AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian High School

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AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian High School (AGBU MHS) was a private Armenian-American high school in Pasadena, California. It opened in September 2006 and operated under the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU). The school served grades 9–12 with about 150 students, offering instruction in English and Armenian and sports such as basketball, volleyball, and soccer. The Spartans were its mascot, and the school newspaper was Corner. It was accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

In 2009, philanthropists Vatche and Tamar Manoukian donated $11 million to the school, and it was renamed in their honor. The campus included a science lab, library, indoor gym, computer lab, assembly hall, and cafeteria. A theatre on campus was renovated from 2015 to 2019 and reopened as the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Performing Arts Center.

In 2013, the school expanded its curriculum with electives such as International Issues, Globalization, and Public Policy, and classrooms were upgraded with smartboard technology.

The school was located at 2495 East Mountain Street, Pasadena.

In October 2019, AGBU announced that the high school would close at the end of the 2019–2020 school year and merge with AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School in Canoga Park, Los Angeles (about 30 miles away). The plan faced student protests and concerns from families about long commutes. AGBU pledged transportation support and offered assistance for current students, including college counseling and SAT/ACT prep.

The 2019–2020 year relied heavily on subsidies from AGBU and the Manoukian Foundation; tuition was about $7,980, while the true cost was around $20,000 per student. Declining enrollment and rising costs made the school financially unsustainable, so it closed after the 2019–2020 year and merged with AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School.

Today, the Pasadena campus remains a cultural center and community hub under AGBU, hosting Armenian programs and events. In 2025, after the Eaton Fire destroyed another Armenian school in Altadena, AGBU reopened the Pasadena campus temporarily to house displaced Sahag-Mesrob Armenian Christian School students while that campus was rebuilt.