Rio Mesa High School
| Rio Mesa High School | |
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| Location | |
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545 Central Avenue Oxnard, CaliforniaUnited States |
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| Coordinates | 34°15′10″N 119°08′40″W / 34.252784°N 119.144541°WCoordinates: 34°15′10″N 119°08′40″W / 34.252784°N 119.144541°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Motto | Once a Spartan, always a Spartan |
| Established | 1965 |
| Principal | Mark Contreras |
| Faculty | 106 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 2,300 |
| Campus | rural |
| Color(s) | Red and Black |
| Athletics conference | CIF-SS Pacific View League |
| Mascot | Spartan |
| Team name | Spartans |
| Rival | Adolfo Camarillo High School |
| Yearbook | yes |
| Website | RMHS Official website |
545 Central Avenue
Rio Mesa High School is located northeast of Oxnard, California in the unincorporated community of Strickland. This campus of the Oxnard Union High School District serves the communities of northern Oxnard including nearby River Park and El Rio. Students also come from the western portion of the city of Camarillo and unincorporated Nyeland Acres. The school is surrounded by strawberry fields and other crops growing on the Oxnard Plain. Rio Mesa's school cross town rival is Adolfo Camarillo High School Scorpions and past school rival was Oxnard High School yellow jackets. The school is one of two International Baccalaureate schools in Ventura County, the other being Newbury Park High School. The name "Rio Mesa" was conceived by then trustee board member Bob Matthews derived from the two original school districts that fed the school in 1965—Rio School District and Mesa Union—though it also takes students from the Pleasant Valley School District and Oxnard Elementary School District.
The Rio Mesa Spartan Band holds the record for winning the most consecutive sweepstakes awards in a marching season in the County. It was back in 1975–1976 under the direction of William (Bill) Course that the Rio Mesa Spartan Marching Band with its over 100 members had won Sweepstakes at every parade they participated in that season—a feat that had never before been accomplished in the history of the Rio Mesa Spartan Marching Band. Director William Course was left with the option for the following year to seek tougher competition outside of the Tri Counties (Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange Counties) for his undefeated Spartan Marching Band or be stuck attending the same exact parades the following year as non competitors participating as each parade's prior "Sweepstakes" Honor Band. Mr. Course petitioned the Oxnard Unified school board for permission for the following years Spartan Band to travel outside the Tri Counties for tougher competitions (Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego Counties). Because of the distance the Oxnard Board of Directors denied his request, Mr. Course resigned from Rio Mesa and took the music director position at the newly built Calabasas High School. Never since has the Rio Mesa Spartan Band or any other High School band in the county won sweepstakes at every parade they have entered for the entire season. The next time-frame for success of this marching program came during the years of 2001-2006, under the direction of Analese Alvarez. During this span, the marching band won 1st place or sweepstakes in 10 straight regional field show competitions, the drumline were gold medal winners in ADLA (2004), and the group qualified for SCSBOA Field Championships two years in a row with the percussion winning the High Percussion award both times. Awards at the Royal HS competition in 2004 also marked the band program's first sweepstakes awards in over 12 years. During this time, a winterguard team was formed for the first time in over 2 years. [citation needed] In the school year of 2007-2008, Lisa Fleming was Director. The Rio Mesa Percussion Sweepstakes in the Competition held in Simi Valley High School and was the only band in the County in their division to attend SCSBOA Field Championships and to win 3rd Place in all Southern California in many, many years. The Members and Boosters hope to do as great as last year.
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