We've Got History

Garfield High School 1931

James A. Garfield High School

Welcome to historic Garfield High!

We have deep roots in San Diego dating back nearly a century, as an alternative, continuation school for teens at high risk of dropping out of high school.

The Continuation education program at Garfield High is tailored to meet the needs of at-risk secondary school students who are at least 16 years old, are credit deficient and/or whose grades would prevent them from graduating. Students are most often referred to Garfield High because they are credit deficient, attend irregularly and are habitual truants, are pregnant or parenting, need flexible school schedules to accommodate a need to work, or have social and emotional adjustment issues.

Garfield High School opened in 1921 as the first continuation high school in the United States and has been designated a California Model Continuation High School by the California Department of Education. This designation recognizes outstanding programs that provide comprehensive services to at-risk youth through the use of exemplary instructional strategies, flexible scheduling, and guidance and counseling services.

In l996, our history saw a major leap forward. San Diego Unified entered a partnership with San Diego Community College District to make a city block-sized parcel on the San Diego City College campus available to permanently house Garfield High. Garfield has moved three times in its 80-plus year history.

And so in 1998, Garfield High moved to a new facility on the campus of San Diego City College. Close proximity has allowed Garfield High and San Diego City College to strengthen their collaborative partnership, to benefit our students and offer them greater opportunities in education.

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