View source for Miramonte High School

{{Short description|Public high school in California, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}{{Use American English|date=August  2025}}
{{Not to be confused with|Mira Monte High School}}{{Infobox school 
|image = matadorblk.jpg
|caption = Matador Insignia
| name           = Miramonte High School
| established    = {{start date and age|1955}}
| type           = [[State school|Public]] [[High school (North America)|high school]]
| principal      = Ben Campopiano
| colors         = Green, white, and black {{Color box|green|border=darkgray}}{{Color box|white|border=darkgray}}{{Color box|black|border=darkgray}}
| mascot         = Matador
| yearbook       = La Mirada
| teaching_staff =
| ratio          =
| enrollment  = 1,188 (2023-2024)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=0601650&ID=060165000036|title=Miramonte High|publisher=National Center for Education Statistics|accessdate=March 23, 2025}}</ref>
| address        = 750 Moraga Way 
| city           = [[Orinda, California|Orinda]]
| state          = [[California]]
| zipcode        =
| country        = [[United States]]
| coordinates    = {{coord|37.8404819|-122.1460766|notes=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:228820|title=GNIS Detail - Miramonte High School|date=19 January 1981|work=Geographic Names Information System|publisher=United States Geological Survey|accessdate=20 March 2010}}</ref>|display=inline,title}}
| information    = 
| newspaper      = The Mirador<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mhsmirador.com/|title=The Mirador}}</ref>
| website        = {{url|www.acalanes.k12.ca.us/miramonte}}
| ceeb           = 052282
}}'''Miramonte High School''' is a four-year public [[High school (North America)|high school]] located in [[Orinda, California|Orinda]], [[California]], [[United States]]. It is part of the [[Acalanes Union High School District]]. The school has a [[college-preparatory]] program, with 23 [[Advanced Placement]] courses offered.

== History ==

Miramonte was founded in 1955, and welcomed approximately 175 students in September of that year. The third school in the district, MHS was built in an old pear orchard off of Moraga Way, south of the Orinda Crossroads.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/277361979/ |title=Dateline: Bay Area |access-date=16 March 2024 |work=Oakland Tribune |date=5 August 1954}}</ref>

The initial construction of Miramonte High School was completed by Pacific Coast Builders of San Francisco, whose bid of $559,100 was accepted by the Acalanes High School District Board of Trustees in September 1954. The site originally included 10 classrooms, a gymnasium, boys' and girls' locker rooms, a paved driveway, a paved outdoor athletic field and track, and a parking area. <ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/746093131 |access-date=16 March 2024| title=Miramonte Hi Bid Awarded to S.F. Firm|work=Contra Costa Times |date=16 September 1954}}</ref>

== Athletics ==


Miramonte football recorded their first [[CIF North Coast Section|NCS]] [[California Interscholastic Federation|CIF]] championship in 1981, defeating [[San Lorenzo High School|San Lorenzo]] 23–7 in the [[Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum|Oakland Coliseum]].

In 1983, the Miramonte Matadors, known as the Mats, were voted CIF State Champions in all divisions after defeating [[Cardinal Newman]] High School on December 3, 1983, at [[Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum]] in the NCS 2A Championship game. The Mats were also NCS 2A South Champions and FAL Champions.

In 1997, the Mats again won the NCS 2A Championship after defeating [[Granada High School (California)|Granada High School]] in the championship game at the Oakland Coliseum. The Mats also won NCS 2A titles in 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2003 in their victory over San Lorenzo in a rematch of their 1981 championship game.

In 2013, after finishing 2nd in the DFAL, the Mats defeated Tennyson, [[Northgate High School (Walnut Creek, California)|Northgate]] and number two-seeded [[Clayton Valley Charter High School|Clayton Valley Charter]] to reach the championship at Rancho Cotate High School against 13–0 Casa Grande. In the game, Miramonte scored two touchdowns in the last two minutes to win their 8th NCS football championship, 42–28 to finish 12–2 on the season.

