| Southside High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 4100 Gary St Fort Smith, Arkansas |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1963 |
| Superintendent | Benny Gooden |
| Principal | Wayne Haver |
| Faculty | 110 |
| Grades | 10-12 |
| Enrollment | Approx. 1,600 |
| Campus | Urban |
| Color(s) | Columbia Blue, Red |
| Athletics conference | 7A West |
| Mascot | Johnny Reb |
| Information | (479) 646-7371 |
| Website | Southside Home Page |
Southside High School is one of two public high schools in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the other being Northside High School.
The school was opened in 1963 and has had over 15,000 graduates. Since 1966, the school has been accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. Southside was ranked 625th in Newsweek's Top 1,300 High Schools in the U.S. in 2008. In 2008, Southside was the recipient of "Best Practice School" by Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe. For the 2007-2008 school year, Southside received the Siemen's Award for Advanced Placement exam scores. Southside was in Newsweek's Top 1,000 High Schools in America for the 2009-2010 school year.
Contents |
The building originally consisted of 44 classrooms in total and was continually expanded beginning in 1968:
The first graduating class was the Class of 1966 with 24 graduates. In the Class of 2004 there were 417 graduates. The Class of 1978 was the largest graduating class with 503 graduates. Southside had its 10,000th graduate in the Class of 1991 and its 15,000th graduate in the Class of 2003. Correction, the first graduating class actually had 282 students. in 1963/1964 the tenth grade was the highest class,in 1964/65 the eleventh grade was the highest class and the class of 1965/1966 became the first graduating senior class.
The school flies three flags for "Excellence in Education" presented by previous presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton at ceremonies held in Washington, D.C.
It is the mission of Southside High School to provide an educational program that enables our students to learn, achieve, succeed and become proficient in reading, writing and math.
Southside High School is dedicated to providing quality and equitable educational opportunities for all students that will help them in realizing their academic potential, become productive citizens, and prepare for their futures.
Southside High, we hail you And hold your honor high. Never will we fail you; Your glory cannot die. Your colors we'll remember, The white, the red, the blue! Your memories live forever. Our youthful hearts are true. Like a torch in the night, With a beam strong and bright We will stand til we die To proclaim you're the best SOUTHSIDE HIGH!
Their mascot is the Rebels, more specifically Johnny Reb who is a Confederate soldier. The mascot has generated controversy along with the school's fight song, Dixie, due to the iconic association of the confederation with slavery. In mid-2000, Principal Wayne Haver banned the display of the Confederate flag at school and school events; many students had taken it to be the school flag due to Johnny Reb being a Confederate soldier. Talks of replacing Johnny Reb with a mustang have circulated, but as of 2010 this has not yet happened and Principal Wayne Haver has stated he plans to keep the mascot as long as he is principal. A wooden statue (carved in the 1970s by a group of students) of the mascot currently stands in the main hallway just past the front doors.
The Rebels have won seven state championships in Arkansas' highest classification; all since 1983. Four of those titles came under longtime Southside head coach Barry Lunney Sr., who left the school after the 2004 season for conference rival Bentonville. Jeff Williams has since taken over the program and led the Rebels to their last title in his second year in 2006. In 2008 and in 2009, Southside made a surprising run to the championship game, but fell short to Bentonville in 2008 and Springdale Har-Ber in 2009.
In the early 1960s when Fort Smith High School was separated into two schools, what formed was one of the premier rivalries in the state of Arkansas. Because the town is divided down the middle by Rogers Avenue and the fact that Southside sits on one side of Rogers and Northside on the other, the game has become known as the "Battle of Rogers Avenue". This game has become a huge event locally in the city of Fort Smith and the surrounding area (usually drawing around 10,000 people to the event), even elevating to the level of shutting down some local schools and businesses on the day of the game. To date, Southside has gone on a huge winning streak, winning every Battle of Rogers Avenue plaque since 2006, including 2010's game at Southside 56-29. The game was filmed by NFL Network as part of their American Great Rivalries Program and will be aired on national television in January 2011.
Northside Grizzlies
Bentonville Tigers
Rogers Mounties
Harber Wildcats
Fayetteville Purple Dogs
1983, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2006