Newport Harbor High School is a public high school in Newport Beach, in Orange County, California, in the United States. It is part of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.HistoryAbout two months after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, it was on December 29, 1929 that the Irvine Company offered 20acre of land to the school district located at 15th and Irvine for $15,000.Ground breaking for the first high school in Newport Beach began June 14, 1930, at an original construction cost of $410,000. By 1948, the school had its first gym, metal shop, and snack bar. Eight army barracks were installed to be used as classrooms. When the big football stadium was finally built, it was named Davidson Field in honor of Sidney Davidson, the school's first principal. He had the altruistic distinction of working for the first seven months without pay.In 2005, a $282 million school bond issue Measure F was approved by local ballot. Passage of Measure F allows for certain improvements to local schools and libraries in the district.Newport Harbor High School received funding from Measure F that included demolition of the 70000sqft Robins-Loats building, its replacement by an all new 100000sqft steel-framed building, and rebuilding the landmark 100ft bell tower. The "Robins-Loats Reconstruction" costs are estimated at $45 million. The original Robins Hall Tower stood for 77 years. The tower was demolished in August 2007 because of earthquake code requirements.AcademicsNewport Harbor High School has been designated a California Distinguished School, International Baccalaureate World School, and National Blue Ribbon School. Based on the Accountability Progress Report, Newport Harbor is ranked 8 out of 10 in the state.
