Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA, ) is a visual and performing arts high school located on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, United States.
It is a public school, operated by the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
History The school was founded by philanthropist Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson in 1985.Mary Rourke, Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson, 83; Philanthropist Supported the Arts, The Los Angeles Times, July 23, 200542nd Street in Memory of Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson, January 2006 , ArtsHighFoundation: Proudly supporting lachsa since 1985, January 17, 2006
Overview LACHSA is a public and tuition-free school, offering both college preparatory courses and conservatory style training. Though it shares facilities with Cal State LA, the two schools' activities are usually separate. It is operated by the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
The school specializes in preparing students for careers in the arts. It is one of two arts high schools in Los Angeles that allows students from any district within Los Angeles County to attend, the other being Charter High School of the Arts in Van Nuys. Acceptance into the school is based on an audition process for the approximately 130 spots available for incoming students, about 90% of whom are freshmen.
The school has five departments, Dance, Music (Vocals and Instrumental), Theatre, Visual Arts, and Cinematic Arts (Film). Specializations in Musical Theatre, Opera, Technical Theatre, and Commercial Music are also offered.
In 2012, Academy Award nominee Scott Hamilton Kennedy made an award-winning documentary about LACHSA called Fame High.
In late March 2013, LACHSA officially moved many of its classes to a more permanent building on the edge of Cal State LA's campus. It has three stories, the third floor being a black box theater, where most performances from the school take place.
Demographics In 2018–19 LACHSA had 542 students enrolled in grades nine through twelve, with a student-teacher ratio of 6.7:1.
+ Demographics of student body Ethnic Breakdown 2021 2020 2019Hispanic 25% 26% 25% Black 10% 9% 9.6% Asian 13% 13% 13% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 0.2% 0% 0.2% Native American 0.4% 0.2% N/A White 35% 33% 35% Multiracial 17% 19% 17.8% Female 62% 61% 62% Male 38% 39% 38%
Academic recognition LACHSA received a GreatSchools Rating of 9 out of 10. LACHSA was listed as the #1 arts high school in the nation in 2023
U.S. News 2021 Rankings 102 in Los Angeles metropolitan area High Schools 227 in California High Schools 1,498 in National Rankings
U.S. News 2020 Rankings 3 in Los Angeles County Office of Education High Schools 128 in Los Angeles metropolitan area High Schools 279 in California High Schools 2,030 in National Rankings
U.S. News 2019 Rankings 165 in Los Angeles metropolitan area High Schools 356 in California High Schools 2,315 in National Rankings
Notable alumni
Ai, singer Anthony Anderson, television actor Jon B., singer/songwriter Ariela Barer, actress and filmmaker Libe Barer, actress Corbin Bleu, actor Angel Blue, opera singer Phoebe Bridgers, singer/songwriter Daniel Brummel, bassist Monica Calhoun, actress Sadie Calvano, television actress Ako Castuera, sculptor, storyboard artist Gerald Clayton, jazz pianist and composer Zoey Deutch, actress Clea DuVall, actress Jenna Elfman, actor Maya Erskine, actor and writer Michael Fitzpatrick, singer and songwriter Dillon Francis, music producer Angelica Garcia, singer/songwriter Eva Gardner, bassist, singer/ songwriter Drew Garrett, actor Spencer Grammer, television actress Josh Groban, singer/songwriter, actor on Broadway Alana Haim, singer Danielle Haim, singer Este Haim, singer Beth Hart, singer The Hound, singer Taran Killam, television actor Thomas Kotcheff, composer Josefina Lopez, playwright Victor Ma, Chinese-American singer Rhiannon McGavin, poet Belissa Escobedo, actress Rashaan Nall, actor Ryan Scott Oliver, musical theatre composer and lyricist Elizabeth Olsen, actor Gretchen Parlato, jazz singer and composer Christina Quarles, painter Ernando Recendez, singer/songwriter Kara Royster, television actress Sasami, singer Marla Sokoloff, actress and musician Tammy Townsend, actress and singer Robert Vargas, artist McKenzie Westmore, television actress Kehinde Wiley, painter Finn Wittrock, television actor Eloise Wong, bassist of The Linda Lindas Charm La'Donna, Choreographer and Creative Director Jae Stephens, singer/songwriter
References
External links Official LACHSA website