Homestead High School (Mequon, Wisconsin)

Homestead High School
Address
5000 West Mequon Road
Mequon, Wisconsin, 53092
United States
Coordinates 43°13′23″N 87°58′18″W / 43.22306°N 87.97167°WCoordinates: 43°13′23″N 87°58′18″W / 43.22306°N 87.97167°W
Information
Type Public secondary
Motto Proud Heritage, Students of Achievement
Established 1959
School district Mequon-Thiensville School District
Superintendent Demond Means
Principal Brett Bowers
Assistant principals Lori Keiser and Christopher Gray
Grades 9–12
Enrollment 1336 (2012-2013)
Color(s) Red and White          
Athletics conference North Shore Conference
Mascot Angus the Highlander (#51)
Nickname Highlanders
Average ACT scores 25.6
Newspaper The Highlander
Yearbook The Tartan
Website HHS website

Homestead High School is a four-year public high school located in Mequon, Wisconsin, a northern suburb of Milwaukee. Part of the Mequon-Thiensville School District, it serves a 48-square-mile (120 km2) area including the city of Mequon and the village of Thiensville. The school opened in 1959 and educates nearly 1,400 students annually. Its graduation rate is 99%, and its most recent average composite ACT scores were 25.6, the second-highest of any public school in the state.[1] Homestead is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.[2]

History

The area on which Homestead High School now stands originally belonged to the Potawatomi and Menominee Indians. In 1838, the land was taken by the United States government. Sales of the land occurred in 1835. In 1841 and Peter and Anna Frank received a land grant for the area,and in the following years, the 80-acre land area was owned by their children.

Homestead High School opened in 1959. Originally the school consisted of four wings, two music rooms, a small theater, cafeteria, and a gymnasium. Homestead has undergone four renovations/additions. In 1962, another wing was added to the high school. Three additional wings, the library, a swimming area, another gymnasium, a lecture hall, and an auditorium were added in 1968. In 1978, the school added an orchestra room. In 1998, the biggest renovation occurred - Homestead High School added a wing, a new heating and cooling system, fine arts rooms, another cafeteria with a food court, an academic support center, a field house for athletics, and a conference room for the district.[3]

Enrollment

Homestead's enrollment has decreased from 1610 in 2003 to 1405 in 2011-2012.[4] Of the 1405 students, 0.3% are Native American, 1.8% are Latino, 4.6% are Asian, 6.3% are African American, and 87.0% are White.[5]

Academics

Homestead High School teaches courses in business, computer science, cooperative education, engineering and technology, English, family and consumer education, fine arts, foreign language, mathematics, physical education, science, and social studies.[6]

Honors courses include algebra 1, algebra 2/trigonometry, American literature, American studies-English, American studies-social studies, biology, British literature, business organization and management, calculus AB I, chemistry, English 9/argumentation, English 9, expository writing, French 4, geometry, German 4, independent study, Latin 4, multi-variable calculus, physics, pre-calculus, product development project, Spanish 4, and world studies.[2]

Homestead offers A.P. classes in French, German, calculus AB, calculus BC, physics, Spanish, statistics, United States history, American government, biology, chemistry, macroeconomics, microeconomics, psychology, English language, and English literature.[2][7]

The graduation rate for the school has been 99% or better for at least the past 10 consecutive years.[8] In the Class of 2011, 86% of the students are attending a 4-year college, 5% are attending 2-year colleges, and 9% are working.[2]

Extracurricular activities

Homestead High School's activities include: debate, forensics, math team, AFS (American Field Service), Anime, battle of the books, best buddies, beyond impressions, borealis, club united, German club, H-SAC (Homestead's Stand Against Cancer), Junior State of America, kids for kids, Latin club, philosophy club, pursuit book club, robotics club, Spanish club, Students Keeping it Environmentally Safe (SKIES), student council, National Honor Society, and yearbook.[9]

Athletics

The Homestead Highlanders compete at the Division II level in the North Shore Conference of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.[10]

Girls

The girls' soccer team won the state championship in 1992, 1995, and 2007.[11]

The co-ed varsity cheerleaders won the national championship in Tampa in 2004 and won the state title in 2005.

