There may not be 76, but trombonists from the Santa Cruz High School marching band are bringing musical joy to Pacific Avenue Saturday during the school’s 2024 homecoming parade in downtown Santa Cruz. The parade, which featured musicians, cheerleaders, dancers, cultural floats and athletes, filled the downtown area with excitement. Santa Cruz High, a California Distinguished School, is a public, academic and career preparation high school with approximately 1,100 students representing a “range of ethnicities, cultures, interests and beliefs,” according to the site SCHS web. The original Santa Cruz High School opened in 1897, and before that, high school classes were held on the fourth floor of Mission Hill Middle School. The first class of Santa Cruz High School dates back to 1878 and included four students. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)