Although the earthquake occurred after school hours, one student died when an internal wall in a portion of the boy's gym failed.

The Excelsior Union High School District was composed of a single school which supported a district including present day Norwalk, Cerritos, Artesia, and Bellflower.

[2] After World War II, the area rapidly changed from agricultural to residential and several new high schools were added to the district to absorb the large increase in population, including Bellflower, Artesia, Norwalk, La Mirada, and Gahr High Schools.

The school and campus still exist at the corner of Alondra and Pioneer Boulevards in Norwalk.

Since its closure, the campus has been the location for the filming of Grease 2 and High School U.S.A.[3] and the 1982 TV series Square Pegs.