Island school grew to include high school in 1924
For the Islander
Avalon School celebrated its centennial with a gala and multi-class reunion on Dec. 7, in the Casino ballroom and was attended by more than 250 guests.
Eddie Hoffman and his girlfriend provided entertainment during dinner and the Buzz Balls provided excellent live entertainment throughout the evening which was enjoyed by everyone. The youngest person to attend was Alexa Morones from the class of 2024. There were several attendees from the class of 1961. Mr. Douglas Otto, Vice President of LBUSD School Board and his lovely wife, Freda, were in attendance as was Dr. Lushandra Prioleau, LBUSD Program Administrator, Safe and Supportive Schools Unit.
In addition, former Avalon School principal Ms. Angelica Gonzalez as well as Gonzalo Moraga, LBUSD Director of Secondary Schools, were in attendance. The event also took time to recognize the recent CIF-SS Eight-man Football championship recently won by the schools football team.
The 100th Anniversary celebration of the school recognizes the date when the school was established as a kindergarten through high school campus, according to a historical timeline compiled by Donna Sharpe, former Avalon School librarian. Prior to that the island school was a k-5 school and island students had to commute to the mainland for high school.
The change began in 1923, with the school being told it need to join a mainland school district if it wanted to provide 11th and 12th grades. With a $50,000 pledge for school construction from William Wrigley Jr. Avalon School District dissolved and the school joined the Long Beach City School District. According to the timeline, much of which was gleaned from articles in the Catalina Islander Newspaper, the school’s first student body included 25 high school students, 104 elementary school students and 15 kindergarten students, with more expected to enroll for that year.
The high school students were temporarily housed in the Sugar Loaf Casino, while plans were made for construction of a new school building. The cornerstone for that building was laid in December of 1924. The cornerstone was reportedly made from island material sent to Pasadena for forming. The event was large ceremony with many local and mainland dignitaries in attendance.
The new building was finished and in use by Easter of 1925 and it formally opened in May of 1925. The new building housed grades four through 12, with grades K through three still occupying the building on Whitely Avenue.
In June of 1925, the school held its first high school graduation, with 10 students in its first graduation class. However, the event itself was a celebration for the whole community as more than 1,000 people reportedly filled the Greek Amphitheater to witness the event.
Avalon school grew quickly and by the end of 1930, the campus expanded to include a new elementary school building, a gymnasium, auditorium, playgrounds and athletic fields. Despite some growing pains over the years, Avalon School remains a key center piece of the Avalon community. Graduating classes are still small, recently handing out 35-40 diplomas a year.
