Kennebunk High School
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2013) |
| Kennebunk High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
89 Fletcher Street , York , 04043 United States | |
| Coordinates | 43°23′47″N 70°32′57″W / 43.39645°N 70.54915°W |
| Information | |
| School district | RSU 21 |
| Principal | Susan Cressey |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Number of students | 692 |
| Color(s) | Blue and white |
| Sports | Football, Skiing, Baseball, Soccer, Volleyball, Field hockey, Cheerleading, Cross country, Basketball, Wrestling, Hockey, Swimming, Track & Field, Softball, Golf, Tennis, and Lacrosse. |
| Mascot | Ram |
| Nickname | Bunk |
| Team name | Rams |
| Rival | Biddeford High School, York High School, Wells High School |
| Newspaper | The Rampage (khsrampage.net) |
| Yearbook | The Rambler |
| Website | http://www.rsu21.net/khs/ |
Kennebunk High School is a public high school located in Kennebunk, Maine, and provides education for grades 9–12. It is part of Maine Regional School Unit 21 for the towns Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. The school currently has 692 students enrolled. In 1982–83 and in 1990–91, Kennebunk High School was named a National Blue Ribbon School. It is currently a First Amendment School.
Starting in the 2008–09 school year, Kennebunk High School became an International Baccalaureate school, and it has now become part of the List of schools offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
In 2013, Kennebunk High School ranked 4th in the United States by the Center for Digital Education "for its use of information technology to improve service delivery and quality of education." [1] In 2015, Kennebunk High School rose to #1 in this position.
Also in 2013, Kennebunk High School was recognized as one of only three schools in Maine to be honored by the College Board by making AP Honor Roll. This was because of "increasing access to Advanced Placement (AP) course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP Exams." [2]
Facilities
The main building of Kennebunk High School, located on Fletcher Street, was built in 1938 to replace the previous building located on Park Street at the site of where Park Street School used to stand. In 1951, an addition was added to the right of the building which provided two wings, one to house the former Kennebunk Junior High School, and the other to house the High School gymnasium and technical education facilities. In the early 1970s, an addition to those wings was added to house the high school's musical and science programs. In 1981, all portions of the three-part 'wing' were incorporated into the Kennebunk Junior High School (which was simultaneously renamed Middle School of the Kennebunks) when a larger wing, built onto the left side of the main building on Memorial Field was added to replace the facilities in the older addition(s).
By the mid-1990s, all buildings were at capacity, and 15 portable classrooms were added to the high school campus. With the aid of state financing, in 2004 MSAD71 completed construction of a new middle school in West Kennebunk, upon completion of which the high school moved back into the wings it had previously occupied, eliminating the need for many of the portable classrooms.
The main building has been extensively remodeled throughout the years, most notably during the construction of the 1981 addition. Before 1981, the main building had two identical wings on both the left and right sides of the facade. The wing to the left, which housed the English department, was completely leveled to make room for the larger addition. Other 1981 changes to the main building include the replacement of the wooden staircases in favor of fire-retardant steel, the installation of lower 'hanging' ceilings and the placement of carpets over the tiled floors.
Alexander Economos Auditorium
The main building houses the Alexander Economos Auditorium, named after a popular English and drama teacher whose tenure extended from the 1950s into the early 1980s. Though included in the remodeling of 1981, the auditorium still features the extensive original decorative tile work along the walls and surrounding the stage. Previous to its incarnation as an auditorium, the room had served as a gymnasium, cafeteria, library and a band room for the school.
Renovation Plan
On Tuesday, January 21, 2014, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel voted to reject a proposed $75 million bond to renovate three schools. The process was covered on news channels across Maine.[3] A new plan was voted on in June of 2015, which passed.
Academics
Advanced Placement
Kennebunk High School offers Advanced Placement courses following the College Board AP curriculum. Subjects include " Art, Computer Science, English Literature, English Language and Composition, Calculus (Levels AB and BC), U.S. History, European History, US Government, Comparative Governments, Chemistry, and Statistics". [4]
International Baccalaureate
Kennebunk High School also offers courses within the International Baccalaureate curriculum, as set by the IB Organization. Students are able to obtain certificates and the full IB diploma following the completion of their high school career. Courses taught following the International Baccalaureate curriculum include History of the Americas HL, Visual Arts, Languages (Spanish SL, French SL, and English HL), Mathematics (SL and HL), Sciences (Environmental Science SL and Biology SL), and Music SL. [5]
Sports
On Friday, November 22, 2013, the Kennebunk Rams played in the Division B state finals for football. Undefeated until then, they placed in 2nd for the entire state of Maine. The game was broadcast on ESPN.
Kennebunk has teams for the following sports: Football, Skiing, Baseball, Soccer, Volleyball, Field hockey, Cheerleading, Cross country, Basketball, Wrestling, Hockey, Swimming, Track & Field, Softball, Golf, Tennis, and Lacrosse. Official Athletics Website: http://athletics.rsu21.net/
Mascot
KHS's school mascot is a bipedal ram named Bunky.
Music
Kennebunk High School has a large music program, with two choirs and one band, as well as the "Kennefunk Jazz" club. In 2015, 11 KHS students performed in the Maine All-State Honors Music Festival.
Principals
- Robert H Perkins 1970-1974
- Spencer Trask 1975–1981
- William Gentile 1981–1990
- David McConnell 1990–2001
- Nelson Beaudoin 2001–2008
- Peter Dawson 2008–2011
- Susan Cressey 2011–present
References
- ^ http://www.rsu21.net/news/2013/11/21/rsu-21-ranks-4th-in-us-for-use-of-information-technology.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ http://www.rsu21.net/news/2013/11/21/kennebunk-high-school-one-of-three-in-maine-to-make-ap-honor-roll.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ http://www.rsu21.net/khs-building-project/
- ^ http://www.rsu21.net/khs-advanced-placement. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ http://static.squarespace.com/static/524a1808e4b025e8f32f551e/t/530cfd0fe4b07e8be8f4c004/1393360143124/KHSbklet.pdf. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)