San Ysidro High School


San Ysidro High School is a public four-year high school in San Diego, California. Serving grade levels 9–12, it was founded in 2002 and is part of Sweetwater Union High School District. SYHS predominantly serves San Ysidro and other parts of San Diego with a student enrollment of 2,408.

History

San Ysidro High School was established in the summer of 2002, and was named after the community in which the institution predominantly serves, "San Ysidro, California." Before its establishment, the community did not have a high school where the nearby K-8 educational district, San Ysidro Elementary School District, could feed students. This resulted in many middle school students transferring to different schools within Sweetwater Union High School District, such as Southwest Senior High School. However, once the school opened, many students began enrolling, as it was much closer than neighboring schools.
In January 2015, the school experienced two bomb threats that led to lockdowns. The first threat, received around 10 a.m., involved a computer-generated voice. Students evacuated to the football field as police searched the campus, finding no hazards. After resuming normal operations, a second bomb threat was reported, leading to a further police investigation. On February 2015, two teenage boys were questioned by detectives regarding discussions of a potential assault on students and staff at the high school. This incident followed a series of at least eight recent bomb threats. There was no evidence linking them to the previous bomb threats.
In November 2015, a transgender student at the school was nominated for homecoming queen. The student was one of five seniors in the running, but another student was ultimately crowned.
In September 2021, students at Grossmont, Sweetwater, and San Ysidro high schools protested dress codes they labelled "sexist and outdated".
In February 2023, San Ysidro High School was placed on lockdown after a loaded ghost gun was found in a parked Ford Mustang on campus. Around 10 a.m., officers on patrol detected marijuana from a parked car as well as a group of five young men near the car. When approached, one of them ran back to the Mustang, tossed something inside, and fled into the nearby canyons. The suspect, not a student and under 21, was arrested shortly after.

Class of 2019 Valedictorian Speech

On June 6, 2019, Nataly Buhr, the valedictorian from the school, delivered a graduation speech that gained significant attention for its candid critiques of school staff. While initially expressing gratitude toward supportive teachers, the speech pivoted to address issues she faced, notably calling out her counselor for unavailability and a teacher who reportedly attended class while intoxicated. Following the ceremony, the speech garnered the attention of news outlets around the United States and went viral on many social media platforms. A video detailing the incident, created by the YouTube channel "NowThis News" amassed over 8 million views. Following the internet virality of the situation, Sweetwater Union High School District released a statement denying many of the accusations presented in the speech, citing that the speech was not pre-approved and contained "rumors regarding misconduct."

2025 stabbing

On December 10, a female student was stabbed in a classroom located on campus. The student, who was about 15-16 years old, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The school was placed on lockdown as San Diego sheriffs searched the area, ultimately taking a male juvenile suspect into custody.

Demographics

Of the students enrolled at San Ysidro High School, 51.6% are male, 48.4% are female. Racial and ethnic breakdown is 88.1% Hispanic or Latino, 3.5% Asian, 1.3% multi-racial 1.6% black, 5.1% caucasian, with 0.3% or less of indigenous.
In addition, 66% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch prices in 2020.

Programs and achievements

  • 'CougarBots' Robotics Team - Competed at the 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023 VEX Robotics World Competition. Winner of Amaze Award in 2022 and Inspire Award in 2023 at VEX Worlds

Athletics

San Ysidro High School competes in the Metropolitan – Mesa League under the South Bay League of the CIF San Diego Section. Athletic programs that are offered across three seasons:

Notable alumni