James Lick High School

James Lick High School is a comprehensive, four-year high school in the western United States, located in the East Foothills of San Jose, California, and part of the East Side Union High School District. The mascot is a comet and the school colors are dark green and white.HistoryJames Lick High School opened its doors in 1950 at the base of the East Foothills of San Jose; orchards and open land surrounded the established residential area. Its reach included homes in the Foothills overlooking the entire breadth of Santa Clara Valley. The land had been part of a proposed site for the city's airport in 1928. The school was named for James Lick benefactor of the Lick Observatory atop Mount Hamilton, east.James Lick was the first of eleven comprehensive, traditional high schools in the East Side Union High School District, and it quickly became the standard for educational quality in the emerging district. The school built a tradition of excellence in the classroom and on the athletic fields. For many years after its opening, James Lick was viewed as the "jewel" at the base of the foothills.The community surrounding James Lick changed much in the subsequent decades, as orchards were replaced with apartment complexes and single family homes. As the community changed, so did the makeup of its student body. After decades as a recognized leader among comprehensive high schools, James Lick entered a period of decline. In the 1990s, a high rate of turnover developed in the school's population. During this time, standardized scores declined precipitously.