Atlantic Community High School

For other schools named Atlantic High School, see Atlantic High School (disambiguation).

Atlantic Community High School
Address
2455 West Atlantic Avenue South Florida Delray Beach, Florida, America, 33445 United States
Coordinates	26°27′32″N 80°05′56″W
Information
School type	Public, High School
Established	1949
School district	Palm Beach County School District
Principal	Anthony Lockhart
Grades	9–12
Language	English
Campus	Suburban
School Colour(s)	Green and White
Mascot	Eagle
Nickname	Atlantic , ATL
Newspaper	The Squall
Yearbook	Nautilus
Magnet Programs	International Baccalaureate JROTC, Criminal Justice, Health science
Club Directory	School's Club Directory
Website	School's Official Website

Atlantic Community High School (also known as Atlantic and ATL) is a public high school located in Delray Beach, Florida. It is part of the School District of Palm Beach County. Known for its academics, many students attend due to the school's International Baccalaureate program and its ranking as a top-rated school for many years. In the 2010 Newsweek ranking of America's best high schools, Atlantic High ranked 89th. In 2005, the school moved to its current location and added a freshman academy and a construction-oriented magnet program. As of 2011, the principal is Anthony Lockhart.

History

Atlantic Community High School, originally named Seacrest High School, was built in 1949 as a racially segregated school for white students in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, Florida. African-American students living in the area attended Carver High School, which later became Carver Middle School and is now the Delray Beach Full Service Center. In 1971, the school began the process of desegregation and changed its name to Atlantic Community High School. The school adopted the colors of Seacrest High School (Green and White) and the mascot of Carver High School (the eagle). It kept Seacrest High's old location along Seacrest Boulevard, though. In 1989, the school became an International Baccalaureate World School. In 2005, the school moved to its current location on Atlantic Avenue. In 2011, Kathleen Weigel was promoted from principal of the school to the new district position of Assistant Superintendent of Professional Growth. Weigel, who was principal for more than 10 years was replaced by Bear Lakes Middle School principal Anthony Lockhart.

Student demographics

According to the school's website, 2370 students are enrolled in Atlantic Community High School. In 2009, its student body was 47% African-American, 30% white, 9% Hispanic, 12% Asian-American/Pacific Islander, and 1% multiracial, and less than 1% Native American.

Academics and magnet programs

School ratings

The school is rated annually by the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Ratings started at a C in 1998. It rose to a B in 2003, dropped to a C again from 2005-7, and is currently a "B."

International Baccalaureate

Atlantic is home to one of the four International Baccalaureate high school programs of Palm Beach County (the others being Cardinal Newman High School , Suncoast High School , and William T. Dwyer High School) and caters to students living in the southern parts of the district. It is regarded as a model school for this program due to its consistently high testing.^{[citation needed]} The school's IB Coordinator is Mr. David Youngman

Construction Academy

Atlantic's construction academy was added to the school beginning in fall 2005. The students of the academy designed and built a house called the "Eagle's Nest" (after the school mascot) for charity in collaboration with the city of Delray Beach. The groundbreaking ceremony for the project kick-off was held in December 2005. It is a 3 bedroom, two bath house, 1,500 square feet (140 m²).

On October 25, 2010, the Construction Academy broke ground on a new house called "Eagle's Nest 2". The house is to be a "green" house and the design incorporates aspects of a green building, using green construction material design principles. It too is being done in collaboration with the city of Delray Beach.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

Atlantic participates in the 5A athletic division of the FHSAA. The school fields teams in 43 sports including football, basketball, baseball, soccer, softball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, volleyball, cross country, track and field, weightlifting, and flag football among others.^{[citation needed]}

JROTC

Atlantic is home to the Eagle Battalion of the Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. The Eagle Battalion is an Honor Unit with Distinction and has an award-winning drill team.^{[citation needed]}

Band

The Atlantic War Eagle Marching Band has a history of excellence and has performed around the United States, including at halftime of the 1999 Nokia Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana),^{[citation needed]} the 2000 Aloha Festival Parade (Waikiki, Hawaii),^{[citation needed]} the 2005 New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade,^{[citation needed]} the 2007 Saint Patrick's Day parade in Savannah, Georgia,^{[citation needed]}, April 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia at the Festival Competition, and the 2011 New York Saint Patrick's day parade.

Clubs

Atlantic supports a wide variety of clubs, including Mu Alpha Theta, Academic Games, ACE, Amnesty International, French Club, Environmental Club, Gardening Club, Black Student Union, Gospel Choir, Literary Club, Young Democrats Club, Art Club, International Culture Club, Global Club, Science Club / Science Olympiad, Blood Drive, Mahjong Club, Students Against Animal Cruelty, Anime Club, Classical Music Club, Jewish Forum, Latin Jazz Club, Model UN, Gay-Straight Alliance, CPU (Computer Programming Union) which is responsible for both the Robotics & Programming teams, Drama Club, Key Club, a Speech and Debate team (NFL certified) and chapters of the [[National Honor Society]]], Spanish National Honor Society, and Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society.^{[citation needed]}

Notable alumni

• Mike Rumph, cornerback for the St. Louis Rams of the NFL.
• Omar Jacobs, fifth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2006 NFL Draft, and former quarterback for the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe.
• David Clowney, wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League.
• Brandon Flowers, defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League.
• Bobby Butler after playing at Florida State went on to play for the Atlanta Falcons throughout the eighties and early nineties.
• Courtney Robinson plays for the Philadelphia Eagles.
• Rick Rhoden major league pitcher, pro golfer.
• Danny Tidwell Drafted by the Anderson Rangers were a Texas Rangers affiliate in the Class A Western Carolinas League <<Link is wrong>>
• Jayron Hosley, a cornerback for the Virginia Tech Hokies.

External links

• Official School site
• Band site