Nevada Union High School
Encyclopedia
Nevada Union High School (NU) is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills
northeast of California
's capital, Sacramento
. Situated between Nevada City
and Grass Valley
, the school serves those two incorporated cities and a large surrounding community. The Nevada Union High School district covers a huge geographic area with some students bussed in from as far as 55 miles away. NU was named a California Distinguished School
in 1997 and in 1998 was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon High School
. NUHS serves ninth through twelfth grade students, with a current enrollment of 2,701 students. NUHS does not have an ethnically diverse student population, as 92.4% are Caucasian. It is, however, economically diverse with 6% of families qualifying for the Free and Reduced National School Lunch Program
.
In the 2005-2006 school year, 242 of 602 seniors (40%) took the SAT, with average scores of 554 Critical Reading (~65th Percentile), 559 Math (~63rd Percentile), and 548 Writing (~68th Percentile).
, Penn Valley, Rough and Ready
, Cedar Ridge, Chicago Park
, Lake Wildwood
, Oregon House
, Brownsville, and Alta Sierra.
Due to NU's relative success in several athletic programs, it has developed some significant rivalries that have changed over the years due to league realignments and changes in sports programs. A big rival in the 70's was Placer High School
in nearby Auburn
. In the 80's and 90's, Grant High School
in Sacramento
was considered the chief rival. Now that Grant High School is no longer in the same athletic league as NU, some consider Granite Bay High School
a potential rival.
In 2005 the Nevada Union Football team won the first section title in more than a decade, placed 1st in the state of California and 19th in the United States. The final game was Nevada Union 46, West 7.
In 2008, the Lady Miners Volleyball Team won its seventh straight section title. This set a new record in all of California for most consecutive section titles in any sport.
In 2009, Nevada Union's Miner Football team won its 2nd section title in 10 years.
The Nevada Union Instrumental Music program is a multi-faceted, award-winning program. The band consists of roughly 150 members, many of whom belong to multiple bands. The concert/symphonic band has taken many awards and received several unanimous "superior"s in the past three years. This band is much more extensive, with several members already playing for professional orchestras.
Nevada Union also has two small jazz bands and a marching band. In the past three years, the marching band has received nearly fifty awards altogether, and has also had an award-winning color guard and percussion division during the winter. The marching band follows the Drum Corps International style of marching band, and has one Drum Major as of now.
The Nevada Union High School Choir Program has seven outstanding choirs. This program consists of roughly 250 members. The Concert and Chamber choirs place in the top five every year at Golden State Festival in Northern California. Every other year, these choir travel to Europe to perform, always receiving high amounts of praise. The Chamber choir is favored in the community, and performs at many events throughout the year. This choir program has been award-winning and world famous for over fifty years, first with director Don Baggett and now with his son, director Rod Baggett.
Foothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
northeast of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's capital, Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
. Situated between Nevada City
Nevada City, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Nevada City had a population of 3,068. The population density was 1,399.7 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Nevada City was 2,837 White, 26 African American, 28 Native American, 46 Asian, 0 Pacific Islander, 40 from other races,...
and Grass Valley
Grass Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Grass Valley had a population of 12,860. The population density was 2,711.3 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Grass Valley was 11,493 White, 46 African American, 208 Native American, 188 Asian, 9 Pacific Islander, 419 from other...
, the school serves those two incorporated cities and a large surrounding community. The Nevada Union High School district covers a huge geographic area with some students bussed in from as far as 55 miles away. NU was named a California Distinguished School
California Distinguished School
A California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately five percent of California schools are awarded this honor each year following a selection...
in 1997 and in 1998 was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon High School
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
. NUHS serves ninth through twelfth grade students, with a current enrollment of 2,701 students. NUHS does not have an ethnically diverse student population, as 92.4% are Caucasian. It is, however, economically diverse with 6% of families qualifying for the Free and Reduced National School Lunch Program
National School Lunch Act
The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act is a United States federal law signed by President Harry S. Truman in 1946. The act created the National School Lunch Program , a program to provide low-cost or free school lunch meals to qualified students through subsidies to schools...
.
History
Nevada Union opened in 1961 to serve the needs of Nevada City, Grass Valley, and the surrounding communities. Prior to Nevada Union, there were separate high schools in Grass Valley and Nevada City.In the 2005-2006 school year, 242 of 602 seniors (40%) took the SAT, with average scores of 554 Critical Reading (~65th Percentile), 559 Math (~63rd Percentile), and 548 Writing (~68th Percentile).
Student body
Students who attend Nevada Union are not only from Grass Valley and Nevada City; they also commute from North San JuanNorth San Juan, California
North San Juan is a census-designated place in Nevada County, California, United States, along State Route 49 on the San Juan Ridge in Gold Country. The zip code is 95960...
, Penn Valley, Rough and Ready
Rough and Ready, California
Rough and Ready is a census-designated place in Nevada County, California, United States. It is located west of Grass Valley, California, approximately 62 miles from Sacramento...
, Cedar Ridge, Chicago Park
Chicago Park, California
Chicago Park is an unincorporated community in Nevada County, California, United States, along State Route 174 southeast of Grass Valley, California, and north of Colfax, California.-History:...
, Lake Wildwood
Lake Wildwood, California
Lake Wildwood is a census-designated place in Nevada County, California, United States. The population was 4,991 at the 2010 census, up from 4,868 at the 2000 census....
