Ripon High School, located in San Joaquin County, opened its doors on September 1st, 1910. Back then its name was Ripon Union High School and its first year of school took place from 1910-1911, and was held at Odd Fellows Hall, including one teacher, being paid $150 a month, and had fourteen students. Now, RHS has about a thousand students, with a student to teacher ratio of 24:1.

     In August of 1910, a petition was arranged to be held for an election of the high school board. The results were 35-106, 106 being in favor of having one, 35 were not. A month after the voting, the district was organized and finished, leading to the opening of Ripon Union High School, or now known as Ripon High. In June of 1911, a more permanent school building was needed, so a bond election was held for 22,500, but did not pass and then a third in 1916 for 27,000, which was approved. 

     There have also been several ideas tossed around that would improve the school. 

     “A planetarium or telescope open to the public would definitely improve RHS in its future years,” former graduate of Ripon High Steve Riemersma stated.

     In 2006 RHS became one of the very first few schools around California to install several different video cameras across campus that are recorded and streamed to the police. A big part of Ripon High’s history is also its sports. For football, in 1966 the Indians won a section Championship, Southern League Champion and was a runner up in the San Joaquin section in 1976. For tennis, they have claimed league titles in 1965, 1987, 2007, and 2015. RHS also has a JROTC program, which was formed in 1988. Then, in 2002-2002 the Battalion was awarded an Honor Unit with Distinction.

Ripon High has changed a lot over the years, but several traditions have been kept over time.

     “A tradition that they used to have, then stopped for a long time, and are trying to keep going a little bit now is singing the school song,” Geography teacher Mr. Wright said.