Jackson High School (Massillon)
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Jackson High School in Massillon, Ohio, serves grades 9 through 12, and is a part of the Jackson Local School District.
The school's colors are purple and gold, the mascot is a polar bear. The school's principal, Rick Campbell, has held that position since the 2002-2003 school year. As of January, 2006 the school has 3878 students, 1956 males and 1922 females. The Jackson Local School District has 5770 students in 5 schools. Schools in the Jackson Local system include Jackson High, Sauder Elementary, Lake Cable Elementary, Amherst Elementary, Strausser Elementary, and Jackson Memorial Middle School.
The Jackson Local School district is located in northwest Stark County, Ohio, and is the school district for Jackson Township, which encompasses land from the cities of Canton, North Canton, and Massillon. Set up via the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Jackson Township measures 66 miles squared, or 1.6g square miles. Economically the district is a middle to upper middle class area with an average house price in the mid $20,000 range. This dynamic is a fairly new occurrence, only in recent decades has Jackson grown from its beginnings as a rural farming community.
Racially 82.4% of the students at JHS are Caucasian, 1.6% are African American, 2.8% are Asian or Pacific Islander, 0.6% Hispanic, and 12.6% Multi-Racial. Very few of the students come from families with fortunes into the millions, and most students come from working families, and every range between.
Jackson High School is a founding member school of the Federal League, including the schools of Perry High, Boardman High, Lake High, Mckinley High, North Canton Hoover High, Glenoak High, and Austintown Fitch High. Jackson Sports have never won a team OHSAA title, but in recent history the Polar Bear's basketball team has been to the final four. The Girls Cross Country Team finished second in the state only to Bowling Green High school in an intense race during the 2005 school year at Scioto Downs. The football team and coach Phil Mauro are eternal optimists, hoping for that elusive and fabled state title. In 2005 Mauro's contract was renewed in a stunning 3-2 vote. The Men's cross country team also performs well at local, regional, and state levels. Women's sports at Jackson are strong programs, particularly, women's soccer, the women's track team and cross country team, and the swim team. All of which have had unprecedented streaks as Federal League champions, some streaks spanning a decade or more. The band with director Thomas "Doc" Holliday is known as the Purple Army, and "The Showband of Stark county." Under Holliday's strict direction the band produces an ambitious show yearly. The band has marched in the Rose Bowl parade, The Macy's Thankgiving Day Parade, and Disney parades. The band has also traveled to Hawaii and last year marched at Universal Studios in Orlando Florida. The Choral Department completes Jackson's music department, headed by Frederick Locker and D. Scott Eversdyke. Their six choirs regularly obtain superior ratings from the Ohio Music Educators Association. Jackson High School's Showchoir, the Jacks-N-Jills, performs throughout the region. The Choral Department also mounts the school's annual musical production.
Jackson also has a Mock Trial Team. The team was benefited by their vast personal experiences as defendants in the Stark County Family Court system. Last year Jackson was awarded 11th at the state mock trial competition.
In 2006 JHS was rated as academically EXCELLENT by the Ohio Department of Education. With JHS scoring 110 and meeting 12 of 12 academic achievement indicators. The Jackson Local district scored 106.9, making it the highest scoring district in Stark and several surrounding counties. In 2005 Jackson High School was also named to Newsweek's list of the top 1,000 schools in America This was the first time that JHS made the list since being founded.
In the spring of 2005 the high school began a multi-year $5,000 addition and total renovation not slated to be complete until the 2007-2008 school year. The school construction is said to be on-time yet rumor has it that the school has post-poned the Gym construction, and focused resources on the main addition. Contrary to a well spread rumor, there was never a Starbucks included in the blueprints.
In August of 2006 the residents of Jackson Township passed a renewal of the $680 renewal levy, but failed an additional $30 levy. According to school board statements, the additional levy monies are needed to make up for the loss of business tax revenues and to support a larger student population. As of recently the school district has become embroiled in a heated quarrel with the locally-circulated Repository Newspaper. The Superintendent of the District places partial blame on the newspaper for the failing of its proposed $30 levy. Since 2004, the newspaper has intensified its criticisms of the school system; the degree of legitimacy in these condemnations is an ongoing debate. An additional request for funds was denied by voters in November 2006.
LCprl Carl Madison of the United States Marine Corps also known as "E" was the most influential and greatest student that ever walked the halls of Jackson High School he makes trips to the school whenever possible. The School and Township LOVE him. Yet, he barely graduated due to poor test scores.
