Morningside High School was a public high school in Inglewood, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. A part of the Inglewood Unified School District, it is the second largest high school in the city after Inglewood High School. In 2024, the Inglewood Unified School District announced that it was closing Morningside High at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year.
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History
In 1951, the first two classes of students came to the Morningside Park area of Inglewood to attend the new Morningside High School. Incoming 9th graders came from the surrounding junior high schools, and a class of 10th graders transferred to Morningside from Inglewood High School. Some of Inglewood High School's faculty transferred as well, including A. John Waldmann, the first principal of Morningside High School.
Circa 2005 the school had more than 1,600 students. In 2025 this was down to 465, and IUSD plans to close Morningside High.
In popular culture
In 1993, Wesley Snipes narrated the documentary, Hardwood Dreams, following five MHS seniors during their last high school basketball season as they dreamt of the National Basketball Association. Ten years later, Snipes narrated the 2004 TV sequel, Hardwood Dreams: Ten Years Later.
Chris Gaines was a fictional MHS student and alternative rock musician, developed by Garth Brooks in 1999 for a proposed movie.
Notable alumni
Roberta Achtenberg: Assistant Secretary of HUD under President Bill Clinton
John Arrillaga: real estate investor
John Bahler: musical arranger and director, including Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and Barbra Streisand
Tom Bahler: singer, arranger and producer, including Brian Setzer, The Partridge Family, and Neil Diamond
Bobbie Bass: Hollywood stuntman, TV and movie extra, including Star Trek: The Original Series; stepfather to Bo Derek
Boris Cabrera (1999): former actor
Elden Campbell (d. 2025): professional basketball player who played center for Los Angeles Lakers and 2004 NBA champion Detroit Pistons
Jackie Goldberg: politician, teacher (Compton Unified School District), former member of California State Assembly and Los Angeles City Council, former president of Los Angeles School Board
Flo Hyman (d. 1986): volleyball player, Olympic silver medalist
Ralph Johnson (musician): longtime percussionist and drummer with Earth, Wind and Fire.
Charles Jordan: professional football player with Los Angeles Raiders, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, and Seattle Seahawks
Vicki Lawrence (1967): singer, including The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia and for The Young Americans touring musical group; appeared in feature film The Young Americans, which won Academy Award for Best Documentary; actress, including The Carol Burnett Show and Mama's Family; won 2004 TV Land Award and 1976 Emmy Award; nominee Golden Globe Award; nominee Daytime Emmy Award; game show panelist
Notable faculty
Jim Harrick: basketball coach (1964 - 1972); went on to coach college basketball at Pepperdine University, UCLA, University of Rhode Island, University of Georgia, Utah State University
Phyllis Love, Hollywood and Broadway actress; taught drama and English