Central High School (St. Joseph, Missouri)
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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.'
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. [1]
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 [2]
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