Sandia High School
High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sandia High School (SHS) is a public high school located in the northeast heights of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is a member of the Albuquerque Public Schools district.[3] The current enrollment is 1,776.[4]
| Sandia High School | |
|---|---|
| |
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| Location | |
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7801 Candelaria Road Northeast , 87100 United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Motto | Scholarship, Honor, Service |
| Established | 1958[1] |
Principal | Camille Gonzales |
| Staff | 103.75 (FTE)[2] |
| Enrollment | 1,672 (2023-2024)[2] |
Student to teacher ratio | 16.12[2] |
| Color | |
Athletics conference | NMAA, 6A Dist. 2 |
| Mascot | Matador |
| Website | http://sandia.aps.edu |
History
The school opened in 1958 and was originally constructed to hold between 1,800 and 2,000 students at a cost of $1.3 million.[5] The smaller Yucca school, located east of the main building, was completed in 1959 to house elementary students.[6] The Yucca school was phased out as an elementary school in 1974 due to low enrollment, and was used as an annex to Sandia.[7]
The originally proposed mascot name was the Sandia Satans, which prompted negative reactions from the community.[8] Thereafter, the mascot name was changed to "Matadors," after a vote that included the alternative proposed mascot names "Thunderbirds" and "Road Runners."[8] A Matador sculpture was placed in the student commons area in 1979.
In the late 1970s, the school reached a record student population for the state of New Mexico. This led to the approval and construction of a newer facility, La Cueva High School, in the early 1980s.
In 2012 Albuquerque Public Schools initiated a significant rebuilding project at Sandia High School. New construction included a new mathematics and science classroom building, a new library, and rebuilt athletic fields.[9]
As of 2013, Sandia High School is home to the International Baccalaureate program.[10]
As of September 2021, Sandia High School's principal is Camille Gonzales.[11]
Demographics
During the 2023-2024 academic year more than half of the students at Sandia High School were Hispanic. About a quarter of the students were white.[2]
Athletics
The first athletic win in school history was a 26-0 football victory over Española Valley High School on September 20, 1958. At this time, Sandia still had the Satan as the mascot.[12] It was a week later that Sandia officially changed the mascot to the Matador.[8]
Sandia High School competes in the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA). For 2022/2023-2023/2024, the NMAA realigned the state's districts and classifications.[13] Sandia competes in 5A in every sport except football. Football is still a 6A classification.
State titles
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Boys
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Girls
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Student activities
The Sandian, a student newspaper, has been published for many years.
Alumni
- David Addington, former Vice President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff[33]
- Richard Angulo, coach and former player in NFL[34]
- Brendan Donnelly, former MLB player (Anaheim Angels, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates)[35]
- Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico and 2012 presidential candidate[36]
- Eric Kibi, professional basketball player
- DeAndre Lansdowne, professional basketball player[37]
- Robert Mercer, hedge fund CO-CEO of Renaissance Technologies, who played a key role in Brexit and Trump campaigns
- Janet Napolitano, former US Secretary of Homeland Security and Arizona Governor[38]
- Madolyn Smith, movie and television actress
- Gary Suiter, professional basketball player and first person from Albuquerque to play in the NBA[39]
- Heidi Swedberg, movie and television actress[40]
- Lydia Tapia, computer science professor