The girls' swimming and diving team was state champion in 1984 and 1985.[12]

In 1986, the girls' cross country team earned the state title.[13]

The girls' golf team was state champion in 1987, 1999, 2011, and 2012.[14] It was runner-up in 1972, 1975, 1983, 2000, and 2008.

The girls' tennis team has earned the state championship every year between 2008 and 2011.[15]

In 1983, the girls' track team earned the title of state champion.[16]

Boys

The football team won the state championship in 1999, 2006, and 2008.[17] In 2012, Homestead beat Waunakee for the 2012 Wisconsin State Football Championship 14-0, ending Waunakee's 48-game winning streak.[18]

The boys' cross country team earned the state champion title in 1967[19]

In 1996 and 2006, the boys' golf team earned the title of state champions.[20]

In 1974, 1978, and 1994, the baseball team won the state championship.[21]

In 1964 and 2010, the boys' track and field team was state champion.[22]

In 1993 and 1999, the boys' soccer team was state champion.[23]

The Homestead swim team won four consecutive state championship titles between 1998 and 2001.[24]

2007 State Championship Scoreboard

Recognition

In 2004 Homestead High School was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor a school can receive from the U.S. Department of Education. It was one of 34 public high schools in the United States to receive the honor that year. In 2009, BusinessWeek magazine ranked Homestead as the top high school in Wisconsin. The magazine noted that Homestead offered the "Best Overall Academic Performance".[25] In 2011, Homestead was named one of the top 500 schools in the nation by Newsweek.[26]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ "Homestead Performance Report" (PDF). Mequon-Thiensville School District. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Homestead High School Profile 2011-2012" (PDF). Profile. Mequon-Thiensville School District. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  3. ↑ "History of Homestead". History of Homestead. Mequon-Thiensville School District. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  4. ↑ "Homestead Highlanders". Homestead High School Sports. Wissports. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  5. ↑ "Homestead High School". Grade Sizes & Demographics. MuniNetGuide. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  6. ↑ "Academics". Academics. Mequon-Thiensville School District. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  7. ↑ "HOMESTEAD HIGH SCHOOL" (PDF). HOMESTEAD HIGH SCHOOL. Mequon-Thiensville School District. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  8. ↑ Mequon-Thiensville School District
  9. ↑ "Clubs". Clubs. Mequon-Thiensville School District. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  10. ↑ "Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association". Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA). Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  11. ↑ "Girls Soccer Champions 1983-2011" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  12. ↑ "Girls Swimming & Diving Team Champions 1970-2010" (PDF). Girls Swimming & Diving Team. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  13. ↑ "Girls Cross Country Team Champions 1975-2010" (PDF). Girls Cross Country Team. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  14. ↑ "Girls Golf State Tournament Appearances" (PDF). Girls Golf State. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  15. ↑ "WIAA State Girls Tennis Champions 1971-2011" (PDF). WIAA State Girls Tennis. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  16. ↑ "Girls Track Champions 1971-2011" (PDF). Girls Track Champions. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  17. ↑ "Playoff Scores – 1976-2009" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  18. ↑ "Homestead shuts out Waunakee, wins D2 title". Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  19. ↑ "Boys Cross Country Team Champions 1975-2010" (PDF). Boys Cross Country Team. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  20. ↑ "WIAA State Boys Golf Champions (1923-2011)" (PDF). WIAA State Boys Golf. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  21. ↑ "Summer Baseball Championship Game History (1965-2011)" (PDF). Summer Baseball. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  22. ↑ "State Boys Track & Field Team Champions (1895-2011)" (PDF). State Boys Track & Field Team. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  23. ↑ "Boys Soccer Champions 1983-2010" (PDF). Boys Soccer. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  24. ↑ "Boys Swimming & Diving Team Champions" (PDF). Boys Swimming & Diving. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  25. ↑ "America's Best High Schools: Wisconsin*". BusinessWeek. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  26. ↑ "America's Best High Schools". Newsweek. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  27. ↑ Dudek, Duane (16 Jan 2014). "Mequon native Ridley talks Oscar nominations for '12 Years A Slave'". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  28. ↑ Lee, Chris (3 March 2014). "Oscars 2014: '12 Years a Slave' wins for adapted screenplay". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 March 2014.

External links