Thunderbird High School

Thunderbird High School
Location
1750 W Thunderbird Rd Phoenix, Arizona, 85023 United States
Information
School type	Public high school
Established	1972
School district	Glendale Union High School District
Principal	Matt Belden
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	1,561 students (Oct. 1, 2010)
Color(s)	orange, blue
Mascot	Chiefs
Website	Thunderbird High School

Thunderbird High School is a public high school located in northwestern Phoenix, Arizona. The school is a part of the Glendale Union High School District.

Feeder schools

Some schools in the Washington Elementary School District feed into Thunderbird High School.

Feeder junior high schools include Mountain Sky Junior High School and Cholla Middle School.

History

The school opened in 1972. Glendale Union opened Greenway High School the next year; the two rival schools share an architectural blueprint. Thunderbird had movable walls and open concept classrooms when it opened. By 1976, the school had filled up with more than 2,100 students, and by 1979, that number reached its peak, with 2,742 students attending Thunderbird. Over time, enrollment dropped, however; by the mid-1980s, the school's size stabilized at just under 2,000 students and has since slowly shrunk to its current size.

Notable alumni

• Pablo Mastroeni, soccer player
• Kevin Long, batting coach, New York Yankees
• Jennifer Rubin, model and actress, Class of 1980
• Danielle Ammaccapane, LPGA golfer
• Shelby Rama, professional baseball player
• Dexter Davis, professional football player
• Ron J. Friedman & Steve Bencich, Hollywood Screenwriters Chicken Little, Brother Bear, Open Season, Cats & Dogs 2
• Mark Prusinowski, Captain, United States Air Force Fighter Pilot, F-15E Strike Eagle
• Thomas A. Bair II, NASA, FUSE Satellite, Flight Commander
• Gretchen Gesell, daughter of the inventor of Toaster Strudel

References

33°36′46″N 112°05′49″W