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Arlington Senior High School

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For other high schools named Arlington High School, see Arlington High School.
Arlington Senior High School
Location
Map
Saint Paul
,
Minnesota

USA
Information
TypePublic
Established1996
School districtSaint Paul Public Schools
Grades9–12
Number of students1,825[1]
CampusUrban
Color(s)Blue and White
MascotPhoenix
NewspaperThe Mural
Websitewww.arlington.spps.org

Arlington Senior High School is a public high school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is located north of Downtown Saint Paul on Rice Street, west of Interstate 35E in the city's North End neighborhood. The school enrolls 1,825 students in grades 9-12 and has the capacity to enroll 2,000. Arlington opened on September 3, 1996 as the newest high school for the Saint Paul Public School district. The school was the first high school to be built since Humboldt Senior High School in 1976.[2]

Arlington is the only high school in Saint Paul with no attendance boundaries and enrolls students from throughout the city. The school has the percentage of poverty and ethnic minorities in the district. Starting in the 2009-2009 school year, the school's main educational focus will be a program dubbed "Bio-SMART". The program will emphasize bioscience and the use of technology in health care. The school currently offers several Advanced Placement classes as well as several College in the Schools classes, in conjunction with the University of Minnesota.

History

As early as 1991 the school district began to plan for an additional high school. Initial projections were to add 2 new high schools to the then 6 operating by 2000.[3] However a lack of funds allowed the construction of only one high school. The increasing number of children who attend public rather than non-public schools was attributed to part of the need. In 1974, 53% of children born in St. Paul later entered kindergarten in the city public schools. In 1990, 67% of the city's children attended public schools.[4] Overcrowding was so severe that in 1992 a citizen's group recommended moving 9th grade back into junior high buildings.[5] The overcrowding was blamed on a surge in the birthrate in Saint Paul and a sudden influx of students from the suburbs, an unusual occurrence in an inner city school district. Plans for a "high tech" high school were put in place in as early as 1992.[6]

Construction

In order to accommodate an estimated 4,000 additional students, existing commercial buildings were sought to convert into high school buildings.[7][8] After scouring the city, two possible sites were chosen. One near the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and the other near the school's current location. The proposed area was the former site of an auto scrap yard. Officials were worried that the location would be polluted and would require an expensive cleanup.[9][10] As a result the location was moved to a site approximately .5 miles (0.80 km) west. Of the current 29 acres (0.05 sq mi; 0.12 km2) acre campus, roughly 20 acres (0.03 sq mi; 0.08 km2) were from a failed housing project and the other 9 acres (0.01 sq mi; 0.04 km2) were from homes that were bought and cleared. Some of the soil on the site was unstable and was replaced.[11] Critics considered the location for being too close to Como Park and Johnson high schools and for being located in a residential neighborhood.[12] Original estimates for the project cost $54.3 million and as a result the Saint Paul school district authorized a $20 million bond. Knutson Construction Co. was chosen for the project.[13]

Naming

The high school was the first new high school to be built in Saint Paul or Minneapolis since the 1970s. The school district was also not expecting to build another high school for 40 years after. As a result the competition to name the school was fierce.[14] The name Arlington High School was eventually chosen from a list of 85 suggestions.[15] Two names, Arlington and Mechanic Arts, were quickly favored. Mechanic Arts was the initial favorite after alumni of the former school campaigned for the name to be reused after the first Mechanic Arts school was closed down in 1976 after operating for 86 years.[16] The alumni created a lobbying group and even enlisted the help U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun, a 1925 graduate of Mechanic Arts. However, the school board's policy of naming schools after local neighborhoods and street names eventually won out with the name Arlington being chosen in a 5-2 vote.[17] The chosen school colors, blue and white, were the colors of Mechanic Arts.

Campus

The main entrance of the school.

Before the school was built many of the high schools in the Saint Paul Public Schools District were not up to date in technology. Consequently, an emphasis was placed on technology being built into the school and providing the ability to add to the existing facilities in the future.[18] The school has extensive high tech facilities.[19] The entire campus comprises of 29 acres in a residential neighborhood. The outside of the building is composed of tall narrow windows and a curving facade which has led to one architectural critic comparing it to a suburban office park. The "houses" that the freshmen and sophomores are divided into can be seen as wings projecting from the building. The houses were planned to separate the school into manageable sections so that the school does not seem as large to the students. [20]

