Benton High School (Missouri)

Benton High School
"We are Southside!"
Address
5655 South 4th Street St. Joseph, Missouri, (Buchanan County), 64504 United States
Coordinates	39°46′40″N 94°48′27″W
Information
Established	1905
Founder	J. A. Bell
School district	St. Joseph School District
Principal	Dr. Jeanette Westfall
Vice principal	Mr. Luke McCoy
Vice principal	Mr. Jeremy Burright
Grades	9-12
Enrolment	896
Classes offered	Project Lead the Way, Talent and Gifted, and Honors
Hours in school day	6
Mascot	Bentley the Cardinal
Team name	Cardinals
Average ACT scores	19.2
Newspaper	Bentonian
School fees	Varies upon classes taken
Athletic Director	Mr. Mike Ziesel
Youtube:	http://www.youtube.com/user/bentoncardinals/
Website	http://www.bentoncardinals.org/

Benton High School is a Class 4 public high school located in St. Joseph, Missouri.

History

In 1905, the St. Joseph, Missouri Board of Education charged J. A. Bell with establishing a high school in South St. Joseph. In September of that year, Benton High School opened its doors for the first time as the BOE rented a hall at the corner of King Hill and Colorado Avenues until a new building was to be completed. In November, students moved into those new buildings on the corner of Cumberland and Yale Streets. The school had four rooms that held grades one through 12.

In 1929, Benton became a junior-senior high school that offered courses from the 7th through the 12th grade.

In 1938, the BOE purchased a tract of land on 4th Street, overlooking the Saint Joseph, Missouri parkway system and built a new building there on March 21, 1940. The new building contained 37 classrooms, an auditorium, gymnasium, and cafeteria and was three stories high.

In 1961, a non-pillared dome gymnasium was constructed on the north side of the school and named in honor of P.B. "Pop" Springer, long time coach and teacher at Benton. The dome collapsed from heavy snow in 1971 and was replaced. Many additions were made after 1969, including a two-story, twelve room wing with a spacious library and rooms for the math and social studies departments as well as an athletic field which was constructed in 1974 with an asphalt track and grandstands. Three years later the field was renamed "James Sparks Memorial Field" in honor of a Benton football player who lost his life during a game on the field earlier that season.

Benton currently enrolls between 700 and 900 students annually.

Athletics

Football

The football team won the Class 4 District 16 championship from 2004-2007. They have made the quarterfinals in 2005 & 2006 and the semifinals in 2004. In 2010 the team came out strong and hard starting 5-0 before finishing the season 6-4 and finished 4th in the MEC behind Savannah, Maryville, and Lafayette as well as 4th in their district behind Platte County, Savannah, and Lafayette.

Basketball

The girls basketball team won the Class 4 District 16 Title in 2006. The boys basketball team made it to the quarterfinals. The girls basketball team won the state championship going undefeated throughout the '06 season, compiling a 30-0 record.

Baseball

The Benton Baseball team has been successful over the past few years. From 2005-2007, the Benton squad, under the coaching of Mike Musser, has composed a 61-7 record. These teams include a 23-3 4th place team in 2005, a 24-1 2006 team who went undefeated during the regular season, however falling in the district championship game, and in 2007 a 24-3 state championship team. In the same stretch, Benton produced multiple division 1 baseball prospects, such as Kyle Heim (Iowa), Ryan Hook (Western Kentucky), Wes Miller (Missouri State), and Johnny Coy (Arizona State and Wichita State)

Tennis

The Benton tennis team also experienced success from 2007-2009. The Benton team posted a 10-1 record in 2008. They became the first Benton team to win districts in over 15 years, finally losing in the quarterfinals of state to St. Pius X.

Theatre

Benton's theatre department performs two plays each school year, one in the fall, and one in the spring. In the past some plays have been And A Child Shall Lead, Dracula, Our Town, The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood, and Big Boys Don't Cry. In November 2010, Benton performed its first musical in twelve years, The Drowsy Chaperone. Benton has plans on performing Phantom of the Opera in the fall of 2011. The Theater Department also holds a one-act show each year, raising money for scholarships for students involved in theatre.

Choir

The Benton Choir is one of the schools best attributes. They've received 1 ratings at the All State Music Festival for the last 11 years in all 3 choirs (Benton Singers, Concert Choir,and Bel Canto Women's Choir). Benton's Choir has successfully taken small ensambles to district and state music festivals.

Notable alumni

• Wes Barnett '88 - Olympic weightlifter for the United States
• Mike Rucker '93 -Former Defensive end for the Carolina Panthers
• Martin Rucker '03 - Tight End for the Dallas Cowboys
• Jim Wright - Pitcher for the Kansas City Royals
• John Hoffman- Voice of Varsity Athletic Basketball
• Henry C Casebolt '60 - Cpl [UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS] AWARDED NAVY CROSS posthumously Vietnam 1966

Statistics

• Total Students: 896

• Student/Teacher Ratio: 16 Students : 1 Teacher

Race Distribution (Number/Percent)

• Asian: 6 Students
• Black: 60 Students
• Hispanic: 33 Students
• Indian: 4 Students
• White: 793 Students

Attendance Rate - 90.8%

Graduation Rate - 85.2%

Average ACT Score - 19

Suspensions of Ten or More Consecutive Days: 20

Students Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch - 480 Students/55.7%