Emerald High School is a four-year high school in the Dublin Unified School District in Dublin, California, USA. The school opened to students for the 2023–2024 school year, and in August 2024 classes began on its own campus, scheduled for completion in 2026.
Background
In the 2010s, Dublin was the fastest growing city in California.[1][2][3] Enrollment in Dublin Unified School District increased 92% over that decade and by approximately 4,000 between 2014 and 2024, and the district has opened several new schools.[3][4] Emerald High School is the district's second high school; it also has a continuation school.[5] It is the first comprehensive high school built in Alameda County since the opening of Foothill High School in Pleasanton in 1973.[6] After a committee had chosen three finalists from among community suggestions for the new school's name, on August 18, 2020, the school district board unanimously chose "Emerald High School". The school was originally projected to open in fall 2022.[7]
Opening
The first freshman class of Emerald High School students studied on the campus of Dublin High School during the 2023–2024 academic year,[2][8] primarily in portable classrooms.[4] The administration was housed in a portable that had previously been a science classroom.[2] A tour of the new campus was held in April 2024,[6][9][10] and a ribbon-cutting on June 8, 2024;[11] it opened to freshmen and sophomores for the 2024–2025 academic year, on August 13, 2024.[4][12][13] Expected enrollment in the first year is 950, in 42 classrooms;[10] a grade level will be added each year until scheduled completion in 2026, when the school will have more than 80 classrooms and a capacity of approximately 2,500.[4][10][11] The cost of the building is $374 million, funded by taxpayer bonds.[4]
Principal Francis Rojas resigned in October 2024 and the assistant pricipla, Lenni Velez, was appointed principal.[14]
Facilities
The campus encompasses 23.46 acres (9.49 ha)[11] on the east side of Dublin.[3] It opened with the first of two planned academic towers, the administration building, library, visual and performing arts center, student center and wellness center, gym, and sports field. The second academic building and additional arts space are to be added in the second phase of construction, and the Catherine Kuo Performing Arts Center in the final phase.[4][11]
Athletics
The school's teams are the Aerouants, dragon-like Celtic folklore monsters, and its colors are green, blue, and white.[5] The mascot was chosen to reflect the Irish heritage of the city of Dublin as well as the students' preference for a sea serpent or Asian dragon to reflect the large number of Asian Americans now living in the city.[15][16] In its first year, the school competed independently; starting in 2024–2025, it competes in the Bay Valley Athletic League, whose other schools are in Contra Costa County.[17] At opening, the school's facilities included a 31,000-square-foot (2,900 m2) gym,[2] eight tennis courts, and a weight room with rowing machines; a swimming pool is to be added.[4]
^The mascot of the school district's continuation high school, Valley High School, is the dragon; since aerouant is a Celtic word with the same meaning, some of its students and staff wrote a letter stating that the choice disrespected their school, while some parents said a dragon had overly negative connotations. Lizzy Rager, "Controversy Sparked Over New Emerald High Mascot", The Independent (Dublin, California), April 19, 2023, updated April 21, 2023.
