Central High School (St. Joseph, Missouri)

History

Central High School, the second oldest high school west of the Mississippi River, was established on May 8, 1895, when the St. Joseph High School was built at 13th & Olive Street. The building opened on May 6, 1896. This original "High School" was renamed Central High School in 1910, because in 1907 Benton High School was established and Saint Joseph High School was no longer the only high school in town. By the early 1920’s, it was obvious that the school was too small. The survey by Strayer and Associates in 1922 states that 'Central High School is greatly overcrowded and many of the children are being housed under most unfortunate conditions. The school has its auditorium on what is practically the fourth floor. The balcony of the auditorium is, of course, above this height. The fire escapes which are connected with this auditorium would serve for only a very small fraction of the children who at times fill this auditorium.'

File:Oldcentralhigh.jpg

Picture of the Old Central from the front

They go on to say: 'The use of basement classrooms should be discontinued at the earliest moment. The health of children and teachers attending school in these classrooms is seriously endangered. The natural light is very inadequate and adequate ventilation cannot be provided. The gymnasium facilities, the dressing room and locker facilities, the provision for shops and household arts are of such a nature as to make it impossible to ever provide at this point a modern high school. If St. Joseph is to place its high school facilities an (sic) a par with those of other progressive cities, it will be necessary to select a site of at least twenty acres and to plan at the present time the beginnings of what will become ultimately the educational center of the city. This site and school plant should be located considerably to the east of the present plant and as near as possible to what has been and what promises to be the residential building center of the city.'

It would be another eleven years before the District would heed this report. The gymnasium referred to was built in 1910, between the School and the Everett School so it could serve both.

In 1932, a new Central High School was erected at 26th & Edmond Street. With a rapidly growing student population, the building was expanded in 1961 with a 24-room addition, now called the Sophomore Annex. In 1968, the 25-room addition now known as the Freshman Annex was added. Finally, a bond-renovation project was completed in 2002 that included relocation and centralization of the administrative and counseling offices, as well as the addition of a new media center and library, a gym renovation, and science lab upgrades.

Interesting Facts

• Statistics
• Total Students: 1,630
• Full Time Teachers: 89
• Student/Teacher Ratio: 18 Students : 1 Teacher

• Race Distribution
• Percent Native American: 0%
• Percent Asian: 1%
• Percent Hispanic: 3%
• Percent Black: 6%
• Percent White/Other: 89%

• Number of Students per Grade
• 9th Grade--435
• 10th Grade--453
• 11th Grade--370
• 12th Grade--372

Faculty Staff

• Principal Marlie Williams
• Assitant Principal Terri Godfrey
• Assitant Principal Robert Sigrist
• Assitant Principal Jason Callaway

Athletics

Central High School offers a wide variety of sporting activities through the schools median, they play at a 5A conference level against much larger surrounding Kansas City schools.

• Cross Country
• Football
• Girls Golf
• Soccer
• Softball
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Boys Basketball
• Girls Basketball
• Boys Swimming
• Girls Swimming
• Wrestling
• Baseball
• Track
• Poms

Clubs

• Alpha Omega Organization
  • • Mr. Pennington, Mr. Maxwell, Mrs. Danford
• Archaeology/Anthropology Club
  • Mr. Chris Kelley
• Astronomy Club

Mr. Gary Paolillo

• Brush and Pencil Club

Ms Renee Beggs Mr. Jay Oswald

• Ceramics Club

Ms Jeanne Meyer

• Chem/Physics Club

Mr. Roger Price

• Creative Writing Club
• Ms Vickey Meyer
• DECA

Mr. David Jordan Mrs. Lisa Beavers

• ECO Club

Ms Gwen Funk

• FCCLA

Ms Linda Geib

• FFA

Mrs. Jill Huntsman

• Film Club

Ms Renee Beggs

• Forum Club

Mrs. Kathy Northup Mrs. Kris Larson Mr. Jay Oswald

• French Club

Ms Guylaine Thevenot

• Freshman Mentoring Program

Mrs. Dudley, Mrs. Modis, Mr. Steeby

• Future Business Leaders of America

Mrs. Steggall Ms. Fordyce

• Future Teachers of America

Mrs. Terri Bowles Mrs. Deli Murphy

• Game Club
• Interact Club (Rotary Club)

Mrs. Shawna Gilliland Mr. Larry Orth

• International Thespian Society
  • • • Mr. Ryan VanDyke
• KCHS Radio Club
  • • • Mr. Ryan VanDyke
• Latin Club

Mrs. Nancy Briggs

• Math Club

Mrs. Becky Callaway Mrs. Angela Dorsey

• National Forensics League

Mr. Ken Paden

• National Honor Society

Mrs. Becky Calaway Mrs. Luanne Haggard Mrs. Kris Larson Mr. Gary Paolillo

• Robotics Club

Mr. Stevenson

• Rushmore Group

Ms Meyer, Mrs. Danford

• SADD

Mrs. Deli Murphy

• SOS
• Spanish Club

Mrs. Cindy Pickerel Mrs. Kristi Duncan

• Young Adult Book Club

Ms Angela Brown

• Student Assistance Program Support Groups

Mrs. Jean West

• Insight Intervention
• Continued Support
• Concerned Persons
• Anger Management
• Family Relations
• Divorce
• Grief
• Self-Esteem
• Life Decisions

• Publications

Jackie Scott , Marilyn Lance, Erin Nold

• Outlook (school newspaper)
• Wakitan (school yearbook)

• Music

Megan Davidson

• Beginning Concert Choir
• Bel Canto Women's Chorus
• Advanced Concert Choir
• Men's Choir
• Chamber Choir
• Show/Pop/Singers Choir
• Marching Band Roy Maxwell
• Jazz Band
• Symphonic Winds
• Wind Ensemble
• String Orchestra
• Drum Line

• Spirit Groups
• Cheerleaders

Ham Henderson

• Pom Pon's

Sandra Steggall

• Flag & Rifle Corp

Roy Maxwell

• Student Government

Kris Larson

• JROTC Sgt. Donald Noble

External links

• Central High School official website