Rufus King High School
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| Rufus King International Baccalaureate High School |
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| Motto | "Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it; no idleness, no laziness, no procrastination; never put off til tomorrow what you can do today." |
| Established | 1934 (IB introduced 1979) |
| Type | Public (magnet) secondary |
| Principal | Alvin Baldwin (Assistant Principal in Charge) |
| Students | 1,470 (approx) |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Location | 1801 West Olive Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA |
| Oversight | Milwaukee Public Schools |
| Colors | Royal blue and gold |
| Mascot | The Generals |
| Yearbook | King's Crown |
| Newspaper | King's Realm |
| Literary magazine | The Sphinx |
| Website | www.rkhs.org |
Rufus King International Baccalaureate High School is located on the north side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is noted for its strong International Baccalaureate (IB) college preparatory program and nationally ranked boys' basketball and forensics teams. Rufus King is part of Milwaukee Public Schools.
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[edit] Academics
Rufus King High School offers students the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program (DP), which is comprised of advanced classes taught similarly to college courses. Emphasis is placed on writing, speaking, critical thinking and independent application of knowledge. Many students who participate in the IB program gain college credits upon high school graduation, enabling some students to start college as a sophomore and with many prerequisite classes already accounted for. Rufus King was one of the first urban public schools to offer the IB program and is the 119th worldwide.
The school has been honored twice as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, and twice as Wisconsin's top high school by Newsweek magazine. Over 90% of students continue their education after graduation.
Students are encouraged to participate in academic programs outside of class such as the United States Academic Decathlon and Quiz Bowl.
Rufus King's National Forensic League (NFL) honor society chapter has earned numerous state and national recognition. Most notably, the school in 2005 boasted a national champion in Student Congress and the NFL Schwan's School of Excellence Award in Debate.
Rufus King has vibrant programs in music, theatre and visual arts. The theatre program is noted for the staging of challenging and controversial plays, such as Anna Deavere Smith's House Arrest, Lee Blessing's Two Rooms and Moisés Kaufman's The Laramie Project.
Rufus King has also paired with another high school in the city, Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School, to form a FIRST robotics competition team. The team is Team 1675, the Ultimate Protection Squad, and has attended several events over the last two years.
[edit] Athletics
The Rufus King mascot is the General, in recognition of the school's namesake.
Rufus King's most notable achievements in athletics are its five Wisconsin State Men's Basketball Championships, the most recent being won in 2004. The men's basketball team has been nationally ranked over the last few seasons, achieving a #4 ranking nationwide at its peak.
Many other Rufus King teams in various sports have won the Milwaukee City Conference in recent years.
Rufus King's traditional rival is Riverside University High School. It is also part of an intense three-way rivalry with Washington High School and Vincent High School in boys basketball. These schools have accounted for 14 of the last 23 Division 1 boys basketball championships in Wisconsin.
In addition to a nationally-ranked Boys' Basketball team and large Track and Wrestling squads, Rufus King is host to a score of athletic teams, many of whom have won state championships:
Boys' Cross-Country: 1942 Boys' Track: 1955 Wrestling: 1959 Boys' Basketball: 1984, 1991, 1995, 2003, 2004 Girls' Track: 1989, 2000, 2001, 2002
Of course, our athletic teams have also won numerous city conference championships. Drop by the gymnasium to see the banners listing those achievements. Our athletes are constantly recognized for their high academic achievement, as well as good works in the community.
[edit] Snapshot of Accomplishments
Honored twice as a National Blue Ribbon School (1982-1983; 1994-1996), Rufus King offers a strong college-preparatory program including accelerated courses in all subject areas and many co-curricular activities. In 2003 and 2005, Newsweek magazine ranked Rufus King as the top high school in Wisconsin, based on a ratio of of IB or AP examinations taking to the number in the graduating class.
Students are required to take a combination of 16 semesters of a foreign language, mathematics, and science. Because of these rigorous graduation requirements, students are expected to enter King with strong academic goals including good attendance and good conduct.
On May 8, 2002, we were selected by the White House as the site of a presidential visit. President George W. Bush delivered an educational policy address at Rufus King and recognized us as one of the top high school in the country, again singling out our students and staff for national recognition.
The emphasis on academic excellence is reflected in the strong college preparatory curriculum anchored by the International Baccalaureate Program, established at Rufus King in 1979 (as one of the first urban public schools to offer the program). Successful completion allows students to gain advanced placement and college credits, and to enroll as sophomores at many universities. Approximately 91% of the students participate in pre-IB and IB courses. Ninety-five percent of King's graduates are college bound. The school promotes positive values in a culturally-diverse setting. King students are of many and varied interests, the heart of which is motiviation to compete, achieve, and excel academically. The quality academic program is only matched by the historic charm and aesthetic beauty of the building that houses it.
In the spirit of the goals and missions of the school and International Baccalaureate Organization, Rufus King students are expected to be well-rounded young people, who can communicate effectively and express themselves creatively and artistically. Rufus King's curricular and extra-curricular accomplishments indicate that students are putting their talents and skills to good use...
Forensics: With a national and state championship titles, our speech and debate team ranks among one of the most recognized in the country, and is complemented by an academic honorary society, the National Forensic League (NFL). Alum Adam Jacobi IB '95 has directed the program since 1997, and is a leader in the forensic community, including through service with the U.S. State Department's International Debate Exchange Program in 2003.
Music: Jeffrey Durr is responsible for the marching band, the 120-piece concert band, the orchestra with 50 string players, the 20-piece jazz ensemble, and our new and successful city champion drumline. Michael Barna directs all choral activities with a group of close to 100 members. In 2004, 43 musicians performed at the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) competition. Principal Andrew Meuler is current board president of the WSMA.
Mathematics: Wanda Bussey chairs the math department and serves as an examiner and workshop instructor for the International Baccalaureate Organization. Its curriculum provides for the needs of every student from the most gifted -- who can take as many as seven years of math -- to the least mathematical, who are expected to take four years, ending with Transition to College Math. The competition Math Track team has a long and distinguished record of wins at local, state and national levels.
Science: Rufus King has entered a 15-member team in the Wisconsin Science Olympiad since its beginning in 1985. It won first place in 1994, advancing to the national competition where it placed thirteenth in the U.S. In 2001, the team placed ninth in the state. The National Science Bowl team finished fourth in the nation in 1994. Rufus King regularly enters a variety of local and national science and engineering competitions, earning accolades regularly.
Chess: The King Chess Team, coached by Dave Speaker, belongs to the Metro Milwaukee Chess League in which it competes from October through March. It also competes in the Metro Conference Tournament held at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee each February. In 2001, it went to Louisville, KY for the U.S. Chess Federation nationals.
Art: King students have entered work and won prizes in the Wisconsin Regional Scholastic Art Awards Competition, the Photographic Society of America Awards Competition, and Rainbow Summer Poster Competition. Richard Ciganek chairs the Art Department.
Academic Competitions: With various trophy-winning excursions in Quizbowl, Academic Decathlon and LifeSmarts, Rufus King students have shown their prowess in both trivial knowledge and practical application of that information.
[edit] School Songs
Victory Song
Here's to our colors, here's to our fame. Blue and gold of King march on. Singing her glory, shouting her name. We're ever loyal, U Rah! Rah! Rah!
Fight for undaunted we'll ever be. King will never yield. So fellows fight, fight, fight, for victory. As Rufus King goes down the field.
Alma Mater
Hail to thee, dear Rufus King Your praises we all sing. Your colors to the skies unfold, The glorious blue and gold.
Heart and hand we pledge to thee. Eternal loyalty. And in our hearts your name shall ring. Hail, Hail to thee dear King.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Mike Wilks, NBA basketball player
- Gordon Gano, Musician - Violent Femmes
- Speech, Musician - Arrested Development
- Marcus Smith, WSVN-TV FOX Miami News Producer
- David Fowlkes Jr. - Inventor of the spinners
