Countdown to 2000: Schools

Amy R. Spurgeon

The 1930s were an important time for high school students in the

Newport-Mesa area.

By the 1920s, it had became apparent to parents that as long as they

remained a part of the Santa Ana Union High School District, the best

interests of their children would not be met.

The term “Seven-Year Battle” aptly describes the situation harbor-area

residents faced while trying to secede from the Santa Ana district in

order to create their own.Frustrated by the Santa Ana district’s control

and domination, citizens such as C.W. TeWinkle, Donald J. Dodge, Lew H.

Wallace and Fred W. Opp exercised legal options to withdraw from it and

form a high school district of their own.

In 1929, residents voted 894-23 in favor of withdrawing from the Santa

Ana Union High School District. The vote resulted in the creation of the

Newport Harbor Union High School District, which would serve Newport

Beach and Costa Mesa.

In 1930, Newport Harbor High School’s doors would swing open to students

from both towns. However, the senior class that year continued to attend

Santa Ana High School.

All of Newport Harbor High School’s athletic, scholastic and civic

programs had to evolve from the ground up. It would be another 15 years

before the school’s facilities would be completed.

Costa Mesa also saw the arrival of two new schools in 1930. The result was the birth of the historical rivalry between Newport’s “Mackerel

Flatters” and Costa Mesa’s “Goat Hill.”It was also during this time that

the Costa Mesa Herald ran stories about residents yearning for higher

educational facilities. Representatives from the district discussed

possibilities for a Coast Union Junior College region.

The district realized that with its $21,016 annual contribution to the

Santa Ana Junior College fund, it could soon build its own campus.

Sources:

“Newport Beach 75: 1906-1981,” James P. Felton, 1981.

“A Slice of Orange: The History of Costa Mesa,” Edrick J. Miller, 1970.

“50 Golden Years: A History of the city of Newport Beach: 1906-1956,”

Samuel A. Meyer.

Costa Mesa Herald