Chico High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Chico, California, United States. It currently has 2,083 students.Founded in 1902, it predominately serves as the senior school for graduates of Chico Junior High School.In 1996, Chico High School became a California Distinguished School recognized by the California Department of Education. In 1998 and 1999, it was given the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, in 2001 it received the National Service-Learning Leader School, and in 2002–2005 it received National Smaller Learning Communities School award.In 2008, for the first time, Chico High ended off-campus lunch privileges for freshman students.Since 1967, the school has competed with cross-town rival Pleasant Valley High School at the annual Almond Bowl in junior varsity and varsity football. The game was unnamed in the schools' first three meetings, but local businessmen led by KPAY-AM radio executive Frank Mertz named the contest the "Almond Bowl" before the 1970 clash, when the schools were members of the newly formed Eastern Athletic League. The freshman game is unofficially referred to as the Peanut Bowl; Chico Junior High School played Bidwell Junior High School from the time of Bidwell's establishment in 1958 until 1992, after which freshmen were incorporated into the high schools.The school's graduation ceremony, held at California State University the evening of June 4, 1987, was featured on America's Funniest Home Videos due to the fact that the university's stadium sprinkler system began spraying water on the graduates unexpectedly. Principal Roger Williams scrambled to place a garbage barrel over one sprinkler head before it inundated the podium.
