Placer High School, 2010-2022: Lockdowns, shutdowns, new millennium, new buildings

This is the 13th in a series commemorating Placer High School. To celebrate the school's 125-year anniversary, a school and community celebration will be held Oct. 1 in Old Town, sponsored by the Hillmen Foundation. Tickets available at hillmenfoundation.org. Life interrupted What had been considered a normal high school life had been in transition since the mass shootings at Columbine High in Littleton, Colorado, in 1999. By 2014, new emergency procedures had been in place for some 15 years. But no one could have predicted the events of Oct. 24, 2014, when the school was placed on a six-hour lockdown. A massive manhunt for the shooter of Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff Danny Oliver ended in Auburn with the death of Placer County Detective Michael Davis and the arrest of Luis Bracamontes in a neighborhood near the high school. The lockdown left students and teachers without food, water or a place to use the restroom for six hours. Following the incident, the school purchased 70 emergency kits for $5,000 – one for each classroom and gym. The need to go to the bathroom was taken care of – a five-gallon bucket with lid serves as a portable restroom. Then in January 2021, a public health emergency was declared due to Covid-19, mandating a universal mask requirement. As a result, many school activities and sports were eliminated or severely curtailed, including traditional dances and graduation ceremonies. A hybrid form of education came into being in which students attended school online while others attended class in masks. The school year beginning in 2021 allowed for all students to attend in person but continued the mask requirement, along with vaccinations. Activities Technology played a huge role during the first part of the new millennium, as each student received a Chromebook instead of textbooks, which reduced the need for backpacks for most. Each classroom was outfitted with a Viewsonic, a large interactive touchscreen, useful for teacher instruction and student presentations as well. Individual devices like cell phones and earbuds continued to be a bone of contention between teachers and students. Clubs continued to be active except for the pandemic years, with new ones such as the Equestrian Club and Women's Activist Club. Even Block P was revived at the behest of the Placer High Athletic Hall of Fame committee. David Lawrenson arrived on campus and retooled a moribund music program, featuring updated halftime shows at football games, a spirited pep band and a talented choir and orchestra. Statewide competitions garnered multiple awards. Before retiring, science teacher Thomas Schroeder launched an annual Blood Drive in which students signed up in great numbers and gave blood one special day each year. Student life As the school year started for 2022-23, students faced another challenge from a state-mandated late start for school. The 8:30 a.m. starting time created bus route conflicts with elementary and middle schools, and a lack of qualified bus drivers caused schools to cancel bus service for at least the first few months. Buildings As with most decades, there was plenty of construction going on. A Measure G bond passed by the community allowed for a new Campus Commons building, replacing the 1958 cafeteria. The new building included a cafeteria, the library, a student lounge, as well as classrooms and meeting spaces. The renovation of Earl Crabbe Gym was also included in the bond money. The project involvedZX repairing water damage from roof leakage, painting, basement improvement and climate control for the 88-year-old structure. Separate from Measure G, campus improvements included an all-weather turf installed at LeFebvre Stadium to go with new lighting and sound systems. The previously remodeled Students Services building was named in honor of legendary principal Jug Covich. Sports Several coaches added their accomplishments to the legacy of athletic excellence at the school. Joey Montoya, grandson of legendary coach Bill Miller, was hired in 2007 as varsity football coach. He would go on to post a 127-49 record entering the 2022 season, the most wins by a football coach in school history. Along the way, his teams posted three undefeated regular seasons and won eight straight league titles from 2012-19. He took his teams to the playoffs every season since 2008, making it to six CIF Sac-Joaquin Section title games. The 2017 Hillmen squad claimed section and Northern California championships and was the CIF State Division 4-AA runner-up. Mark Lee took over as varsity basketball coach in 1994 and by the start of the 2022 school year had compiled a 486-293 record at Placer. His teams won nine league titles and one section championship. The Hillmen were section runners-up twice and made the state playoffs five times. Retiring at the end of this season, Lee's teams have enjoyed 25 winning seasons in 32 years, made the playoffs 21 times and won 25 tournament championships. His best teams came back to back in 2016 and 2017. The former set a school record for wins with a 27-5 record, won the Kendall Arnett Tournament, went undefeated in league, claimed an 18-game win streak and made the second round of the state playoffs. The next season, the Hillmen posted a 26-5 record and won the PVL title and made it into the second round of the state championship. Tony Camillucci will start his 23rd year of coaching girls varsity basketball this season. His teams have racked up a 418-196 record over that time, including eight league championships, 18 years in the playoffs and five times as CIF section finalists. His best records came from the 2007 team that went 25-6 and the 2020 squad that finished 26-4. Placed in the PVL, the highly successful boys and girls tennis teams were forced to play in a co-ed league format. The husband and wife team of Tom and Jen Isaac took the reins and by 2013 accomplished an 85-5 record, including a section championship and 68 PVL match wins in a row.