Bryan Adams High School

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Bryan Adams High School
Location
2101 Millmar Drive
Dallas, Texas 75228 Flag of the United States United States
Information
School district Dallas Independent School District
Principal Cynthia Goodsell[1]
Students 2,104[2]
Faculty 151[1]
Type Public, Secondary
Grades 9-12
Motto Prepare, Attend, Work, Succeed[1]
Mascot Cougar[1]
Color(s) Kelly Green and White[1]          
Information +1 (972) 502-4900[3]
Fax: +1 (972) 502-4901[4]
Trustee dist.  3, Leigh Ann Ellis[5]
Area   3, Emilio Castro[6]
Homepage http://www.dallasisd.org/schools/hs/badams/

Bryan Adams High School is a public secondary school located at 2101 Millmar Drive in the Casa View neighborhood of east Dallas, Texas (USA).

Bryan Adams High School enrolls students in grades 9-12 and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District. The school serves the area of Dallas east of White Rock Lake, south of Northwest Highway, north of Interstate 30, and inside the Dallas city limits. It is comprised of the entire 75218 and 75228 zip codes.

Contents

[edit] History

The school was opened in 1957 and named for William Jennings Bryan Adams, a DISD Board of Education secretary from 1929 until his death in 1955.[7] The building was constructed at a cost of US$2.4 million[8] and was designed by the architectural firm of Goodwin & Cavitt using the same pattern as their building for Thomas Jefferson High School, which had opened in 1955.[9]Students and alumni almost always refer to the school as 'Bryan Adams,' or simply by the acronym 'B.A.'

While 'Adams High School' is the name of several high schools throughout the United States, there is only one 'Bryan Adams High School.' It has no connection to Canadian singer Bryan Adams.

In the late 1960's and early 1970's Bryan Adams was one of the largest high schools in Texas, graduating more than 1,000 students in each of the years from 1968 to 1972. Since the opening of Conrad High School in 2006, B.A. has seen a noticeable drop in enrollment, dropping to UIL Class 4A for the first time in the 2008 realignment.

[edit] Athletics

The school's lone team to win a Texas state championship was the 1969 golf team. There have been many individual state champions and many notable state-level teams, including the Kenyon Martin-led basketball team of 1997.

The school competes in UIL district 11-5A with 5 other DISD schools. Bryan Adams is annually considered a district title contender in baseball (2007 district champion), women's basketball, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming, and softball. The most consistently successful team at BA has been the men's swimming team which won regional and district championships throughout the 70's and into the 80's, finishing in the top 10 in the state on several occasions. From 1999 to 2006 the men's swim team won eight consecutive district titles.

In 2006 the football team made a playoff appearance for the first time since 1985. "[10]

On August 30, 2007 the school's athletic director, Mike Smiddy, was arrested for violently assaulting his wife. He is currently on paid administrative leave during legal proceedings. [1]

[edit] Extracurricular Activities

The school's most recognizable group is the marching band. The Cougar Marching Band (also known as the "BAnd", playing on the initials of the school) has been featured in countless parades and shows over the years, ranging from the 1969 Sugar Bowl to the 1999 Dallas Stars Stanley Cup parade. The uniform is modeled after the pinstriped Southern Methodist University Mustang Band uniforms, which the high school adopted in 1971. The group performs in green and white striped blazers, with matching straw hats, a green vest, and white pants and shoes. The drill team, the Belles, perform alongside the group during the half time of the football games. The Cougar Marching Band has been billed as "The Premier Show Band of Texas" and "Big D's Big Band". The BA drama society has won multiple awards for their performances. The drama organization and choral department team up annually to present broadway-style musicals. Many of the music and drama students have won state-level awards in UIL competition.

Students hold an annual Sadie Hawkins Day dance, for which female students invite male guests. There is also Cougar Kick Off which is an event at the beginning of each school year in which the football team is introduced and the BAnd, Cheerleaders, and Belles all perform as well as various other groups.

[edit] School uniforms

Adams requires school uniforms for its students.[11]

The Texas Education Agency specified that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform [12]; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.

[edit] Feeder Patterns

W. H. Gaston and Robert T. Hill Middle Schools feed into Bryan Adams. The school will also enroll students from Emmett Conrad High School for their senior year, but only those in the area zoned to Highland Meadows Elementary School.[13]

Bayles, Edwin J. Kiest, Reinhardt, Alex Sanger, and Larry Smith Elementary Schools will all feed into Gaston Middle School, and ultimately into Bryan Adams.[13]

Casa View, Charles A. Gill, Victor H. Hexter, and Martha Turner Reilly Elementary Schools will all feed into Hill Middle School, and ultimately into Bryan Adams.[13]

[edit] Statistics

62% of the students at Bryan Adams are economically disadvantaged, 14% enroll in special education, 11% enroll in gifted and talent programs, and 21% are considered "limited English proficient."[14]

The ethnic makeup of the school is 53% Hispanic American, 32% Black American, 13% White American, non-Hispanic, 3% Asian American/Pacific Islander American, and less than 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native.[14]

The average class sizes at Bryan Adams are 22 students for English, 24 for foreign language, 23 for math, 22 for science, and 22 for social studies.[14]

Teachers at the school carry, on average, 13 years of teaching experience and 7% of the teachers on staff are first-year teachers.[14]

Bryan Adams High School was rated Academically Acceptable by the Texas Education Agency in 2007. "[10]

[edit] Notable alumni

  • Gary Blair, head women's basketball coach for Texas A&M University. Class of 1963.
  • John Carona, Texas State Senator. Class of 1974.
  • Lincoln Coleman, former Dallas Cowboys NFL running back. Class of 1987.
  • Jim Dauterive, executive producer and writer for King of the Hill; namesake of KotH character Bill Dauterive. Class of 1975.
  • Jeff Davison, CFO, RightNow Technologies. Class of 1974.
  • Doug English, All-Pro NFL football player. Class of 1971.
  • Melendy Lovett, president of Texas Instruments Educational & Productivity Solutions and senior vice president of TI[15]. Class of 1976.
  • Kenyon Martin, power forward for the Denver Nuggets basketball team.[16] Class of 1997.
  • Ronald Neal, founder and director of Dallas Chamber Orchestra. Class of 1966.
  • Bob Phillips, Host of long-running television series Texas Country Reporter. Class of 1969.
  • Mary Poss, Former mayor pro-tem of Dallas was also acting Mayor (2003). Class of 1969.
  • Gen. James Rothenflue, Ph.D., USAF Ret., former director of U.S. space-based laser weapons program. Class of 1983.[17][18][19][20]
  • Angela Wilson, Artistic Director Theatre Quorum, playwright, actor, Class of 1972.

[edit] External links

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Dallas Independent School District
High schools … full list Adams | Adamson | Carter | Conrad | Hillcrest | Jefferson | Kimball | Lincoln | Madison | Molina | North Dallas | Pinkston | Roosevelt | Samuell | Seagoville | Skyline | Smith | South Oak Cliff | Spruce | Sunset | W. T. White | Wilson
Middle schools … full list Anderson | Hill | Marsh | Quintanilla
Elementary schools … full list Hooe | Preston Hollow
Magnet schools Townview magnets: Government, Law, & Law Enforcement | Science and Engineering Magnet | Talented & Gifted | Business and Management | Education and Social Services | Health Professions
Other High Schools: Washington HS for Performing and Visual Arts | Lincoln Humanities/Communications Magnet | Skyline
Middle/High: Rangel Young Women's | PreK-8: Dealey Montessori | Stone Montessori | 4-8: Travis Academy/Vanguard