James A. Shanks High School
James A. Shanks High School (JASHS) was a senior high school in Quincy, Florida. It was a part of the Gadsden County School District.
History
In 1999 a Florida Trend article written by Cynthia Barnett described Shanks High as being "dilapidated".[1][2] The school had been on a list of "failing schools" until 1999, when the test scores became sufficient enough.[2]
In 2003 the school merged with Havana Northside High School to form East Gadsden High School, located midway between Quincy and Havana.[3] The building is now used as James A. Shanks Middle School.[4]
Athletics
Circa 1970 the school had many athletes that matriculated to university sports teams. In 1970 it sent a single runner-up finish in a state competition. 19 students graduating from Shanks from 1993 to 2000 attended universities on football scholarships for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams. Brian Miller of the Tallahassee Democrat stated that the school was known as the "epicenter" of the county's "athletic prowess".[3] Corry Field was used for home games.[4]
Miller stated that the 2000s high school mergers damaged the school athletic spirit in the county as the former school identities were discarded.[3]
Notable alumni
- Dexter Lamar Jackson (Class of 1994) - Played safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers[3]
- Willie Simmons[3]
- Lieutenant General Ben Hodges (Class of 1976) - Commander, United States Army Europe
References
- ↑ Whitley, Douglas. Best Backroads of Florida: Beaches and hills. Pineapple Press Inc, 2003. ISBN 1561642835, 9781561642830. p. 130.
- 1 2 Barnett, Cynthia (1999-08-01). "A Sense of Possibility". Florida Trend. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Miller, Brian (2015-08-19). "Reviving football history in Gadsden County". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
- 1 2 Miller, Brian (2015-08-19). "Shanks’ Corry Field site of past glory". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
External links
- James A. Shanks High School at the Wayback Machine (archive index)