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Raoul Wallenberg Traditional High School

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Coordinates: 37°46′48.86″N 122°26′46.82″W / 37.7802389°N 122.4463389°W / 37.7802389; -122.4463389
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Raoul Wallenberg Traditional High School
Main entrance on Vega St.
Location
Map
40 Vega St
San Francisco, California, 94118
Coordinates37°46′48.86″N 122°26′46.82″W / 37.7802389°N 122.4463389°W / 37.7802389; -122.4463389
Information
Established1981
SuperintendentMaria Su
PrincipalTanya Harris
Staff26.77 (FTE)[1]
Enrollment551 (2023–2024)[1]
Student to teacher ratio20.58[1]
CampusUrban
Color(s)Blue, White, and Columbia Blue
TeamsWallenberg Bulldogs
Websitewww.sfusd.edu/school/raoul-wallenberg-high-school

Raoul Wallenberg Traditional High School is a high school in the San Francisco Unified School District in San Francisco, California, US. It was founded in 1981 in honor of the Swedish architect, businessman, diplomat, and humanitarian Raoul Wallenberg.[2] In recognition of its namesake, the school's motto is "The individual can make a difference"[3] and all students are required to complete at least 100 hours of community service before graduating.[4]

History

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Land Development

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The Wallenberg High School campus sits on the former site of the Lone Mountain Cemetery complex, specifically Calvary Cemetery, which was cleared for development.[5]

An aerial view of Calvary Cemetery in 1938 before being cleared for development

Anza Elementary School (1952-1981)

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Anza School at Nido Avenue and Vega Street

In February of 1946, the board of education voted to appropriate $87,000 to purchase land for an elementary school in the Anza neighborhood which was then being developed.[6] Two years later, in 1948, San Francisco voters approved a bond measure[7] for $48,890,000 which was used to renovate existing schools and build new ones, one of which became Anza Elementary School, built for $915,000, which opened on September 3, 1952.[8][9]On May 12, 1981 the Board of Education voted to convert the school into a high school, a decision opposed by some Richmond residents in part because the change would eliminate a Japanese-English bilingual program afforded to over 200 students.[10]

Raoul Wallenberg Traditional High School (1981-present)

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On September 10, 1981 the school officially opened as Raoul Wallenberg Traditional High School.[11][12] The descriptor "traditional" at the time referred to "'back-to-basics' schools because of their stress on academics and student discipline".[11] Though traditional elementary schools existed in San Francisco, Wallenberg was the first high school to open with that distinction.[10] The opening of these "traditional" schools was a strategy by SFUSD to combat the popularity of private schools as well as a response to criticism at the time that the district had misaligned priorities and had fallen behind on academic rigor.[13] When it was opened the elementary school toilets and water fountains still had not been replaced to meet the needs of older students. The school was officially dedicated to Raoul Wallenberg on November 23, 1981 with Wallenberg's maternal half-sister, Nina Lagergren, in attendance.[14]

Campus

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Situated in the north of the city, in the Western Addition district, the school spans several blocks bounded by O'Farrell Street to the north, Masonic Avenue to the west, Vega Street to the south, and Anza Vista Avenue to the east. Wallenberg High School is located in the Anza Vista neighborhood to the east of the University of San Francisco's Lone Mountain Campus. The school is directly accessible via the SFMTA's 31, 38, and 43 bus lines.

The campus includes a library, an art studio and music classroom, an auditorium, a computer lab, an indoor gymnasium with a court used for basketball, badminton and volleyball, a Wellness Center, and an outdoor weightlifting gym. The southwest blacktop, known as the "lower yard", was renovated in 2023 and features two basketball courts along with a multipurpose court for tennis, badminton, and pickleball. The central patio is known as the "upper yard" and is home to the school's 3 garden areas and greenhouse. On the eastern side of campus is the annex building which was constructed in 2011. The campus has two faculty parking lots, one off of Nido Avenue and another off of O'Farrell Street.

The upper yard facing south towards Sutro Tower
The north entrance on O'Farrell St.

Academics and Class Structure

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In the 2024-2025 school year students had the opportunity to choose from several Advanced Placement courses, including: Biology, Calculus AB, Computer Science Principles, English Literature & Composition, Environmental Science, Macroeconomics, Statistics, US Government and Politics, and US History.

