Antelope Valley High School

Antelope Valley High School is located in Lancaster, California, and is part of the Antelope Valley Union High School District, in northernmost Los Angeles County, California. It was founded in 1912, and had its first graduating class in 1912. It is located near the western edge of the Mojave Desert. At the time of its founding, classes were held at the Women's Independence Hall on Cedar Ave. and Lancaster Blvd. (then called West Tenth Street) until a permanent building could be built. In July 1914, construction was planned to begin on a concrete building, Central Hall, but construction didn’t begin until 1915 and was completed in mid-1915. However, a strike over unpaid wages prevented students from entering the new building at the beginning of the 1915 school year. It was settled, and students began their classes in the new building in October 1915. The school was a residential boarding school serving students from farms and ranches from north Los Angeles and south Kern counties. At present, the school primarily serves the population of Lancaster, California.

Notable alumni

 * Kevin Appier, former MLB pitcher
 * Priscilla Barnes, actress of Three's Company
 * Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet), singer, songwriter, musician, painter (as Don Van Vliet)
 * Lon Boyett, former NFL player
 * Steve Chilcott, number one pick in the 1966 Major League Baseball draft
 * Sean Douglass, former MLB pitcher
 * Judy Garland, actress
 * Mike Gaechter, former Dallas Cowboys defensive back.
 * Bruce Hill, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver
 * Al Krueger, former NFL player
 * Terence McKenna, a writer, philosopher, and ethnobotanist.
 * Dwayne Murphy, former MLB centerfielder
 * James Richards, former Canadian Football League offensive guard
 * Jim Slaton, former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher, current bullpen coach, Seattle Mariners.
 * Alex St. Clair, musician best known as founding member of Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band
 * Vern Valdez, former NFL player
 * Marcy Walker, soap opera actress
 * Frank Zappa, musician, composer, activist and filmmaker