The initial meeting of the Alpine High School Citizens Committee (AHSCC) took place in the summer of 1998 at the home of long time educator, Al Haven, Ed.D.,  Mr. Al Haven is the 2^nd Vice Chairman of the present day AHSCC. Community members Pat Cannon, Ann Pierce, Jay Harn  (then editor of the Alpine Sun),  Steve Taylor and Chuck Taylor were also in attendance. The AHSCC is officially registered with the registrar as a PAC (political action committee)

The result was a formal movement, focused on bringing the necessity of a high school to the attention of parents, educators and administrators of both the Alpine Union (K-8) and the Grossmont Union (9-12) school districts. 

Public meetings were scheduled and the committee quickly expanded to include parents, longtime PTA members and business and community leaders of Alpine. Mr. Steve Taylor was elected as the inaugural Chairman.

The earliest efforts revolved around gathering signatures on unification petitions in order to dually seize the attention of the Grossmont District, and at the same time establishing Alpine as a priority for their next high school site. Although the petition drive wasn't filed officially, approximately 4500 signatures were collected, and a working partnership was formed between the AHSCC and the Grossmont Union High School District.

Shortly after the unification petitions drive was terminated, Then Superintendent Granger Ward met with Alpine constituents as his first order of business having just been hired as GUHSD’s new superintendent of schools. Efforts of the committee had succeeded in gaining the attention of GUHSD board members, and a good working relationship was formed between GUHSD and the Alpine High School Citizens Committee .

Subsequently, Alpine was publicly stated as the location for a future high school’s construction.  At the time GUHSD had existing school sites in need of serious renovation, and no funds for new construction were available.

Through the formalization of our group, the AHSCC, and by developing bylaws, voting in officers, and developing an objective and mission statement, the AHSCC went on record with our intent to bring a high school to the community of Alpine within a reasonable timeframe. The committee voted to move further down the road toward unification, as it appeared to be the most expedient means of bringing a school to our Alpine community.

Subsequent review, discussion and conversations with the Alpine Union School District (our local elementary district) led to an agreement to explore the possibility of placing unification before the voters of Alpine. A “Unified” district would have allowed our elementary district to also include a high school.

AUSD hired Mr. Mike Winters (of the firm Caldwell, Flores and Winters) to carry out a demographic and feasibility study on the issue of unification. The results were Propositions V and W, for the funding of a unification ballot measure. These measures were on local election ballots in the year 2000.

Both measures V and W failed, implying that Alpine’s voters had insufficient interest in unification. The measures were for $12,000,000 to acquire property for a high school, and for an additional $25,000,000 to construct, acquire, and renovate existing school facilities, and construct a new high school (subject to district unification). The measures required a 55.0% voter approval. 45.4% said no to the 1^st measure, and 44.7% said no to the 2^nd measure, both falling short of the needed 55% for passage.

During this time we had elected community member, Mr. Larry Urdahl as the AHSCC Chairperson. Upon finding the Alpine community back in a position of dependency to the Grossmont District for our high school, Mr. Urdahl decided to run for a seat on the GUHSD school board. He was successful and took his seat as a trustee in 2004. 

Committed to bringing a high school to our community, Mr. Urdahl's efforts, concurrent with AHSCC’s efforts successfully added an ‘Alpine Voice’ to the GUHSD school board. The AHSCC continued to review possible locations for a high school. We explored configurations for a high school, including joining with community college and state university efforts to offer higher learning opportunities in our area.

The AHSCC made preliminary visits to sites which might offer existing plans for a school (thus saving substantial architectural fees) and hold discussions on curricular offerings.

 At this time (2004) the Grossmont district placed Proposition H before the voters. Members of AHSCC, both as committee members and individuals, worked diligently to promote the successful passage of this proposition. Bond expenditures from this proposition will fund improvements to existing GUHSD school sites, as well as appropriate funds to build a twelfth high school in Alpine.

The successor to Larry Urdahl was Mr. John Cooley, who was Chairman for approximately two years. The current AHSCC Chairman is Mr. Bill Weaver. The AHSCC remains active and committed to bringing Alpine a high school.

Today, we are at a point where renovation efforts are well underway on GUHSD’s existing high schools, and the district is finally in a position to commit to the purchase of land for the long-awaited twelfth Alpine high school site. 

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