Torrey Pines High School - History

History

Prior to 1936, students in all of coastal North County went to high school in Oceanside, California.

In 1936, the San Dieguito Union High School District was created and San Dieguito High School in Encinitas opened to serve students living in Del Mar, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, Olivenhain, Cardiff, Encinitas and Leucadia. It remained the only high school in the district until Torrey Pines High School opened in 1974.

Based on the large amount of growth in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as well as projected growth in the area, it was determined that a second high school was needed. At the time, San Dieguito High School and Earl Warren Jr. High School were forced to do double sessions to deal with the shortage of schooling space. Earl Warren at the time also had the ninth grade freshman class attending its school.

In the early 1970s after two defeats, a bond issue placed on the ballot finally passed. A location was chosen at what seemed out-of-the-way at the time; however the location was based on the projected growth of what was then known as “North City West” – commonly known today as Carmel Valley

Torrey Pines High School was built and opened in the fall of 1974. The opening relieved the over-crowding at San Dieguito High School, as well as at Earl Warren Jr. High School. When initially opened, access was from the original alignment of two-lanes only Black Mountain Rd. Later when Del Mar Height Rd was extended east, the access road was modified.

It was considered very modern at the time, being built with an open courtyard, classrooms with no windows, and many of the classrooms had no doors. Another design feature was wide hallways with large carpeted podium-like benches one could sit on. The library (the Media Center) was considered state-of-the-art at the time. It also had its own Black Box Theater.

For all its fanfare, there were some noticeable discrepancies: There was an immediate shortage of classrooms – portable classrooms had to be brought in; there was a shortage of lockers, students had to double or triple up; there was no food service building – instead a bank of vending machines provided the only source of lunch items. Finally, there was no football stadium; games were played at San Dieguito High School.

In the 1980s, the school was expanded: the building containing the Media Center was expanded towards Del Mar Heights Rd, creating rooms 41 – 62; a new parking/bus/student drop-off area was added; a football stadium built; the original portable classrooms were converted to a weight room and other sport-related uses; and the original black box theater is now used as a lecture hall (with a second black box theater, a converted machine shop, being added in the Arts building). In 2003, Building E and G were built. Furthermore, stairs were added leading up to the main building at this time. During the summer of 2008, more stairs were constructed which lead from the parking lot nearest Del Mar Heights Road to the English building in response to students running down the hill instead of using the stairs.