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Mountain View High School is the Mountain View campus of the Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District (MVLA). It sits at 3535 Truman Avenue in a residential part of south Mountain View, roughly 8 miles southeast of downtown Palo Alto in a straight line. Its partner school, Los Altos High, shares the same district, calendar, transfer rules and athletic league.
Palo Alto families rarely land here by address, since homes in Palo Alto are assigned to Gunn or Paly. But many people move between the two cities. Plenty of Palo Alto employees live in Mountain View. This page gives the published facts: history, boundaries, the 2027 to 2028 enrollment calendar, programs, sports and state data. We do not repeat commercial rankings.
From Castro Street to Truman Avenue
Mountain View did not have its own high school until 1902. Wikipedia says students before then rode the train to Palo Alto High School or Santa Clara High School. The first Mountain View High opened in 1902 near today's El Camino Real and Calderon Avenue. A larger campus followed on Castro Street in 1924. Enrollment grew again after Moffett Field opened in 1933.
The war left a mark on the school too. After Pearl Harbor, Japanese American students were removed and sent to incarceration camps under Executive Order 9066, Wikipedia records. The postwar baby boom then brought new campuses: Los Altos High in the mid-1950s and Awalt High School in 1961.
Awalt is the key to the present. In 1981, with enrollment falling, the district closed the original Mountain View High on Castro Street. Awalt took over the Mountain View High name on its Truman Avenue campus and kept its Spartan mascot. Los Altos High gave up its Knights mascot in the same reshuffle. So the school on Truman Avenue today is the old Awalt campus carrying a name with roots in 1902. Our Castro Street guide covers the downtown where the old school once stood.
The school today
Mountain View High serves grades 9 to 12. The California Department of Education counted 2,173 students in 2025 to 2026. The school's site describes a staff of one principal, three assistant principals, a student services coordinator and seven counselors. The principal named on the school's administration page in November 2026 is Dr. Kip Glazer.
The school is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Its site says it was named a California Distinguished High School in 1994 and 2003. Wikipedia adds a 1988 award. The student newspaper is The Oracle, which shares its name with Gunn's paper. Teams compete as the Spartans.
Boundaries and registration for 2027 to 2028
MVLA assigns students by home address. Its boundaries page has a street search. Wikipedia names Graham Middle School, Crittenden Middle School and Blach Intermediate as the main feeders for Mountain View High. The district pre-enrolls eighth graders at Blach, Egan, Crittenden and Graham and mails high school assignment letters in mid-November 2026.
Students coming from private schools, charter schools or outside the area register online. MVLA opened registration for the 2027 to 2028 school year on November 2, 2026. After the online form is in, the registrar at the assigned school calls to set up an intake meeting.
Transfers
Families who want Los Altos High instead can apply during open enrollment, which runs December 1 to 17, 2026 and closes at 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 17. The district's transfer page warns that there will be very few slots, if any. Both schools are close to capacity. Late applications are considered only if space allows. Outside that window, transfers are limited to special cases such as sibling or senior privilege. Students with special education services may be assigned to whichever campus houses the program that fits their needs.
The district holds an in-person high school information night on Thursday, January 21, 2027. Feeder school families get account and course selection letters in mid-January.
Programs
Like Los Altos High, Mountain View High sends juniors and seniors to Freestyle Academy, the district's communication arts and technology program. Students spend a morning or afternoon block there taking English, digital media and an elective in film, design or animation. Each block takes up to 80 juniors and 80 seniors. Applications are due by the February break of 10th or 11th grade, with no portfolio required.
Dual enrollment through Foothill College lets students earn college credit in classes taught on campus. For spring 2027 the district lists a microeconomics course at Mountain View High, with a census date of February 2, 2027. That is the last day to enroll and still earn the Foothill credit. Districtwide, MVLA lists 33 dual enrollment courses in 55 sections. Our page on high school course options explains how Gunn and Paly handle Foothill classes, a useful point of comparison.
