Everglades High School

Everglades High School
Location
Miramar, Florida, USA
Information
Type	Public Secondary
Established	2003
School district	Broward County Public Schools
Principal	Haleh Darbar
Grades	9–12
Number of students	2681
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Black and Silver
Mascot	Gator
Website	Everglades High Website

Everglades High School is a public school located in Miramar, Florida. The school serves approximately 2,681 students from Miramar and Pembroke Pines in grades 9 through 12. The current school hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. The principal is Haleh Darbar.

The first president of Everglades was Emanuel Washington Jr in 2004. The fourth president of Everglades was Latoya Jackson who served until 2008. The fifth President of Everglades was Joseph D. Mark of the Class of 2009.^[1] For the 2007-2008 school year, Everglades made all incoming freshman take classes in the portables at the former Charles W. Flanagan High School Annex due to overpopulation. Another high school was constructed in Pembroke Pines, Florida, called West Broward High School to resolve the overcrowding issue. Everglades High has an FCAT school grade of "A" for the 2009-2010 academic year,^[2] with 71% of the students passing the math FCAT and 41% of the students passing the reading FCAT. Everglades has a student to teacher ratio of 22:1, above the state average of 15:1.^[3]

History

The temporary location was at the former Charles W. Flanagan High School and Annex because of the ongoing final construction of the Everglades main building. The School schedule was held in double sessions during the months at the annex because of the large population, where the class of 2007 freshman had classes from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and upperclassmen had classes from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The class of 2004 of Everglades had a total of 12 senior students.

For the 2007- 2008 school year, freshmen students were sent to the annex portable site that they had originally used for the school's first class of students.

Demographics

As of 2013-2014, the total student enrollment was 2681. The ethnic makeup of the school was 9.4% White, 35.5% Black, 44.7% Hispanic, 8.1% Asian or Pacific Islander, 2.1% Multiracial, and 0.2% Native American or Native Alaskan.^[4]

Athletics

Everglades High has a variety of varsity and junior varsity sports. The Everglades football stadium, which is named Eastern Financial Stadium at Everglades High School, was funded in the school's first year of existence by Eastern Financial.^[5] Subsequently, Eastern Financial was closed by industry regulators and taken over by Space Coast Credit Union ^[6] who have assumed ownership of the 30-year sponsorship plan. Some achievements by the sports teams include the 2006 girls' Varsity Softball team becoming state champions in 2007 and the 2006 Varsity Football team becoming undefeated district champions with a 10-0 record. Softball has also been District Champions from 2005–2007 and were also Regional Champions in 2005 and 2007. The Everglades High School Varsity Golf Team has "threepeated" as district champions from 2005 to 2007 with the help from Coach Most and Coach Graham.

Everglades High's athletic rival is Miramar High School which defeated Everglades High last season by a score of 20-8.

JROTC

The JROTC program at Everglades is currently headed by SAI Colonel (Ret.) Dennis W. Teitge who has led the program since its initiation in 2004. He is a man who cares very much for his program and has stayed with it since its inauguration in 2004. He not only works with his cadets to see his program succeed, but to also see his cadets grow and learn what it means to be a citizen leader. The colonel is currently assisted by his AIs 1SG (Ret.) Torres and SFC (Ret.) Arias. The program has maintained an Honor Unit with Distinction (HUD) status since 2007 and has sent cadets to several competitive national conventions such as: The George C. Marshal Leadership Symposium, and the JROTC Academic Bowl. Both of these conventions are competitive and cadets compete from all over the world to obtain admission (including Hawaii, US bases in Japan and Germany, and all throughout the continental states). Some retired AIs from Everglades include: SGM (Ret.) Middleton, SGM (Ret.) Lagas, 1SG (Ret.) Bradshaw, 1SG (Ret.) Rivera, SFC (Ret.) Singleton, and 1SG (Ret.) Sosa.

The first Battalion Commander of the Everglades JROTC was Cadet LTC Ruben Veliz who served from 2003–05 and was the only Battalion Commander to serve multiple school years due to a school lacking a senior class. His first Executive Officer was Cadet MAJ Muthra, who was later replaced by Cadet MAJ Meghan Tallon in 2005. Other notable members of his staff included Cadet SGM Jared Bassel, Cadet CPT Jamar Germain (S-1),Cadet CPT Miguel Davis (S-2),Cadet Captain Nicole Morales (S-4), Cadet CPT Steven Bassett (S-5),Cadet CPT Figueroa (S-6),Cadet CPT Ajo (Company Commander), and Cadet CPT Delapaz (Company Commander), among others.

In May 2005 Cadet LTC Meghan Tallon became the active Battalion Commander With Cadet CSM Darrell Zimmer as her Battalion Sergeant Major.Her Staff Included Cadet MAJ Jamar Germain as the Battalion Executive Officer,Cadet CPT Maria Rivero (S-1),Cadet 2LT Benjamin Arriza (S-2),Cadet CPT Georgian Pertrestco (S-3), Cadet 2LT Mitchel Valencia (S-4),Cadet CPT Steven Bassett (S-5), Cadet CPT Carlos Beltran (S-6)

Under Cadet LTC Tallon the Gator Battalion participated in the Broward County Drill Meet, The Superintendents Pass and Review, and she also initiated the first Gator Games, Gator Olympics, and Gator Drill Down at the encouragment of COL Teitge. She was the first and still is the only cadet to not participate in the county's Cadet of the Year Competition. The Battalion received its highest marks on their annual Inspection By the County SAI with Cadet CPT Maria Rivero (S-1), Cadet CPT Petresco (S-3) Operations scoring a 92% and Cadet CPT Bassett (S-5) Public Affairs Officer scoring a 97%.

In 2006 Cadet LTC Tallon graduated and was replaced by Cadet LTC Maria Rivero as the active Battalion Commander. Her staff served as the first staff at Everglades High School to undergo the tri-annual 6th Brigade inspection, which the unit is a part of. Cadet Rivero's chosen staff included Cadet SGM Joshua Iverson (Sergeant Major), Cadet MAJ Carlos Beltran (XO), Cadet CPT Anthony Ghezzi (S-1), Cadet CPT Ben Arriza (S-2). Cadet CPT Steven Bassett (S-5)

References

Coordinates: 25°58′17″N 80°22′25″W / 25.9714812°N 80.3736634°W / 25.9714812; -80.3736634