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Building History

The Los Angeles Unified School District completed Jordan High School in 1923, at a time of very rapid expansion of the district. A 1927 article in the Los Angeles Times summarized the district's building spurt: “With new buildings, additions or improvement for 38 Los Angeles schools now under construction, the Board of Education is today bringing to a close one of the greatest building programs it has ever launched. The new work will represent an expenditure of approximately $5,000,000. When it is completed there will be little left of the $34,672,000 bond issue voted two years ago for this purpose. Fewer than 25 school remain on the current program. Plans are being completed rapidly for this work and it is expected that it will take all of the remainder of the last bond issue, and possibly run into the next, to complete the work. Just what the program for the next few years will be depends on how much money will be avaiable. A new bond issue probably will be asked of the voters in the near future, but the board has not decided as yet how large it will be or for what definite purpose it will be used. Some idea of the rapidity growing need for new schools is contained in the last report of William E. Record, business manager of the Board of Education, covering construction activities from July, 1925, to September, 1926. In this period buildings were completed at 187 schools at an approximate cost of $10,348,697. Another indication of the growing demand for educational facilities is found in the record of recent bond issues asked and granted by voters. In 1921 $10,000,000 was voted to meet the board’s requirements. In 1922 an additional $17,000,000 was voted, and the last issue was in 1924, for $24,672,000.” (See “L.A. Board of Education Bringing to Close One of Its Biggest School Building Programs,” Los Angeles Times, 12/22/1926, p. 9.)

The 1933 Long Beach Earthquake badly damaged Jordan High School, necessitating its reconstruction in two building phases between 1934 and 1937.

PCAD id: 25588