Coronado High School, named for the Spanish conquistadorFrancisco Vásquez de Coronado, opened in fall 1961 as a public comprehensive high school, grades 9-12, with emphasis on college preparatory and vocational/technical curriculum. The school mascot is the Coronado Don, don being the name for a Spanish nobleman.
Architecture
, the noted Phoenix mid-century architect, designed the original school, mostly made of pre-cast concrete. Haver also designed numerous public and commercial buildings, as well as tract homes and private residences in Phoenix and Scottsdale, during the 1950s and 1960s. The neighboring residential community of Town and Country, also featuring classic contemporary ranch style tract homes designed by Haver, was designated as historic by the City of Scottsdale in 2005. Coronado High was overhauled by DLR Group for the 2008–09 school year, though the white folded plate motif was kept in the new structures as a nod to the former appearance.
Shield
The Coronado Shield has been a symbol of the school for many years. It was originally designed by Joe Gatti, who also created another symbol of the school, the Seven Arts mosaic on the auditorium. Gatti was an art teacher at Coronado from its opening in 1961 until 1984. He felt that this shield design fit the idea of Coronado's namesake.
speaking at Coronado High School in 2019 Jim priest the Coronado don mascot from 1961-1965
Filming location
In the late 1980s, Coronado was used as a film location as a less-expensive alternative to filming in California. It was used as the high school that Bill and Ted attended in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, although the high school in the movie was named San Dimas High School. The movie finale was filmed in Coronado's auditorium which was torn down for remodeling in 2006. Disney used the school twice, as Coronado was the site of filming for ABC's Not Quite Human, a film featuring Jay Underwood, Robyn Lively and Alan Thicke. Another movie, Just Perfect, was filmed for the Mickey Mouse Club in 1989. The final football game shown in the movie was actually between Coronado's varsity and junior varsity teams. The 1985 movie Just One of the Guys, starring Joyce Hyser, was filmed at the now-demolished Scottsdale High School as well as at Coronado High School. Scenes for the made-for-TV movie "Down Will Come Baby" starring Meredith Baxter was filmed on the campus in 1998.
