Anderson W Clark Magnet High School

Did the name Doug Dall ever cross your mind as you stand before Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School? He was the school’s first principal, leading the charge from its grand opening in September 1998 until his retirement in 2016. Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School isn’t just any high school. It stands on the grounds of a transformed junior high, reborn after a $15 million renovation. This revitalization was no accident. It came from the “Vision of the Future” Task Force. The Glendale Unified School District created this task force to tackle overcrowding at its other high schools. Clark Magnet emerged as a solution, a magnet school focusing on technology, physical sciences, and earth sciences. To ensure fair access, students from all three overcrowded high schools enter a lottery for a chance to attend. Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School boasts a vibrant student body of about 1,139 students, a testament to its appeal. In 2005, Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School earned the title of California Distinguished School. It also received the California Exemplary Career Technical Education Program Award. Its Academic Performance Index (API) was the highest in the district that year. The accolades didn’t stop there. In 2006, it achieved National Blue Ribbon School status. Students even won the 2010-2011 Lexus Eco Challenge Grand Prize for their research on toxins in lobsters. Fast forward to 2015, Newsweek ranked it 153rd best school nationwide. In 2021, Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School held impressive rankings: #510 nationally, #70 in California, #29 in the Los Angeles metro area, and #105 among magnet high schools. Interested in attending? Aspiring students need a 2.0 GPA, residence in the Glendale Unified School District area, eligibility for Integrated Math I, no more than five unsatisfactory citizenship marks, and no more than 10 missed school days the previous year. A lottery determines acceptance for eligible applicants. Beyond academics, Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School pulses with life. Intramural sports offer basketball, flag football, softball, and volleyball, culminating in trophies and medals. A mountain biking club provides another avenue for athletic pursuits. The school also houses the FIRST Robotics Competition Team 696, known as the Circuit Breakers. Since 2001, they’ve built robots annually, competing regionally and even reaching the FIRST Championship in Atlanta in 2007, and again in 2022 and 2023. Mentored by professionals from institutions like the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, these students learn valuable skills in engineering and teamwork. From its origins as a solution to overcrowding to its current standing as a hub of innovation, Anderson W. Clark Magnet High School is a beacon in Glendale’s educational landscape.