Albany High School (AHS) is a comprehensive public high school in Albany, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. Enrollment is approximately 1,300 students from grades 9 through 12.
Achievements
In 2001, Albany was accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges for the maximum term of six years. Albany High School was #756 nationally ranked in 2016, and #119 among California high schools. In 2013 Albany High School received an award for Distinction in Civic Learning from the California Courts. Associate Justice Carole Corrigan of the California Supreme Court presented the Award which honored the work of the social studies department and student clubs such as the Model United Nations program.
Academic competitions
In the 2010–2011 academic year, Albany became home to a forensic (Speech and Debate) team. The Albany High Speech and Debate team is a member of the Golden Gate Speech Association and the National Forensic League.
Music programs
The Albany High School Jazz Band, under the direction of Craig Bryant, was selected as a finalist for the 2010 Next Generation Festival, presented by the Monterey Jazz Festival, and the 2010 Essentially Ellington Festival, presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, New York.
STEM programs
Albany High School has many competing STEM teams, including Science Bowl, National Ocean Science Bowl, and Science Olympiad.
Since it was founded at Albany Middle School (Division B) in 2013, Albany's Science Olympiad has qualified for state 4 times. In 2017 and 2018, the Albany High School Science Olympiad (Division C) team won first place in the Bay Area Regional Science Olympiad, and placed 5th and 3rd overall respectively at State.
The Science Bowl team won the 1993 Department of Energy National Science Bowl competition. Albany High won its 2008 Science Bowl regional competition, defeating academic rival Mission San Jose High School. In 2009, Albany won its regional National Science Bowl competition, placing fifth nationwide.
In 2016, Albany went to North Carolina for Nationals, where it won first place in the 2016 Department of Commerce National Ocean Sciences Bowl competition. In 2019, Albany took home a second national championship in Washington, D.C., going undefeated in both the buzzer portion and the Scientific Expert Briefing portion of the competition.
Athletics
The school mascot is the cougar and the school colors are red and white.
In February 2014, the girls' wrestling team took first place at the CIF State tournament. In November 2021 Sophia Nordenholz won the individual Division IV State Cross-Country Championship with the 7th fastest time in state meet history. At the same meet the boys' team won the Division IV State Championship, with Sean Morello taking 3rd place and Lucas Cohen taking 13th. In May 2023 Sean Morello took 7th in the 3200 meter race in the State Track and Field Championships and Lucas Cohen took 9th in the 1600 meters.
Campus history
In 1997, Albany High School's main building and gymnasium, both completed in 1934, were deemed to be seismically unsound. They were demolished, and construction began on a new campus. During the four years of construction, between 1997 and 2001, classes were held in portable trailers. The new school building and gymnasium opened in 2001. In 2020, a new addition was opened on the campus, including 8 large classrooms and a future design-build space.
, the principal is Darren McNally.