The career and technical education pathways offered include: Biotechnology, Computer Science, and Environmental Science, Engineering, and Policy (ESEP).

Student Activities

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Athletics

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For the 2022-2023 school year, Wallenberg High School is a member of the California Interscholastic Federation in the following sports:[15]

Clubs

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As of the 2024-25 school year Wallenberg's clubs include: Acts of Random Kindness, Badminton Club, Charity Club, Cooking Club, Gaming Club, Gardening Club, Kaibigan, Psychology Pathways, Red Cross Club, Upcycling club, and Yarn Club. Clubs fundraise at Food Fests around campus throughout the year.

Events

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At the end of the fall semester the school typically puts on a winter concert in the auditorium featuring student and teacher bands. Since 2014 Wallenberg has also put on Wallapalooza, a spring arts and music festival held towards the end of the school year.

Demographics

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Enrollment by Grade (2023-2024)[1]
Category % of Students # of Students
9th 26.8 148
10th 24.3 134
11th 22.8 126
12th 25.9 143
Enrollment by Gender (2023-2024)[1]
Category % of Students # of Students
Male 54.9 303
Female 45 248
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity (2023-2024)[1]
Category % of Students # of Students
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.01 1
Asian 40.29 222
Black 9.43 52
Hispanic 23.23 128
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.05 3
White 16.15 89
Two or More Races 10.16 56

For the 2020-2021 school year, total minority enrollment was 83%, with 47% of the student body coming from an economically disadvantaged household.[16]

Academic indicators

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The graduation rate in 2020-2021 was 93.5%, compared to district average of 58.2% and state average of 83.6%. In 2019-2020, 63% of graduates completed all of the courses required for University of California and California State University admission.[3]

The dropout rate in 2020-2021 was 3.9%, compared to district average of 36.6% and state average of 9.4%. The school reported that 14.6% of students were chronically absent.[3]

In the 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings, 55% of Wallenberg students were considered proficient in mathematics (compared to 32% in the district and 30% in the state), 66% were proficient in reading (compared to 49% in the district and 60% in the state), and 45% were proficient in science (compared to 25% in the district and 30% in the state). 65% of 12th grade students took at least one Advanced Placement (AP) exam.[16]

During the 2020-2021 school year, 83% of students said they felt the school provided a climate of support for academic learning. 74% felt safe at school and 58% reported a sense of belonging.[17]

The sign at the front entrance of the school

Notable Alumni

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Wallenberg (Raoul) Traditional High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  2. ^ "Raoul Wallenberg High School". Raoul Wallenberg High School. San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "School Accountability Report Card School Year 2020-21". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  4. ^ "Raoul Wallenberg High School 2021-2022 School Profile". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  5. ^ "Just a hint of personality in Anza Vista tract". SFchronicle.com. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  6. ^ "Expansion of Lincoln High School Board Balks at Proposal for 'Flexible' Annexes". San Francisco, California: San Francisco Chronicle. February 20, 1946.
  7. ^ "In S.F., schools have been put to test by the forces of history for decades". SFchronicle.com. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  8. ^ "New Schools Led City's 1950 Projects". San Francisco, California: San Francisco Chronicle. December 31, 1950.
  9. ^ Brown, Mary (January 12, 2011), San Francisco Modern Architecture and Landscape Design 1935-1970 Historic Context Statement (PDF), p. 305
  10. ^ a b Grant, William (September 13, 1981). "Anza to be New High School". San Francisco, California: San Francisco Chronicle.
  11. ^ a b Grant, William (September 11, 1981). "'Traditional' S.F. High School Opens Doors". San Francisco, California: San Francisco Chronicle.
  12. ^ Dunnigan, Frank. "Streetwise: Modern School Days". OutsideLands.org. Western Neighborhoods Project. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  13. ^ Grant, William (September 8, 1981). "Private Schools Escape Nearly All State Rules". San Francisco, California: San Francisco Chronicle.
  14. ^ Ringman, Steve (November 24, 1981). "Wallenberg Sister's Plea". San Francisco, California: San Francisco Chronicle.
  15. ^ "Sports". Raoul Wallenberg High School. San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  16. ^ a b "Raoul Wallenberg High School 2022 Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  17. ^ "Socio-Emotional and Culture Climate Report, HS Fall 2020-21". San Francisco Unified School District. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
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