Students who need a smaller setting can also look at Alta Vista High School, the district's continuation school. Its students can join Freestyle Academy too.
Athletics
The Spartans play in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League in the Central Coast Section, alongside Los Altos, Gunn and Paly in most sports. The school's athletics site posts tryout information, sports medicine contacts and the booster club. All athletes must finish online athletic clearance with a current physical before their first practice. Games against Los Altos High are the big crosstown dates on the calendar.
Check the school's athletics pages for the current season schedule, tryout dates and ticket information. Schedules shift with weather and playoffs, so confirm the day before you drive down.
How it compares: state data
We stick to state figures. Enrollment and student groups are from the California Department of Education Census Day count for 2025 to 2026. Test figures are the share of 11th graders who met or exceeded the standard on the CAASPP Smarter Balanced tests in spring 2025.
| School | Enrollment 2025 to 2026 | Socioeconomically disadvantaged | English learners | Grade 11 ELA met or exceeded (2025) | Grade 11 math met or exceeded (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View High | 2,173 | 14.4% | 3.9% | 80.1% | 68.6% |
| Los Altos High | 2,203 | 18.1% | 8.2% | 78.8% | 68.8% |
| Gunn High | 1,606 | 10.3% | 5.5% | 84.4% | 80.4% |
| Palo Alto High | 1,828 | 12.9% | 2.9% | 75.8% | 73.7% |
| Santa Clara County, all schools | 65.4% | 47.1% |
In the same CDE count, Mountain View High's students were about 33 percent white, 30 percent Asian, 21 percent Hispanic or Latino and 12 percent two or more races. About 11 percent have disabilities. Those mixes differ from school to school, so treat the test columns as context rather than a verdict. The California School Dashboard adds graduation rates, college and career readiness and other indicators.
Getting there from Palo Alto
Driving from Palo Alto, most people take El Camino Real or Central Expressway into Mountain View, then head south on local streets toward Truman Avenue. Interstate 280 and Highway 85 are options from the west side of Palo Alto. Allow extra time around the morning bell and during evening events, when the neighborhood streets fill up.
On Caltrain, Mountain View station is 7 minutes from Palo Alto on a typical weekday train. The campus is roughly 2.5 miles from the station in a straight line, so plan on a bike, a bus connection or a ride for the last stretch. Our Mountain View commuting guide covers the transit and bike options in more detail.
Good to know
- Today's campus opened in 1961 as Awalt High and took the Mountain View High name in 1981.
- Palo Alto addresses are assigned to PAUSD, not MVLA.
- Open enrollment for 2027 to 2028 runs December 1 to 17, 2026, with very few seats.
- Mountain View High's paper, The Oracle, shares its name with Gunn's.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Mountain View High School?
Mountain View High is at 3535 Truman Avenue in south Mountain View, south of El Camino Real. It is part of the Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District, which also runs Los Altos High, Alta Vista High and Freestyle Academy.
Is Mountain View High the same school as Awalt High?
In a sense, yes. The district opened Awalt High School on the current campus in 1961. When the district closed the original Mountain View High on Castro Street in 1981, Awalt took the Mountain View High name and kept its Spartan mascot, according to Wikipedia.
Which middle schools feed Mountain View High?
Wikipedia lists Graham Middle School, Crittenden Middle School and Blach Intermediate School as the main feeders. MVLA pre-enrolls eighth graders from Blach, Egan, Crittenden and Graham and assigns each to a high school by home address.
Can I transfer between Mountain View High and Los Altos High?
Only through MVLA's open enrollment window, which runs December 1 to 17, 2026 for the 2027 to 2028 year. The district warns there will be very few slots, if any, because both schools are close to capacity.
How many students attend Mountain View High?
The California Department of Education counted 2,173 students in the 2025 to 2026 school year. That is slightly fewer than Los Altos High (2,203) and more than either Gunn (1,606) or Palo Alto High (1,828).