EL MONTE — Imagine the first day of high school in El Monte in 1901.
There were no crowded hallways, marching bands or balloon arches. There was no sprawling campus filled with hundreds of teenagers.
There was one upstairs classroom at Lexington Avenue Grammar School.
Inside were perhaps 12 to 15 students.
Residential air conditioning is still thirty years away.
On Aug. 19, more than 7,000 students walked onto El Monte Union High School District campuses for another first day of school. Between those two first days lies 125 years of local history.
The El Monte schools’ anniversary year began with the familiar excitement of students returning from summer. But this time, the first-day traditions carried a connection to generations that came before them.
“As we begin this remarkable 125th anniversary year, we have an opportunity to honor the people, accomplishments, and traditions that have shaped El Monte Union while looking ahead to our bright future of possibilities,” Superintendent Dr. Edward Zuniga said.
From One Classroom To A Campus
El Monte High School opened in 1901 as the community’s first high school. Its 12 to 15 students attended classes in that single upstairs room.
The arrangement did not last long.
By 1908, El Monte High had its own campus and about 65 students. The community continued growing, new schools followed and the district eventually became the system serving thousands of students today. El Monte High’s own history still traces that journey from its tiny beginning.
Even the Lions roaming El Monte High’s campus in murals and statues tell part of that story.
The school’s mascot traces its roots to Gay’s Lion Farm, the famous El Monte attraction that operated during the early 20th century. The farm disappeared long ago, but the Lions remained.
That history was waiting for another generation when students arrived this fall.
El Monte Schools Anniversary Meets First-Day Energy
The Aug. 19 scene looked nothing like that first classroom in 1901.
At Mountain View High School, students entered through a Viking-themed tunnel. Student leaders wearing “Need Help” balloons made themselves easy to spot for newcomers searching for classrooms or directions.
El Monte High greeted students with a balloon arch, handmade posters and campus maps.
At Arroyo High School, seniors posed behind a “Last First Day” photo frame. Their final first day came during a school year celebrating a beginning 125 years earlier.
For El Monte High sophomore Neveah Flores, the anniversary added something different to an otherwise familiar return.
“I’m glad to be back at school, and I’m most excited about playing soccer and experiencing football games again,” Flores said. “It’s awesome knowing this year we’re a part of history celebrating 125 years.”
Another Generation Takes Its Place
Students were not the only ones preparing for the milestone year.
Link Crew leaders trained to welcome freshmen. South El Monte High introduced incoming ninth graders to campus before classes began. District employees and student leaders gathered Aug. 17 for the annual Opening of Schools Celebration.
Those activities are ordinary pieces of starting another school year. Against 125 years of history, they become something else: the newest entries in a story still being written.
There will be time this year to revisit the people, campuses and traditions that shaped El Monte Union.
For now, the numbers tell the opening chapter.
It began with 12 to 15 students climbing the stairs to one classroom in 1901. This fall, more than 7,000 students arrived at campuses across three cities.
For them, Aug. 19 was simply the first day back at school.
It was also the first day of a very special year.
Reporting for this story includes information provided by VMA Communications on behalf of the El Monte Union High School District. Photo courtesy of El Monte Union High School District/VMA Communications
