El Toro High School is a public high school in Lake Forest, California, United States. It is one of five high schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) and serves Lake Forest as well as its district of Portola Hills and a small portion of east Irvine and northern Mission Viejo. Students living in Foothill Ranch, which is zoned to Trabuco Hills High School may choose to attend El Toro out of convenience. "El Toro" was the name of the community from the 1870s until a referendum in 1991. The school has served the area since 1973.
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History
El Toro began participating in the International Baccalaureate Program in 2004. The program was scheduled to end in 2011 because of district and state budget cuts, but it was slated to continue into 2012 school year.
During the 2007 California wildfires, more specifically the Santiago Fire, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made a speech at El Toro High School It was also used as an evacuation center.
During the 2020 California wildfires, more specifically during the Silverado Fire, El Toro High School was again used as an evacuation center for those that were impacted in Foothill Ranch, Lake Forest, and Portola Hills.
The high school is also the home of the "El Toro 20 Stair," which became a notable spot for skateboarding, and many high-profile tricks were filmed at the stairs.
Notable alumni
Christina Smith (1975), Playmate Playboy Centerfold for March 1978
Diane Murphy (1981), Actress, best known for her role in Bewitched
Erin Murphy (1981), Actress, best known for her role in Bewitched
Robin Holmes-Sullivan (1982), psychologist, president of Lewis & Clark College
Mike Piel (1983), former NFL defensive end
Scott Miller (1986), former NFL wide receiver
Brian Krause (1987), actor
Scott Ross (1987), former NFL linebacker
Marc Stein (1987), sports reporter who covers the NBA
Kristy Swanson (1987), actress known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Adrien Beard (1988), Storyboard Artist and Voice actor on South Park
Ryan Tinsley (1989), former MLS player
Steve Stenstrom (1990), former NFL quarterback
Rob Johnson (1991), former NFL quarterback
Horse the Band (1998), Metalcore band
Lauren Hanson (1999), former USWNT soccer player and college coach
Kaitlin Sandeno (2001), Olympic Gold Medal winning swimmer
Austin Romine (2007), former MLB catcher
Nolan Arenado (2009), MLB All-Star third baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Lauren Chamberlain (2011), former WPF softball player
Matt Chapman (2011), MLB All-Star third baseman for the San Francisco Giants
Jordan Faison (2012), basketball player who plays overseas
Mikenna McManus (2017), NWSL soccer player
Nathan Church (2018), MLB outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals
Erik Tolman (2018), MLB pitcher for the Washington Nationals
Paul Skenes (2020), MLB All-Star pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates