Boise High School

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Coordinates: 43.62066° N 116.20216° W

Boise High School
Location
1010 W. Washington St.

Boise, Idaho
United States
Information
Principal Ken Anderson
Enrollment

1,409
Type Public
Grades 10-12
Athletics conference Southern Idaho Conference (5A)
Mascot Braves
Color(s) Red & White

           
Established 1902
Homepage Boise High School

Boise High School is the one of five public senior high schools within the city of Boise, Idaho. It is one of four Boise School District three year comprehensive high schools and is located on the outerlying edge of the city's downtown business core. Current enrollment for the 2007-08 school year is approximately 1,409 students[1]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] 1882 to 1930

1882 brought the building of Central School in downtown Boise. Completed at a price of $44,000, it was widely seen as too large and costly. By 1893, however, nearly 700 students overcrowded the school. During 1902-03 the decision was made to replace it with a new structure and a new name. Land on Washington Street was purchased, and in 1906 took form as a two-story red brick answer to overcrowding.[2]

For nearly half a century, most of the district's printing was completed here. Replacing the original building built in 1902, the 1920 Industrial Arts Building housed the print shop.[3] The school's modern day yearbook began in 1900 as the Boise High Courier. Similarly, The Pepperbox, which would later be the school newspaper The Boise Highlights, started in the early 1900s, became the newspaper of the Associated Student Body.[2]. The Boise Highlights was established in 1928. Archives kept within Boise High predate the Highlight's founding. These archives include copies of The Pepperbox as old as 1919, and earlier for The Courier.

Similar to the press, high school military training predated the Boise High itself. Forming around 1900, this group would later be known as the Boise High Cadets. After a request for federal funding to support the group was denied, the group purchased some supplies and their own uniforms. Receiving drill instruction from noncommissioned officers several times a week, the group grew from approximately 30 to 70 in two years. During World War I, the program disbanded. Reorganizing in 1918 and receiving congressional funding the next year, the group became the Boise High Cadet Corps.[2]

The growing student body resulted in additional classes and sports being offered by the school and the district. The curriculum between 1904-1908, for example, saw the addition of manual training, sewing, music and cooking. The domestic science courses at the high school can be credited to Marguerite Nolan, wife of former Boise Mayor Herbert Lemp. During the years 1908-1915, the manual arts and economics programs grew while stenography and typewriting programs were added. Also, offered during this period was the first free night school.[2] Consisting of seven members, began Boise High's first girls basketball team in 1907. "It was an honor to be defeated by such a team," read a Boise High School yearbook that same year.[2] Originally started in the 1890s, boys athletic activities increased as did girls, adding to the increasing number of courses offered.

Having only been named a couple years, in 1908 the school building began a massive building transformation. Adding an east wing to the school began the change into the modern day building. It had white brick contrasting with the existing red bricked structure. Deviating from the common building practice of the time of using red brick exterior provided a new and modern look. A matching west wing was added for four more years. Not until 1922 would the main central section be completed to match. When it was, it consisted of three floors, a basement and included a multi-use cutting edge auditorium. Today, this auditorium is still used hosting performers such as Duke Ellington and Bing Crosby. The brick and concrete Neo-Classical design includes Ionic columns and a tympanum featuring an image of Plato. [4] Sixty years later, this architecture will include Boise High School into the National Register of Historic Places.[5]

151 students graduated in 1920 and ten years later, this number grew to 223.[2] A rapidly growing student body this same decade would soon be able to claim an Idaho first. Bringing radio to the city and to the state of Idaho for the first time ever was a transmitter on the roof of Boise High School. Starting in 1922, the station KFAU broadcasted from the physics department in the basement.[6] Later purchased and moved in 1928, commercial radio began with the station being renamed as KIDO.[7]

Historic Boise School District Curriculum
1903-1904
9th 10th 11th 12th
Algebra Algebra English Literature Chemistry
American Literature Rhetoric Physics Geology
Civics History Plane geometry Solid Geometry
Physical Geography Zoology Astronomy American History
English Grammar or Latin Botany or Caesar English History or Cicero Economics
Advanced Arithmetic
Critical Literature or Virgil
Source: Independent School District of Boise[2]

[edit] 1930 to 1990

Image of the Brave Head from a 1942 banner of The Boise High Lights
Image of the Brave Head from a 1942 banner of The Boise High Lights

The 1930s and 1940s were difficult with Great Depression economic woes of the country. Curriculum expanding stopped for an emphasis on maintaining programs and classes. District students during this time worked in civil defense activities, assisted the Red Cross and helped with war bond drives. Bricking most or all of windows to save energy occurred during the 1930s.[7]

1936 brought a new gymnasium. Student gathering together their own money funded the construction costs. Total costs came to $122,118. Still standing today, this gymnasium replaced a small gym located in the basement of the main building. Students welcomed the new facility and the much higher ceilings no longer interfering with games. The Works Progress Administration, initiated by Franklin D. Roosevelt, provided the labor.[6]

The 1950s and 1960s, however, brought renewed growth to Boise High. In 1957 an addition was made to the gym in the form of a music building added on to the west side of the structure. The district during this time showed foresight to secure land for future expansion. For example, the two blocks west of the main building were bought in the early 1960s and converted into a football, tennis and track field. This acquiring of land would later help preservationists and community leaders argue to keep the school at its location. It would also provide much needed room for the population boom of the future and provide space for basics like vehicle parking.

Boise Brave Logo
Boise Brave Logo

Also, during these two decades, Boise began to see excessive growing in its high school. For several years, tenth grade students who would have normally attended their high school instead attended junior high schools. To alleviate the booming student body high schools Borah and Capital were built in 1958 and 1965 respectively.

[edit] 1990 to present

During the late 1980s and early 1990s the enrollment crunch began to reappear despite the new schools. This began forcing some classes at Boise High to close. The district began to study the possibility of a replacement school and the debate would continue for years. With this idea came a lot of public concern from neighborhood owners fearful of losing their historic neighborhood, preservationists, students and parents. Research shows that "community anchors" such as Boise High if removed can have detrimental impacts on students and communities. Forcing students to travel farther away would influence local property owners and families that purchase lowering property values in place of suburban development.[4]

In addition to overcrowded classrooms, the building itself needed serious repairs. Emergency exits were fewer that required. Although later found unsubstantiated, at the time it was believed ceiling cracks and falling plaster in the auditorium may have been an asbestos hazard. Electrical wiring was outdated and the building had no air conditioning.

Because of the increasing pressure to keep Boise High where it was, a bond measure in 1993 was proposed for the complete renovation of the school. Taxpayers defeated it. Two years later, while bundled with provisions to repair many existing schools, to convert one school to a new high school, and to build two new junior highs, the bond passed with 70%.

Razing three structures and vacating a city street started the project. Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility improvements were made. An art gallery was created and a complete auditorium restoration was done. The third floor was closed off and air conditioning was installed building wide. Many other improvements were made. The Frank Church Building of Technology, named after the senator 1942 Boise High graduate, was also completed. The main building still houses the humanities classes whereas this new building houses science, computer and math courses.[4]

Over the summer of 2007, the third floor was renovated and is currently again in use.

[edit] Academia

Newsweek has ranked Boise High in every top national high school list created topping all other Idaho schools. Considered in the 2006 ranking were school advanced placement exam scores. Boise High had 343 students who took 778 exams, 84% of which received a grade of 3 or better. For the same year the school had 17 National Merit finalists.[8]

Class Enrollment GPA
Senior 443 3.35
Junior 457 3.19
Sophomore 509 3.35
Source: Independent School District of Boise[9]
National Ranking
Year Boise Rank Complete List
2003 694 806
2005 395 1043
2006 503 1236
2007 518 1351
2008 396 1355
* No 2004 ranking performed
Source: Newsweek[10]

[edit] Notable alumni

BHS Hall of Fame

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Boise High School Profile. Boise High School. Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g History of the Boise School District. Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
  3. ^ Boise High School's History. Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
  4. ^ a b c Northwest Magazine: Bricks & Mortar, Heart & Soul. Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
  5. ^ Boise High School Campus. Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
  6. ^ a b Idaho State Historical Society. Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
  7. ^ a b Chronological History of Idaho. Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
  8. ^ Boise High School Profile. Boise High School. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  9. ^ Boise High School Profile. Boise High School. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  10. ^ Top of the Class. Newsweek. Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
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