about nine individual state championships. In 1989 and 2002 the school was voted by the NMAA with the "Sportsmanship Award" for the class AAAA.

Theresa Flores is the new Athletic Director at EVHS for the 2009–2010 school year,[22] taking the place of David Fontaine, who served for three years; he stepped down in May 2009.[23] Flores was the school's former Athletic director in 2006; she retired and became an assistant principal at the Middle school.

Basketball Program

EVHS is well known across the state for its AAAA boys' basketball program that has been successful since the 2006 season under head coach Richard Martinez. The team has made the state tournament the last five years, and made the semi-finals in 2008, 2009 and 2010. In the 2010 Season the team made it to the state finals, losing to Roswell High School 63-60 at University Arena.[26][27]

Boys' Basketball history
The Coach Richard Martinez Era

  • 2006 - 12-16, 3rd Place in District, State First Round[28]
  • 2007 - 23–8 (6–3), District Champions, State Quarterfinals[29]
  • 2008 - 26–2 (8–0), District Champions, State Final Four[30]
  • 2009 - 26–5 (7–1), District Champions, State Final Four[31]
  • 2010 - 28–3 (8–0), District Champions, State Co-Champions[32]
  • 2011 - 16–7 (5–0), (current season)

133 Wins, 41 Losses (.771) - Best Record for a head coach in EVHS history.

Volleyball Program

Prior to 2003, Espanola had a struggling volleyball program until then coach Sam Estrada took over the program. Estrada returned as head coach of the Lady Sundevils from the 2003 to 2008 seasons. Estrada lead the team to a second place finish at the AAAA state finals in 2006 defeating then powerhouses Kirtland Central High School and St. Pius X High School in the first and second rounds. Three players from the 2006 team went on to play for Division 1 & 2 colleges. Amanda Strauss went to (D2) Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado, Julie Gibson went to (DI) Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona, Florida and Kristy Salazar went to (DI) New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico.[33]

Sister schools

School City Sister School Since:
St. Michael's High School Santa Fe, NM 1989–Present Day
McCurdy High School Española, NM 1978–Present Day

Rival schools

School City Rival School Since:
Los Alamos High School Los Alamos, New Mexico 1975–Present-Day

Footnotes

  1. ^ http://www.riograndesun.com/articles/2010/08/27/news/doc4c753cdf3b6ff124499119.txt
  2. ^ http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&City=espanola&State=35&SchoolType=1&SchoolType=2&SchoolType=3&SchoolType=4&SpecificSchlTypes=all&IncGrade=-1&LoGrade=-1&HiGrade=-1&ID=350090000268
  3. ^ http://espanola.schooldesk.net/Default.aspx?alias=espanola.schooldesk.net/evhs
  4. ^ a b http://www.nmact.org/files/Basketball_Brackets_2010_Boys.pdf
  5. ^ http://www.lakotawestbands.org/PDF/Rose%20Parade%20Bands%201950%20-%202006%20by%20Year.pdf
  6. ^ Brief History of the Española Public School. Española Public School District. Retrieved on 2008-02-28.
  7. ^ http://www.schooldigger.com/go/NM/schools/0090000268/school.aspx
  8. ^ http://www.riograndesun.com/articles/2010/08/27/news/doc4c753cdf3b6ff124499119.txt
  9. ^ http://www.lakotawestbands.org/PDF/Rose%20Parade%20Bands%201950%20-%202006%20by%20Year.pdf
  10. ^ http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Obama-mocks-McCain-s-call-to-fire-SEC-chairman
  11. ^ http://www.koat.com/r/18508927/detail.html
  12. ^ http://www.santafe.com/articles/march-to-d-c
  13. ^ http://lujan.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=165&Itemid=109
  14. ^ "Principal Aims to Make Espanola a Top New Mexico School". Santa Fe New Mexican. 19 October 2007. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  15. ^ "Espanola Makes AYP/District Reportcard" (PDF). NMPED. 22 July 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2008.
  16. ^ "Espanola Valley High School". NM School Tree. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
  17. ^ http://judgeellington2010.com/experience.html
  18. ^ http://firstdistrictcourt.com/Division%207.htm
  19. ^ http://namesdatabase.com/schools/US/NM/Espanola/Espanola%20Valley%20High%20School/
  20. ^ "Member Schools: Espanola Valley High School". NMAA. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
  21. ^ http://www.nmact.org/files/Alignment_and_Classification_Final_090909.pdf
  22. ^ https://secure.townnews.com/shared-content/subscription/authenticate/index.php?mode=start&domain=www.riograndesun.com&usereg=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.riograndesun.com%2F%2Farticles%2F2009%2F06%2F18%2Fsports%2Fdoc4a3939f9bd337222162905.txt&discover=0&amex=0
  23. ^ http://www.newser.com/archive-us-news/1G1-196372644/high-school-espanola-ad-steps-downsports.html
  24. ^ http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Sports/state-wrestling-tournament-Headlock-on-history-St--Michael-s-se
  25. ^ http://www.wrestlingusa.com/02%20wusa%20web%20root/highschoolnews/newmexico.html
  26. ^ http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Sports/Espa-amp-ntilde-ola-falls-to-Roswell--still-thirsty-for-trophy
  27. ^ http://nmact.org/basketball_state_brackets/
  28. ^ http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/a41Wp4h1VU21ZsVPQa_-nQ/espanola-valley-sun-devils/basketball-winter-05-06/home.htm
  29. ^ http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/a41Wp4h1VU21ZsVPQa_-nQ/espanola-valley-sun-devils/basketball-winter-06-07/home.htm
  30. ^ http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/a41Wp4h1VU21ZsVPQa_-nQ/espanola-valley-sun-devils/basketball-winter-07-08/home.htm
  31. ^ http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/a41Wp4h1VU21ZsVPQa_-nQ/espanola-valley-sun-devils/basketball-winter-08-09/home.htm
  32. ^ http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/a41Wp4h1VU21ZsVPQa_-nQ/espanola-valley-sun-devils/basketball-winter-09-10/home.htm
  33. ^ http://www.abqjournal.com/sports/live/component/content/article/5-more/243-elkettes-sundevils-rolling-in-prep-volleyball.html

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