De La Salle High School (Concord, California)

De La Salle High School (Concord, California)
Name	De La Salle High School
Established	1965
Type	Private, Catholic, All-boys
Religious affiliation	Christian Brothers
Enrollment	~1,100
Grades	9–12
City	Concord, California
State	California
Country	United States
Campus	Suburban

De La Salle High School (Concord, California) is a Catholic, all-boys secondary school founded by the Christian Brothers in 1965 in Contra Costa County, California. Known nationally for its record-setting winning streak in American high school football and its affiliation with the Lasallian educational mission, the school combines college-preparatory academics with a network of extracurricular programs connected to local and national institutions. Its campus and alumni have ties to communities across the San Francisco Bay Area, including Oakland, San Francisco, and Walnut Creek.

History

De La Salle High School was founded under the auspices of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools during a period of suburban expansion in Contra Costa County and the San Francisco Bay Area in the mid-1960s. Early development intersected with regional trends involving Diocese of Oakland educational planning and postwar population shifts influenced by Interstate 680 construction. The school's growth mirrored wider California dynamics seen in institutions such as Saint Mary's College of California, Saint Ignatius College Preparatory, and Bellarmine College Preparatory. Over subsequent decades, De La Salle's profile rose through athletic achievements, alumni networks in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, and partnerships with organizations like the College Board and regional universities including University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and Santa Clara University.

Campus and Facilities

The suburban campus in Concord, California includes multiple academic buildings, a chapel in the Lasallian tradition associated with Saint John Baptist de La Salle, science laboratories equipped for curricula aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, and athletic facilities such as a stadium, weight room, and practice fields. The school's stadium has hosted contests drawing teams from across California Interscholastic Federation sections, with opponents from programs like Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California), St. John Bosco High School, and Bishop Gorman High School. Campus development involved local government agencies, including Contra Costa County planning departments, and regional contractors who contributed to renovations in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Academics and Curriculum

De La Salle operates a college-preparatory curriculum featuring Advanced Placement courses administered through the College Board, college counseling aligned with Common Application timelines, and graduation requirements reflecting California state standards set by the California Department of Education. Departments span English, mathematics, laboratory sciences, world languages including Spanish language and French language, social studies with courses on United States history and World history, and fine arts with programs in music and visual arts. The school maintains affiliations with secondary education organizations such as the National Association of Independent Schools and participates in regional academic competitions involving institutions like Monte Vista High School (Danville, California) and Campolindo High School.

Athletics and Football Legacy

De La Salle's athletic program competes in the Bay Valley Athletic League and under the governance of the California Interscholastic Federation. Its football program gained national prominence with a 151-game unbeaten streak that drew coverage alongside storied programs such as DeMatha Catholic High School and Miami Central Senior High School. Coaches connected to De La Salle have been compared with figures from Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coaching traditions and have produced players who advanced to National Football League careers with teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, and Seattle Seahawks. The school's success fostered high-profile playoff matchups against programs from Southern California, Nevada powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School, and national recruiting attention involving National Collegiate Athletic Association programs at institutions including University of Southern California, University of Notre Dame, and University of Michigan.

Student Life and Extracurriculars

Student life emphasizes Lasallian values with campus ministry programs connected to Catholic Charities and service learning partnerships with local organizations in Concord and Richmond, California. Extracurricular offerings include performing arts productions that collaborate with regional theaters such as the Lesher Center for the Arts, debate and speech teams participating in circuits with schools like Amador Valley High School, robotics teams competing in FIRST Robotics Competition, and student government modeled on practices seen in other preparatory schools like Bellarmine College Preparatory. Clubs span cultural affinity groups, academic societies, and community service organizations that coordinate with agencies such as Meals on Wheels and regional non-profits.

Admissions and Tuition

Admissions processes incorporate academic transcripts, entrance testing comparable to standardized assessments administered through organizations like the Educational Testing Service, interviews, and consideration of extracurricular involvement. Financial aid and scholarship programs are available, with tuition assistance administered through the school's finance office and donation support from alumni associations and foundations modeled after nonprofit fundraising practices seen at institutions like Jesuit Schools Network affiliates. Enrollment trends reflect shifts in the San Francisco Bay Area demographics, including families connected to industries concentrated in Silicon Valley and regional public sector employment.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni and faculty have included figures who achieved prominence in athletics, business, public service, and the arts, with graduates advancing to professional sports leagues such as the National Football League and to collegiate coaching positions at universities like University of California, Los Angeles and Oregon State University. The school's network includes entrepreneurs and executives in companies headquartered in San Francisco and Silicon Valley and public servants active in Contra Costa County government. Faculty members have included educators trained in Lasallian pedagogy with connections to higher education institutions such as Loyola Marymount University and University of San Francisco.

Category:High schools in Contra Costa County, California Category:Catholic secondary schools in California