Achievements

  • Taft High School boasts of three Olympic medal winners.
  • Taft High School has won first place in national academic decathlon competition - 3 times.
  • 21.4% of Taft's student body has been identified as gifted/talented.
  • Taft's Football team won the city championship in 1998.
  • Taft Boys Basketball team won the city championship in 1980, 2004, 2008, 2011 & 2012.
  • Taft Girls Basketball team won the city championship in 2007.
  • Taft's Boys Volleyball team won the city championship in 1990, 1999, 2000, 2001 & 2010.
  • Taft's Girls Volleyball team won the city championship in 2006, 2008, 2009 & 2013.
  • Taft's Vocal Ensemble has achieved "Superior" ratings in each of the last six years.

Some famous Taft graduates include:
    • Robin Yount (baseball)
    • Larry Yount (Milwaukee Brewers Minor league system)
    • Pete LaCock (Major League Baseball Player)
    • Gabe Kapler, (Major League Baseball Player & Coach)
    • Rick Auerbach (Class of '68 -played for the Brewers, Dodgers, and Reds)
    • Kevin Kennedy (former manager for the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox, Fox Sports analyst)
    • Jeff Fischer (head coach of the Tennessee Titans)
    • Steve Smith, Superbowl Champion NFL Wide Receiver (NY Giants and Philadelphia Eagles)
    • Jordan Farmar, Championship NBA player (LA Lakers)
    • Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady - the Brady Bunch television series)
    • Susan Olson class of 79 (Cindy Brady - the Brady Bunch)
    • Char Fontane (Actress - Valerie in the TV series "Joe and Valerie")
    • Jan Smithers, Actress (Bailey Quarters in "WKRP in Cincinnati")
    • Kathryn D. Sullivan (Ph.D.) NASA Astronaut
    • 1992 Olympic Gold Medal Winner Quincy Watts
    • Lisa Kudrow (who played 'Phoebe,' on "Friends")
    • David Schwartz (Co-author, "The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows", and TV Historian at Game Show Network)
    • Jeff Stork (volleyball player)
    • Craig Buck (Olympic Volleyball player)
    • Larry Dierker (manager of the Houston Astros)
    • Rick Dierker (Astros)
    • Rhodes scholar Melissa Sturm
    • Dave Koz (saxophonist, jazz recording artist, morning DJ for The Wave radio station)
    • Mindy Naud (actress)
    • Justine Bateman (actress)
    • Barry Green (double bass soloist and author)
    • O'Shea 'Ice Cube' Jackson (actor and recording artist, )
    • Steve Bartek (Musician and Orchestrator, 'Oingo Boingo' founding member and Danny Elfman collaborator)
    • Brad Wilk - Drummer, Rage Against the Machine
    • Alfie Green (Grammy Nominated Record Producer)
    • Robert Woolsey (Grammy Nominated Record Producer)
    • Valarie Venrnon (Actress and Recording Artist, 'Power Rangers')
    • Gary Saderup (Artist)
    • Malcom Smith (Super Bowl MVP for the Seattle Seahawks)
    • Antoine Woods (Football)
    • Deandre Daniels (NCAA Champion, UCONN Basketball Team)
    • Kihei Clark (NCAA Champion, University of Virginia Basketball Team)
    • O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Actor)
    • Jillian Michaels (Fitness Advocate and TV personality)
    • Spencer Dinwiddie (LA Lakers)
    • Wilmer Valderrama (Actor, 'That 70's Show' & 'NCIS Hawaii')
 
Taft has also been a filming location for a number of major Movie and Series, including:
  • The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976)
  • Crazy Stupid Love (2011)
  • Amazing Spider-Man (2014)
  • Prom (2020)
  • Never Have I Ever (2020-2023)