Students

Arlington is the only high school in the Saint Paul School District without an attendance boundary. Students are enrolled from throughout the city. Often the school is used to reassign students who could not be enrolled into other high schools.[19] As of the 2006-2007 school year, Arlington enrolled 1,825 students. The plurality were Asian, at 48%, with Black, 35% and Hispanic, 11% being the other major ethnic groups. 5% of students identified as White. The school has the highest rate of poverty in high schools from the Saint Paul Public School system with 89% of students qualifying for Free and Reduced Price Lunch. Free and Reduced Price Lunch is the measure of poverty for the district. The school has a large percentage of students who have limited English proficiency (58%). 14% of students qualify for special education. The school has an Adequate Yearly Progress graduation rate of 83% while roughly three out of five students who initially enroll graduate within 4 years. 35% of students had grade level reading proficiency and 13% of students had proficiency in mathematics.[21]

Education

As the first new high school built in several years, many unorthodox ideas were suggested.[22][23] After many of the ideas were criticized the school district requested parental input on the direction of the school's curriculum[24][25] and held meetings around the city to show their plans for the curriculum.[26] School officials wished to create a balance of college prep classes and vocational programs.[27] The school was planned as and is now a citywide magnet school with no attendance boundary.[28] An emphasis on technology was integrated into the plans for the school.[29]

Arlington offers language classes in French, Spanish and Arabic. The school also participates in the University of Minnesota's College in the Schools program.[30] Advanced Placement classes are also offered. Arlington uses a teaching program called "Small Learning Communities". These smaller learning communities separate particular student interests into different areas of the school. They provide goal- or interest-oriented learning. Freshmen and sophomores are separated into "houses" of smaller learning groups. Upper classmen follow specified career paths.[31] Originally the school was opened with four focus areas; liberal arts, medical and environmental sciences, informational technologies and communication and policy-making and government but beginning with the 2008-2009 school year those career paths will change.[17]

In October 2007, the school received a three-year, $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help transform the school. The grant will be used to create a "Bio-Smart" school for grades 11-12.[32] The money will be use for hiring additional staff and adding more high-tech equipment and supplies to the school's "extensive" existing facilities.[19] Students will choose between three career pathways: bioengineering and technology, bio-business and -marketing or biomedical and health sciences. Students will take elective classes related to their pathway as well as core classes, such as math and English. The grant was sought to help reinvent the school. Arlington has the lowest test scores and highest concentration of poverty for Saint Paul Public Schools.[19] In addition, the school has been described as an "academically struggling high school".[32]

Extracurricular activities

In 2006, the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network's youth department produced a short video, reporting on Arlington's diminishing financial support for its art program, a video that would win SPNN the 2007 Alliance for Community Media Hometown Video Award for Visual Art-Youth entry.[33] Arlington is one of three schools in Minnesota and one of two in Saint Paul to have a Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps unit.[34] The Mural is the school's student published newspaper. Issues are published monthly.[35] A number of partnerships with community organizations are offered. Local colleges such as Saint Paul College, Century College and the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Internships with local multinational conglomerate 3M are also offered.[36] The school also participates in Upward Bound with the University of Minnesota , Advancement Via Individual Determination Program (AVID) and Admission Possible, a program that helps low-income students attend college. The school has a Multicultural Excellence Program (MEP) that gives guidance to students of color who wish to earn a college degree.[37]

Athletics

Arlington is a member of the Minnesota State High School League.[38] The school's athletic teams compete in the Saint Paul City Conference. The first year the school opened the athletic teams only competed in junior varsity competitions. The following year the school competed fully with varsity teams.[39] The school has won two boys Cross Country conference championships in 2001 and 2002.[40] The school has also won three boys track and field conference championships in 1998, 2000 and 2003.[41]

Arlington offers nine boys' and nine girls' varsity sports. These include football (boys), wrestling (boys), tennis (boys and girls), basketball (boys and girls), baseball (boys), softball (girls), golf (boys and girls), soccer (boys and girls), volleyball (girls), badminton (girls), cross country (boys and girls) and track and field (boys and girls).[42] Sports that are not offered at Arlington are played in co-ops with other Saint Paul City Conference members.