, Oregon House
Oregon House, California
Oregon House is an unincorporated community in Yuba County, California. It is located northeast of Marysville, at an elevation of 1526 feet .The settlement grew up around a travelers' rest stop built in 1852...
, Brownsville, and Alta Sierra.
Athletics
The NU mascot is the Miner with female teams referred to as the "Lady Miners". The school colors are officially Blue and Gold and the shades of those two colors have also changed over time.Due to NU's relative success in several athletic programs, it has developed some significant rivalries that have changed over the years due to league realignments and changes in sports programs. A big rival in the 70's was Placer High School
Placer High School
Placer High School is a public high school located in Auburn, California and is part of the Placer Union High School District. Auburn is located northeast of Sacramento, California, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.-History, 1897 to 1906:...
in nearby Auburn
Auburn, California
Auburn is the county seat of Placer County, California. Its population at the 2010 census was 13,330. Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history.Auburn is part of the Greater Sacramento area.- History :...
. In the 80's and 90's, Grant High School
Grant Union High School (Sacramento, California)
Grant Union High School is a public high school in Sacramento, California, United States.-Notable alumni:*Don Doll, American football player*Gene Filipski, American football player*David Kilson, American football player*Leron Lee, American football player...
in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
was considered the chief rival. Now that Grant High School is no longer in the same athletic league as NU, some consider Granite Bay High School
Granite Bay High School
Granite Bay High School is located in Granite Bay, California. Granite Bay High School was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Secretary of Education in 2002 and a California Distinguished School in 2007.-Newspaper:...
a potential rival.
In 2005 the Nevada Union Football team won the first section title in more than a decade, placed 1st in the state of California and 19th in the United States. The final game was Nevada Union 46, West 7.
In 2008, the Lady Miners Volleyball Team won its seventh straight section title. This set a new record in all of California for most consecutive section titles in any sport.
In 2009, Nevada Union's Miner Football team won its 2nd section title in 10 years.
Performing arts
Throughout the past decade, Nevada Union has thoroughly established itself as a producer of fine young artists in nearly all fields, and Nevada Union's drama department, has produced several notable young actors of the new age. The drama department, the Nevada Union Theatrical Society or NUTS, has produced several outstanding plays in the last several years.The Nevada Union Instrumental Music program is a multi-faceted, award-winning program. The band consists of roughly 150 members, many of whom belong to multiple bands. The concert/symphonic band has taken many awards and received several unanimous "superior"s in the past three years. This band is much more extensive, with several members already playing for professional orchestras.
Nevada Union also has two small jazz bands and a marching band. In the past three years, the marching band has received nearly fifty awards altogether, and has also had an award-winning color guard and percussion division during the winter. The marching band follows the Drum Corps International style of marching band, and has one Drum Major as of now.
The Nevada Union High School Choir Program has seven outstanding choirs. This program consists of roughly 250 members. The Concert and Chamber choirs place in the top five every year at Golden State Festival in Northern California. Every other year, these choir travel to Europe to perform, always receiving high amounts of praise. The Chamber choir is favored in the community, and performs at many events throughout the year. This choir program has been award-winning and world famous for over fifty years, first with director Don Baggett and now with his son, director Rod Baggett.
Notable alumni
- Greg F. Anderson, personal Trainer
- Rich BrooksRich BrooksRich Brooks is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Oregon from 1977 to 1994 and at the University of Kentucky from 2003 to 2009, compiling a career college football record of 128–154–4. Brooks was also the head coach of the...
, football coach - Hunter BurganHunter BurganHunter Lawrence Burgan is an American multi-instrumentalist. He is the third and current bass guitarist of AFI.-Biography:Burgan grew up in Grass Valley, California. He is vegan.-Career:...
, musician - Alela DianeAlela DianeAlela Diane Menig is an American singer and songwriter living in Portland, Oregon.-Life and career:Alela Diane Menig, she grew up singing with her musician parents and performing in the school choir...
, musician - Noah GeorgesonNoah GeorgesonNoah Georgeson is a musician, producer, and solo recording artist. Georgeson's debut album Find Shelter was released through Plain Recordings on November 28, 2006. He is credited as having "written, scored, arranged, recorded, and produced" the entirety of Find Shelter, according to a press...
, musician and record producer - Spencer HavnerSpencer HavnerSpencer Rhett Havner [HAY-vner] is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
, football player - Zach HelmZach HelmZachariah "Zach" Helm is an American writer and film director. He is an alumnus of DePaul University.As a playwright Helm has had two plays produced; Last Chance for a Slow Dance and Good Canary, the latter having its 2007 world premiere in Paris under the direction of John Malkovich...
, writer and director - Joanna NewsomJoanna NewsomJoanna Newsom is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.- Early life :Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California...
, musician - Rick RossovichRick RossovichRick Rossovich is an American actor.Rossovich was born Frederic Enrico Rossovich in Palo Alto, California. His brother, Tim Rossovich, is a former professional football player and also an actor.-Career:...
, actor - Gabe RuedigerGabe RuedigerGabriel G. "Gabe" Ruediger is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division.-Mixed martial arts career:...
, mixed martial arts fighter - Chris SennChris Senn (skateboarder)Chris Senn is a professional skateboarder, known for his aggressive and spontaneous style. Current and past sponsors include Powell Skateboards Channel one Adrenalin Skateboards Emerica, Ace, Type-S, Paradox, Kamanu Charters and Toy Machine Skateboards...
, professional skateboarder