Fontana High School

A product of the Southern California post war boom, Fontana High (referred to locally as "FoHi") was completed in September 1952. The school was needed to serve the children of thousands of blue collar families from across the country who came to work at the Kaiser Steel plant – built just outside Fontana in the 1940s – and at the time the only steel production plant of its kind west of the Mississippi.{{cite news

| url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/66613757

| archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131205823/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/66613757

| url-status=dead

| archive-date=2013-01-31

| title=Los Angeles Times: Archives

| date= 1989-12-01|access-date=2011-01-22

| first=Lonnie

| last=White

}}

In 2006, a fight between two students erupted into a riot of over 500 students at a school pep rally. Police fired bean bags and rubber pellets to scatter the crowd of students.{{cite news

| author=Scott Conroy

| url= https://www.cbsnews.com/news/riot-breaks-out-at-calif-high-school/

| title=Riot Breaks Out At Calif. High School

| work=CBS News |date=2006-10-14 |access-date=2011-01-22

}} The Fontana Police Department required assistance from other local law enforcement agencies (including the California Highway Patrol) after students threw rocks at responding officers, but the situation was ultimately resolved in under two hours.{{cite news|title=Faculty, students aim to defuse tensions after riot at FoHi|url=http://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/faculty-students-aim-to-defuse-tensions-after-riot-at-fohi/article_cb4930a7-ce62-5508-9bb1-0fe8448c3c55.html|access-date=May 30, 2016|work=Fontana Herald News|date=October 21, 2006}} Six students were placed under arrest and thirty-four other students were suspended by the school district.{{cite news|last1=Derobertis|first1=Shelli|title=School Board emphasizes campus safety|url=http://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/schools/school-board-emphasizes-campus-safety/article_8498904c-b369-5ebd-b6ac-136795be9dbe.html|access-date=May 30, 2016|work=Fontana Herald News|date=October 26, 2006}} There was no significant property damage or injuries, though a teacher was accidentally struck by a police bean bag round.

The high school used to be part of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District prior to 1955{{cite web | url=https://cjuhsd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1772707&type=d&pREC_ID=1952189 | title=History of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District }}

Ethnic breakdown of the 4,073 students enrolled as of the 2007–2008 school year was:{{cite web

| url=http://www.fusd.net/SARC/200708/FontanaHS.pdf

| title=School Accountability Report Card – FONTANA HIGH SCHOOL

| publisher=FUSD.net |year=2007 |access-date=2011-01-22

}}

85.8% Hispanic

6.9% White

4.8% African American

1% Asian

0.4% Other

Under coach Dick Bruich, the 1987 team was ranked the best in the nation.{{cite web|url=http://www.hsfdatabase.com/npp1987.htm |title=HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DATABASE – 1987 NATIONAL PREP POLL |access-date=2011-01-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219065235/http://hsfdatabase.com/npp1987.htm |archive-date=2010-12-19 }} The Steeler football team was almost as well known for the traveling "rowdy" fanbase, which followed the team en masse throughout the season and into the playoffs. At home games, much of the town shut down as more than 8,000{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-12-01-sp-263-story.html |title=It Has Become Hottest Ticket in Town : Prep Football: Community support is a big reason why Fontana High has one of the most successful programs in California. - Los Angeles Times |date= 1989-12-01|access-date=2011-01-22 |first=Lonnie |last=White}} maroon and white clad fans filled Steeler Stadium for matches with rival schools like Redlands, Pacific Eisenhower{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-10-24-sp-3830-story.html |title=PREP FOOTBALL : Top-Ranked Fontana Simply Has Too Much for No. 3 Eisenhower, 26-14 – Los Angeles Times |date= 1987-10-24|access-date=2011-01-22 |first=Scott |last=Howard-Cooper}} and Colton.

