Huntington Beach Union High School District welcomes thousands of students back

The first day of high school can be a milestone moment in a child’s life.

Students at Huntington Beach Union High School District schools went back to class Wednesday morning for the 2022-23 school year with an air of normalcy and no coronavirus restrictions like mandatory masking.

“People are happy to be back to normal,” said Huntington Beach High Principal Daniel Morris, entering his eighth year in that role. “We had two really good staff days, we had an awesome freshman orientation last week, and you just feel the excitement, the energy. The people are excited to be back.”

Things seemed to be going smoothly on the Oilers’ campus Wednesday. The district has issued students digital identification cards this year, and schedules were also available digitally.

Students head to class during the first day of school at Huntington Beach High on Wednesday.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

Huntington Beach was one of six comprehensive high schools in the district to return to classes, along with Edison, Fountain Valley, Marina, Ocean View and Westminster.

The number of students on campus Wednesday was not immediately available. But the district, which also has a continuation high school, alternative school and adult school, has about 16,000 students altogether.

“The start of a new year brings endless opportunities for learning, growth and success,” HBUHSD Supt. Clint Harwick said in an email. “We know our students are in great hands, as our teachers and staff are well prepared and equipped to assist students in excelling both inside and outside of the classroom.”

Though none of the six high schools has a new head principal, there are new assistant principals at several of them. Rachel Kloppenburg has returned to her alma mater of Fountain Valley High as assistant principal of guidance, while Edison High graduate Mia White has joined Marina as the assistant principal of supervision.

Ocean View welcomes Marina High graduate Stephanie Scott as its new assistant principal of supervision. Katrina Handel, a Huntington Beach High alumna, is now the assistant principal of guidance at Edison.

Huntington Beach High is one of the larger schools in the district, with about 3,000 students. Many parents dropped off their students around 8 a.m., half an hour before first period began.

Students walk to campus during the first day of school at Huntington Beach High on Wednesday.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

A California law that went into effect this year mandates that public high schools must begin classes no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

Morris said the school, along with many in the district, went to an 8:30 a.m. start last year in preparation for the change.

“It’s not going to affect us as much on our campus, but where I do see some potential challenges is with the arts, athletics, our extracurricular programs like [Model United Nations],” he said. “It does push the day back a little bit. Really, at this point, we don’t know what we don’t know. Having that earlier period created some space in students’ schedules … but overall, I think we’ve been able to bridge a lot of those gaps and challenges.”

Huntington Beach High English teacher Rosie Harshman is beginning her 12th year in that role. She said coming back to campus is not quite as heavy this year.

“Even though COVID is still there and a threat, it just feels a little bit more natural again,” she said. “There’s a lot less stress with coming to school, which is really nice.”

Students make their way to class after the first bell at Huntington Beach High on Wednesday.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

Harshman herself was itching to get back in the classroom.

“I just love that we’re all in the same boat,” she said, pausing to greet a male student carrying a skateboard and ask him how his summer was. “Every teacher is just as nervous and excited as the kids are. We try to hide it a little bit, but we are. I didn’t sleep for the past two days. It’s like that nervous Christmas feeling where you’re so excited, but you’re also like, ‘What’s this year going to bring?’

“I just love it because it’s different every class period. Every class has its own identity.”

Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley elementary and middle school students return to class next week, after Labor Day. The first day of school in the Ocean View School District and Fountain Valley School District is Sept. 7, while the Huntington Beach City School District returns the following day.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.