In 2008–09, Miramonte's water polo team was named "2008-09 ESPN RISE Magazine Boys' Team of the Year" (includes all sports). Since 1967, the team has won 15 NOR CAL championships and 26 League Championships. The so-called "Dream Team" were the California State Champions that year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-11-10 |title=50 Years Of Miramonte High School (CA) Water Polo Celebrated This Fall |url=https://usawaterpolo.org/news/2016/11/10/50_Years_Of_Miramonte_High_School_CA_Water_Polo_Celebrated_This_Fall |access-date=2025-10-03 |website=USA Water Polo |language=en}}</ref>

== Academics ==

In 2012, ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Miramonte High School as #21 in California and #126 in the United States in their rankings of the Best High Schools.<ref>{{cite web|title=Best High Schools 2012 - California High Schools|url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/rankings|publisher=U.S. News & World Report|accessdate=September 3, 2012}}</ref> 

In 2021, Miramonte was ranked 571 nationally, and slipped from the top school in the county to third place. For their 2023-2024 Best High Schools Rankings (released in August of 2023) U.S. News & World Report ranked Miramonte as #217 nationally, and second in the county.<ref> https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts/acalanes-union-high/miramonte-high-school-1715</ref>

As of March 2014, Miramonte ranked 11th on the Los Angeles Times California Schools Guide Top Average SAT Scores list.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://schools.latimes.com/sat-scores/ranking/page/1/|title=California Schools Guide|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Update|date=August  2025|reason=Outdated demographics data, needs updating.|section=Demographics}}Total students, 2023-2024 school year: 1188
*Students by gender:
:     55% female
:     45% male
*Students by ethnicity
:      0.9% Black/African American
:    8.7 % Hispanic
:     21.1% Asian
:     60% White/Caucasian 
*Student to teacher ratio: 21:1

Census Day Enrollment	
2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22 2023-2024
Total	1,316	1,286	1,236	1,174	1,183	1,188
<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ed-data.org/ShareData/Html/56055 | title=EdData - School Profile - Miramonte High }}</ref>

== Notable alumni ==
{{alumni|date=October 2020}}
* [[Drew Anderson (American football)|Drew Anderson]], NFL quarterback 
* [[Bryan Barker]], [[National Football League|NFL]] player, Class of 1982
* [[Chris Bauer]], film, TV and stage actor, Class of 1984
* [[Drew Bennett]], NFL player
* [[Murder of Kirsten Costas|Kirsten Costas]], murder victim
* [[Ken Dorsey]], NFL quarterback and coach<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ken Dorsey Stats|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DorsKe00.htm|access-date=2021-07-29|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Paul Hackett (American football)|Paul Hackett]], former college football head coach, NFL assistant coach<ref>{{Cite web|title=Paul Hackett Coaching Record - Pro Football Archives|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/coach/hack01100coach.html|access-date=2021-07-29|website=www.profootballarchives.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=1998-07-31|title=A Star Coach is Born|url=https://news.usc.edu/10138/A-Star-Coach-is-Born/|access-date=2021-07-29|website=USC News|language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Valerie Henderson]], professional soccer player
* [[Sabrina Ionescu]], WNBA player, Class of 2016<ref>{{Cite web|last=Peterson|first=Anne M.|date=2020-01-17|title=Miramonte-Orinda alum Sabrina Ionescu becomes Oregon's career scoring leader as Ducks beat Stanford|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/collegesports/article/Miramonte-Orinda-alum-Sabrina-Ionescu-becomes-14982724.php|access-date=2021-07-29|website=San Francisco Chronicle|language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Brett Jackson]], former professional baseball player
* [[Drew Jackson]], professional baseball player
* [[Mike MacDonald (rugby union)|Mike MacDonald]], rugby player<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leedscarnegie.co.uk/index_teamprofile_mike_macdonald.htm |title=Welcome to the Official Website of Leeds Carnegie |accessdate=2008-04-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430055506/http://www.leedscarnegie.co.uk/index_teamprofile_mike_macdonald.htm |archivedate=2008-04-30 }}</ref>
* [[Mia Mastrov]], basketball player
* [[Philip Perry]], lawyer, married to [[Liz Cheney]], daughter of [[Dick Cheney]] who served as the 46th [[vice president of the United States]] from 2001 to 2009 under President [[George W. Bush]]
* [[Heather Petri]], Olympic [[water polo]] medalist
* [[Luke Sassano]], soccer player
* [[Nicolle Wallace]] (née Devenish), political commentator, former White House Communications Director
* [[Megan Reid]], soccer player

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.acalanes.k12.ca.us/miramonte}}
{{Portalbar|Schools|California|Education}}{{Contra Costa County, California Schools}}

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[[Category:High schools in Contra Costa County, California]]
[[Category:Orinda, California]]
[[Category:Public high schools in California]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1955]]
[[Category:1955 establishments in California]]