By the 1990s, the glory days for the team had faded. An economic downturn (the Kaiser Steel plant had shut down in 1983{{cite web|author=Randy Houk |url=http://www.sdrm.org/roster/caboose/cab1905/index.html |title=Kaiser #1905 Caboose |publisher=Sdrm.org |access-date=2011-01-22}}) and a continued population boom led to demographic shifts and classroom overcrowding. The addition of new high schools split the talent base and the team had a prolonged string of losing seasons.{{cite news

| url=http://docs.newsbank.com/g/GooglePM/SBCB/lib00676

| title=Newsbank (authorized access only)

| publisher=Newsbank.com |access-date=2011-01-22

}}

• Travis Barker – known for snare drum in drumline and drummer for band Blink-182, Transplants, Box Car Racer, and +44{{cite web|url= http://www.freedrumlessons.com/drummers/travis-barker.php|title= Travis Barker

|publisher=FreeDrumLessons.com|access-date= November 6, 2013}}

• Corey Benjamin – former NBA player, 1998 1st round draft pick of Chicago Bulls{{cite web|url= https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/benjaco01.html|title= Corey Benjamin|publisher=Basketball-Reference.com|access-date= November 6, 2013}}
• Greg Colbrunn – 13-year Major League Baseball player; member of 2001 World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks, batting coach for 2013 World Series champion Boston Red Sox{{cite web|url= http://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/articles/2013/10/31/news/doc52728a72cb2ad346122332.txt|title= Former Fontana High School star plays a role in World Series victory for Boston Red Sox|publisher=Fontana Herald News|access-date= November 6, 2013}}
• Sammy Hagar – attended Fontana; singer and former member of Van Halen{{cite web|url= http://www.dailybulletin.com/general-news/20110730/red-rocker-digs-up-his-roots-in-fontana|title= Red Rocker digs up his roots in Fontana|date= 30 July 2011|publisher=Daily Bulletin News|access-date= November 6, 2013}}
• Alan Harper – professional football player{{cite web|url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/harp00080.html |title=ALAN HARPER |publisher=profootballarchives.com |access-date=February 19, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215085444/http://www.profootballarchives.com/harp00080.html |archive-date=February 15, 2016 }}
• Reuben Henderson – 4-year NFL player, Chicago Bears and San Diego Chargers{{cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=HENDEREU01 |title=Reuben Henderson |publisher=databaseFootball.com |access-date=November 6, 2013 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103090833/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=HENDEREU01 |archive-date=January 3, 2014 }}
• Pedro Nava – former California State Assemblyman from Santa Barbara, California. 2010 candidate for Attorney General{{Citation needed|date = November 2013}}
• Ante Razov – professional soccer player in MLS{{cite web|url= https://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles/soccer/tag/_/name/ante-razov |title= CHIVAS USA: Former trainer sues Razov |publisher=ESPN LA|access-date= November 6, 2013}}
• Sean Rooks – 12-year NBA player and former professional basketball coach{{cite web|url= http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=ROOKSSE01|title= Sean Rooks|publisher= databaseBasketball.com|access-date= November 6, 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130722185815/http://basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=ROOKSSE01|archive-date= July 22, 2013|url-status= dead}}
• Daryl Sconiers – professional baseball player{{cite news |last1=Carr |first1=Al |title=A .500-Hitter Works on Fielding |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110635303/a-500-hitter-works-on-fielding/ |access-date=3 October 2022 |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=10 March 1977 |page=13}}
• R. Jay Soward – former USC Trojans football star and NFL first-round draft pick{{cite web|url= http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/soward_r.jay00.html|title= R. Jay Soward |publisher=USC Trojan Athletics|access-date= November 6, 2013}}
• Jonathan Suárez – professional soccer player for Pumas Tabasco
• Robyn Leigh Tanguay – molecular toxicologist, Oregon State University

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.fusdweb.com/sites/hs/fohi/default.aspx Fontana High School]
• [http://fontanaboyssoccer.vnsports.com/ Fontanaboyssoccer.vnsports.com]

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Category:Education in Fontana, California

Category:High schools in San Bernardino County, California

Category:Public high schools in California

Category:1952 establishments in California