Dr. Dre and Compton Leaders Celebrate the Grand Opening of the City’s Most Modern High School

Compton has just witnessed a historic milestone with the official grand opening of the brand-new $200 million Compton High School campus—a new symbol of education and the arts in the city.

On Thursday morning, hundreds of students, parents, teachers, and city officials gathered on the sprawling 31-acre campus to attend a spectacular ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event was made even more special by the presence of hip-hop legend and renowned music producer Dr. Dre, a proud Compton native who donated $10 million to build a state-of-the-art performing arts center.

Dr. Dre shared his excitement: “The new Compton High School and Performing Arts Center is a world-class educational facility, destined to become a hub of innovation and creativity—turning our dreams into reality for every student in this city.”

The impressive new campus will serve over 1,800 students and features a 140,639-square-foot academic building, a 36,534-square-foot gymnasium, a half-size Olympic swimming pool, and beautifully landscaped grounds with California native plants. The project was made possible by a district bond measure approved in 2015, and construction began three years ago.

Compton High School Principal Larry Natividad was overwhelmed with pride: “It absolutely takes my breath away. It shows the love and care that the architects and the great city of Compton have poured into this project.”

The entire school is equipped with cutting-edge technology. “All classrooms have internet connectivity for online learning throughout the campus,” said Alenoush Aghajanians, the school’s lead designer. “There’s also extensive interconnectivity with the performing arts center—when students perform on stage, they can record from any of the recording studios in the building.”

With Compton High’s graduation rate already at an impressive 95% and rising, city officials believe the new campus will further fuel students’ academic success.

The new Compton High School campus is set to officially open its doors to students this August.

City News Service, Inc. contributed to this repor