Española Valley High School

Española Valley High School (EVHS) is a Title-1 public senior high school of the Española Public Schools District, located in Española, New Mexico. Nearly 97% of the student body is made up of minority enrollment.

The school's athletic teams are referred to as the Sundevils, which is also the school's mascot.

History
Española was founded with the introduction of the railroads in 1880; with the railroads came an influx in population, private education existed until 1905, when the county saw a demand for public education. Two high schools opened, Santa Cruz High School just right out outside of Española in 1908, and Española High School opened in downtown in 1920. The schools were located on opposite sides of the Rio Grande.

Although both schools weren't operated by the same school district, administrators believed merger of schools was cost effective and would end a bitter rivalry between both schools. Months later construction of EVHS school began, the location for the new school was on the El Llano mesa, on Española's east side. Doors opened to 10–12th graders in the fall semester of 1975 to over 950 students. The first graduating class was 1976, Merce Villareal was the first principal.

While the new campus was under construction sporting events remained at the old Española High School due to a lack of funds. In 1979 a new sports complex was finally complete at the new high school campus along with the school's large gymnasium, known today as "Del Valdez Court at Edward Medina Gymnasium", it is the largest High school gymnasium in New Mexico.

Service area
In addition to Española, it serves:
 * Sections of Rio Arriba County, including: Abiquiu, Alcalde, Canova, Chamita, Chili, Dixon, El Duende, Hernandez, La Mesilla, La Villita, Los Luceros, Lyden, Medanales, Ohkay Owingeh, Pueblito, San Jose, Santa Clara Pueblo, Velarde, and a portion of Ojo Sarco
 * Sections of Santa Fe County, including Chimayo, La Puebla, Rio Chiquito, Santa Cruz, Sombrillo, and a portion of El Valle de Arroyo Seco

Academics
At Espanola Valley High School, Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered at EVHS in almost every subject. There are over 27 elective classes offered to students including concurrent enrollment at Northern New Mexico College.

Since 2011, a student is required 24 credit hours to graduate.

Torch award
EVHS Students who have earned a 3.5 GPA yearly and involved in extracurricular activities (including athletics), are awarded the Torch Award. The award is the most honorary award of its kind at EVHS. It was created by then Principal Bruce Hopmeier in 2005.

Athletics program




Española Valley High School competes in the New Mexico Activities Association, they are classified as a 5A school in District 2 along with: Albuquerque Academy, Capital High School, Del Norte High School and Los Alamos High School.

Throughout its history, Espanola Valley competed in 4A (until early 2014), capturing three state championships in various sports, and eleven individual state champions. In 2007, the school set a New Mexico High School record for major NCAA scholarships for 10 graduating seniors. In 1989 and 2002 the school was voted by the NMAA with the Sportsmanship Award.

Boys basketball
The Sundevils captured the state title in the 2011 season as the #2 seed, defeating Goddard High School (55–52).

In 2016, EVHS won its second basketball title, defeating rival Capital High School (36–34) as the #4 seed.

The Sundevils have appeared in the State Final Four in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016, and in the Championship Game in 2010, 2011, and 2016.

Rivalries
EVHS has maintained a rivalry with Los Alamos High School in most competitive sports since opening. Other rivals include Capital High School for basketball.

State championships

 * {| class="wikitable " width=

! colspan="4" | NMAA State Championships ! Season !! Sport !! Number || Champions
 * Fall || Cross Country, Girls || align="center"|1 || 1992
 * rowspan="3"|Winter || Basketball, Boys || align="center"|2  || 2016, 2011
 * Spirit/Cheer || align="center"|1 || 1995
 * Bowling, Boys || align="center"|1  || 2022
 * rowspan="1"|Spring || JROTC, Team || align="center"|1  || 2023
 * align="center" colspan="2"|Total || align="center"|6
 * }
 * Bowling, Boys || align="center"|1  || 2022
 * rowspan="1"|Spring || JROTC, Team || align="center"|1  || 2023
 * align="center" colspan="2"|Total || align="center"|6
 * }
 * align="center" colspan="2"|Total || align="center"|6
 * }
 * }

Band


Española Valley High's Band "Sound of Northern New Mexico", led by Robert Felix, was nationally renowned. Throughout the 1980s the band attended many competitions, including many college bowl games. In 1984, the Band attended the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, the band was sent an invitation from the committee, a first for the parade. EVHS is only 1 out of 4 schools in New Mexico to attend and march in the Rose Parade.

Mariachi
In the late 1990s the marching band at Española Valley dissolved. Music teacher Alfonso Trujillo started a small mariachi band as an elective class. The group "Mariachi Sol del Valle" performed for local events for several years. In 2008 when presidential candidate Barack Obama stopped in Espanola for a campaign rally the band performed in the event. Months later the schools band received an invitation from out of 1,400 schools throughout the country to be a participant in the 2009 presidential inaugural parade in Washington, D.C.

Student organizations
There are over 45 clubs, organizations and extracurricular activities at EVHS, Most notable are the Supercomputing Challenge, which has received many awards from state competitions, M.E.S.A, "The Sundevil Torch", the school's official student run newspaper, "The Diablo del Sol", the school's yearbook, Student School Improvement team, and the Student Council.

Student Council
The EVHS Student Council is a member of the New Mexico Association of Student Councils (NMASC), it attends their state conferences every year.

During the 2013–14 and 2015–16 school years, EVHS students were elected as the State President. Additionally, an EVHS student served the NMASC as State Secretary from 2011 to 2012. In the fall of 2011, the EVHS Student Council was selected to be the host school for the annual conference and hosted the 2014 NMASC State Conference, that year EVHS won the Gold Council award.

Notable alumni

 * Leo Jaramillo, member of the New Mexico Senate
 * Alan Martinez, member of the New Mexico House of Representatives
 * Debbie Rodella, former member of the New Mexico House of Representatives
 * Levi Romero, poet and academic (attended)