Melrose High School (Massachusetts)

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Location
Melrose High School
360 Lynn Fells Parkway, Melrose, Massachusetts 02176
Information
School district	Melrose Public Schools
Principal	Joseph P. Dillon
Students	916^[1]
Type	Public
Grades	9-12
Mascot	Red Raider
School Type	Non-vocational high school
Homepage	www.melroseschools.com/mhs

Melrose High School is a public high school serving children from grades 9-12. It is located at 360 Lynn Fells Parkway in Melrose, Massachusetts 02176 and is Melrose's only high school. Enrollment is approximately 916 students.^[1] The school is accreditated by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges and is a member of the METCO program.

1 History
2 School Life
3 Sports
4 Renovations
5 References

[edit] History

Melrose High School (1897-1931)

Melrose High School began teaching kids in the 1800s and has called several buildings home. The oldest known location is on West Emerson Street where the Melrose Public Library now stands. When the building burnt down in 1897, the school was moved downtown on Main Street to a new larger building that is now the Coolidge Apartments.

Melrose High School (1932-1974)

In 1932, another new school was built and the previous school building became the Calvin Coolidge Elementary School. This time the new building was built on swamp land taken from Ell Pond on Lynn Fells Parkway. It was a very large school, featuring a 900 seat Auditorium, two separate gymnasiums and a 1960s addition housing sixth graders. Many historians praised the building for its period design and architectural beauty.

Melrose High School (1975-present)

In 1975, a new "modern" Melrose High School opened next-door to the old one, which became the middle school. This building is renowned for its "open spaces," which were large open areas with moveable walls. Recently all of the open spaces have been converted into separated classrooms. Less than half of the buildings classrooms were in open spaces and the rest were triangular in shape. The school was supposedly built by an architect who also designed prisons and the building style reflects this. Numerous classrooms contain no windows and masonry is the main building material. Windows appear in a select few classrooms and are plentiful, yet most don't open. There is a constantly running air circulation system to combat the window problem and this also cools the building in the summer.

[edit] School Life

The school has several successful sports programs, the most notable being the recent success of the women's volleyball and women's basketball teams. Also notable are its wide array of clubs, many of which are active within the community.

[edit] Sports

Melrose High School has been one of the best public schools in the state for hockey from the 1940s through 1970. The late Henry Hughes, led the Red Raiders from 1948-1983. Hughes won over 500 games and 2 state championships. He won the John Mariucci Award in 1991, and in 2003 was inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame.

Notable achievements of the Melrose High Hockey team:

1950: New England Champions and State Champions
1956: New England Champions
1957: State Finalist
1959: State Finalist
1962: New England Champions and State Champions
1966: State Finalist

[edit] Renovations

On Tuesday, October 16, 2007, Mayor Robert Dolan announced that the building would under go major renovations within the next four years. The 3-4 million dollar renovation will include the installation of "SmartBoards" in all 78 classrooms, improved lighting, roof replacement, and repainting the entire school.^[2]

The first phase, with construction starting in summer 2008, will cost approximately $1.2 million and will be for the installation and purchase of the "SmartBoards" and the electrical work needed to accommodate the additional technology for the boards. This phase will also add or improve internet, phone, and cable television connections throughout the school.^[2]