Blair High School (Pasadena, California)

Blair International Baccalaureate School (formerly Blair High School) is located at 1201 S. Marengo Avenue, Pasadena, California 91106. It is currently starting its second year of offering the IB Diploma Programme. Blair High School is in the Pasadena Unified School District. The school underwent a major overhaul beginning in the fall of 2004 as a result of declining academic performance, prompting state review. The school's two co-principals were replaced with a single principal, Rich Boccia, an administrative official with the Pasadena Unified School District, who previously was principal at South Pasadena Middle School. During Rich Boccia's reign as principal, school wide academic performance has risen sharply. A uniform dress code policy (consisting of kahki bottoms and a green, gold, white, or black solid polo shirt) is credited as a reason for this improvement. For his work, Rich Boccia has received many awards; including Best Principal of the Year in the state of California.

Blair High School was one of many PUSD high schools threatened to be shut down due to budget cuts. However, a stong showing of community support was able to convince the Pasadena school board to keep Blair open. Students, parents (both with enrolled children, and those considering Blair), and various local figures attended school board meetings in large numbers to support Blair. Speakers noted that some programs at Blair, most notable the IB and JROTC programs were not transferable and would be lost and that Blair was one of the most improved in the area. In fact, Blair's standardized test scores have risen 99 points in the past three years. Many parents voiced their intention to take their children out of PUSD altogether should Blair be closed down, which would have dire consequences on PUSD, which has been suffering declining enrollment.

This year, Blair has been split into two different campuses while undergoing construction. The Blair A campus is on the west side of Marengo Avenue, and houses 10th through 12th grades. Blair East, or BE, is located where Allendale Elementary school used to be. It is home to 7th through 9th grades.

Blair has a good basketball team. Its football and baseball teams are very hardworking. Blair uses Pasadena City College for all varsity football home games due to lack of lighting on their home field, but junior varsity uses Blair's home field. Blair also sometimes get's the team about polo. BUt not every1 likes the new block schedule, but I do. So it's good.