Palos Verdes Peninsula High School

History

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) consolidated its three high schools Palos Verdes High School, Miraleste High School and Rolling Hills High School, into one campus in 1991 when enrollment had declined. The former Rolling Hills High School campus, which originally opened in 1964, was selected as the site for the consolidated high school following the 1991 unification of the district’s three high schools. Among the available campuses — Palos Verdes High, Miraleste High, and Rolling Hills High — it offered the largest facilities, most modern infrastructure, and highest student capacity, making it the most practical choice to accommodate all students under one roof.

As a result, it became home to the newly formed Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, serving the entire peninsula’s secondary student population. When overcrowding became a problem after 1999, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District elected to re-open Palos Verdes High School.

Demographics

In the 2023–24 year, there were 2,175 students enrolled in Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. Enrollment by race/ethnicity was 39.40% Asian, 32.55% White, 15.26% Hispanic, 2.21% Black, and 10.30% other. Enrollment by gender was 50.71% male and 49.01% female.

Education

The high school is consistently recognized as one of the highest-performing public high schools in the state. In 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked PVPHS 42nd in California and among the top 500 high schools nationally, with a 99% graduation rate and strong college readiness scores. More recently, in 2024, U.S. News ranked PVPHS 37th statewide. For the 2025–2026 school year, PVPHS was ranked #285 nationally, #34 in California, #11 in the Los Angeles Metro Area, and #259 among STEM High Schools, based on state test performance, graduation rates, and college readiness.

On the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) — the state’s Common Core-based testing system — PVPHS students consistently outperform statewide averages. In the most recent 2024 testing cycle, 85.53% of 11th-grade students met or exceeded standards in English Language Arts, while 58.58% met or exceeded standards in Mathematics.

Athletics

In 2014, as a senior, future major leaguer Eli Morgan had a 10–2 win–loss record with a 1.23 earned run average. He was named Bay League Co-Pitcher of the Year and All-California Interscholastic Federation First Team.

Extracurricular Activities and Programs

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School offers a large variety of extracurricular activities including, but not limited to, Model United Nations, Speech & Debate, Mock Trial, CyberPatriots, FRC Robotics, Science Research, and Academic Decathlon. Its Speech & Debate and Model United Nations programs are nationally ranked.

In October 2022, the school's Model United Nations program, together with Rotary Club of Palos Verdes Sunset and Rotary E-Club of District 2750 Tokyo Yoneyama, hosted the 1st Rotary Peace Conference with speakers such as Best Delegate CEO, Kevin Chan, and Ihor Kukhlevsky, a Ukrainian refugee. It was dedicated to bringing awareness to the atomic bombings in 1945 and nuclear weapons. A tree from Heiwa (Hiroshima Survivor Trees) was planted by California Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi afterwards.

References

References

1. "Palos Verdes Peninsula High School Profile". Palos Verdes Peninsula High School.
2. "Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in Rolling Hills Estates, CA - US News Best High Schools".
3. Kuznia, Rob. (2012-08-02). "Reunion: Students from 3 schools merged to form Peninsula High's first class".
4. "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Palos Verdes Peninsula High".
5. Charky, Nicole. (2022-04-26). "Palos Verdes Peninsula High School Among 2022’s Best: U.S. News".
6. Barnes, Rachel. (2024-04-23). "2 Palos Verdes High Schools Among Best In Nation: U.S. News".
7. "2023–24 Smarter Balanced ELA and Mathematics Test Results at a Glance - CAASPP Reporting (CA Dept of Education)".
8. (June 13, 2017). "Peninsula grads Max Green, Eli Morgan taken on Day 2 of MLB draft". Daily Breeze.
9. erik. (2016-08-29). "The 150 Best High School Model United Nations Teams in North America from the 2015–2016 School Year".