References

  1. ^ "Arlington Senior High". Saint Paul Public School System. Retrieved 2007-04-02.
  2. ^ Burson, Pat (January 31, 1995), "Arlington Backed For School Name" Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  3. ^ Walsh, James (September 21, 1993), "St. Paul high schools are running out of room" Star Tribune
  4. ^ Livingston, Nancy (May 21, 1991), "Growing Enrollment May Force St. Paul To Add Two High Schools", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  5. ^ Livingston, Nancy (July 15, 1992), "School Space Panel Favors 9th Grades In Junior Highs", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  6. ^ Livingston, Nancy (November 11, 1992) "School Face Crisis In St. Paul , Officials Warn//Board Members Weigh Plans To Build, Expand", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  7. ^ Livingston, Nancy (February 2, 1993), "Board Seeks Building To Convert To High School//Additions Planned At Existing Schools", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  8. ^ Walsh, James, (February 2, 1993), "Existing buildings sought to turn into high schools", Star Tribune
  9. ^ Livingston, Nancy (October 29, 1993), "Possible Site For New St. Paul School Splits 6 Board Candidates", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  10. ^ Walsh, James (July 20, 1993), "City narrows high school site choices to 2 - 2,000 students to start in 1996; second school planned by 1998", Star Tribune
  11. ^ Baker, Ann (February 23, 1994) "Hearing Set On Plan For New High School" Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  12. ^ Livingston, Nancy (March 3, 1994), "High School Slated For North End//Board Must Buy Site", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  13. ^ Burson, Pat (April 20, 1994), "Bond Sale Approved For School//2,000-Student Building Set Near Rice, Arlington", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  14. ^ Burson, Pat (September 26, 1994), "What's In A Name? It's All Academic// Citizens Grapple With Issue Of Naming New High School", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  15. ^ Burson, Pat (December 7, 1994), "Five Make The Cut For New High School's Name//St. Paul School Board To Choose Name, Colors Soon After 1st Of Year", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  16. ^ Burson, Pat (December 12, 1994), "Machinations For School's Name, Colors, Hit High Gear//Mechanic Arts Favored For St. Paul High School In The Line Reader Poll", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  17. ^ a b Burson, Pat (February 22, 1995), "Arlington High It Is! Mechanic Arts Fans, Alumni Disappointed", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  18. ^ Burson, Pat (July 4, 1994), "Schools Play Catch-Up With Technology", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  19. ^ a b c d Walsh, James (October 14, 2007). "A Saint Paul school looks to biology to find new life Struggling Arlington High School is reinventing itself as a bioscience school to give its students a new direction". Star Tribune. pp. Metro 1AA. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  20. ^ Millett, Larry (2007). AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: The Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press. pp. p. 511. ISBN 0-87351-540-4. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  21. ^ Arlington Senior High Minnesota Department of Education. Retrieved on February 27, 2008
  22. ^ James, Walsh (July 30, 1993), "School in a class by itself - But St. Paul parents want more of a say", Star Tribune
  23. ^ Livingston, Nancy (August 1, 1993), "Plans For New St. Paul High School Draw Criticism", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  24. ^ Livingston, Nancy (August 24, 1993), "District Asks Parents' Ideas, Support Of New High School", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  25. ^ Staff Writer (August 27, 1993), "St. Paul / Hearings set for proposed high school", Star Tribune
  26. ^ Burson, Pat (April 25, 1994), "Public Gets Early Chance To Have Say In High School", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  27. ^ Smith, Maureen M. (October 2, 1994), "A new school means new things to learn - St. Paul invites public to help select curriculum, name for high school", Star Tribune
  28. ^ Burson, Pat (September 19, 1994), "Planning For School Turns From Bricks To Books// Educators Begin Shaping New High School's Identity", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  29. ^ Burson, Pat (July 4, 1994), "Schools Play Catch-Up With Technology", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  30. ^ College in the Schools - Participating Schools College in the Schools
  31. ^ Burson, Pat (April 4, 1994), "From Ground Up, St. Paul High School Will Have New Look", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  32. ^ a b Belden, Doug (October 12, 2007). "Arlington Receives Biotech Grant". Saint Paul Pioneer Press. pp. Local B2. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  33. ^ "2007 Hometown Video Award Winners". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  34. ^ NJROTC HOST SCHOOLS Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps Retrieved on March 5, 2008
  35. ^ The Mural Arlington Senior High School Retrieved on March 5, 2008
  36. ^ Partnerships Arlington Senior High School Retrieved on March 5, 2008
  37. ^ A little bit about ourselves... Arlington Senior High School Retrieved on March 5, 2008
  38. ^ Saint Paul Arlington High School Minnesota State High School League
  39. ^ History Saint Paul City Conference Retrieved on March 5, 2008
  40. ^ Boys' Cross-Country Champions Saint Paul City Conference Retrieved on March 5, 2008
  41. ^ Boys' Track Champions Saint Paul City Conference Retrieved on March 5, 2008
  42. ^ Arlington High School Athletics Arlington Senior High School Retrieved on March 5, 2008
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