Clarke Central High School
| Clarke Central High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
United States | |
| Coordinates | 33°57′04″N 83°23′24″W / 33.950985°N 83.389921°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1971[1] |
| School district | Clarke County School District |
| Principal | Dr. Robbie P. Hooker |
| Faculty | 98 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1,376 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 7.12 |
| Campus type | Day school |
| Color(s) | Red and gold |
| Athletics | 13 sports |
| Athletics conference | Georgia High School Association, class AAAAA, Region 8 |
| Nickname | Gladiators |
| Publication | Odyssey Newsmagazine[2] |
| Yearbook | Gladius |
| Website | CCHS website |
Clarke Central High School (CCHS) is located in Athens, Georgia, United States. In 1970, Clarke County schools were desegregated, and the high school for black children, Burney-Harris High School (formerly Athens High and Industrial School), and the high school for white children, Athens High, merged to establish Clarke Central. Classes in the newly formed school began in 1971.[3][4]
CCHS is in the Clarke County School District and is one of two traditional high schools in the county; the other is Cedar Shoals High School. The two schools have a rivalry known as the Classic City Championship. The Clarke County School District is also home to a third, non-traditional high school, Classic City High.
Located in the heart of the city, CCHS's original building opened in 1952. Since then, the school has seen several renovations and additions. A modern three-story classroom and lab addition opened in 2006. Other improvements include a new gymnasium, theater, and food court.
As of 2013, the school is on a seven-period rotating schedule with students completing seven credits per year.
Academics
Clarke Central High School's success in improving students' SAT scores earned the school the regional Governor's Cup in 2006 and 2007. The governor's office presents the award each year to Georgia schools that achieve the greatest gains in average SAT scores.
In 2010, U.S. News and World Report awarded Clarke Central the Silver Medal and ranked the school in the top 3% of high schools nationwide and in the top 11 in the state of Georgia. Newsweek named CCHS one of America's Best Schools and placed it in the 96th percentile of high schools nationwide.[5]
In 2012, Clarke Central was named an AP Science, Technology, Electronics, and Mathematics Honor School by the Georgia Department of Education. It was ranked in the top 11% of high schools nationwide by the Washington Post's High School Challenge.
In 2013, Clarke Central Principal Dr. Robbie P. Hooker was named the Georgia Principal of the Year by the NSSPC.
Athletics
Athletics teams at Clarke Central High School are known as the Gladiators.
Sports offered include cheerleading, cross country, football, fast-pitch softball, volleyball, basketball, swimming and diving, wrestling, baseball, golf, soccer, tennis, and track. Most of Clarke Central's sports are represented by men's and women's teams.
The current head football coach, Ahren Self, played defensive back for the Citadel from 1991 the 1994. There he was voted "Most Outstanding Defensive Back" following his senior year. In 1992, he was selected as Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week, as well as South Carolina Defensive Player of the Week. Coach Self was also a member of the team that upset Division I-A Arkansas and won the Southern Conference Championship in 1992.
In 2010, the Gladiators captured the Region 8-AAAA Championship and finished the regular season 10-0.[6] In 2009, the team finished 8-2 in the regular season, appeared in the final round of the state football tournament, and finished #2 in the AP poll.
State championship titles
| Year | Sport | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Cross country (men) | |
| 1971 | Golf (men) | |
| 1976 | Cross country (men) | |
| 1977 | Football | |
| 1979 | Football | |
| 1984 | Tennis (men) | |
| 1984 | Track (men) | |
| 1985 | Football | |
| 1987 | Tennis (men) | tied with Riverwood |
| 1988 | Tennis | tied with Dunwoody |
| 1999 | Soccer (men) | |
| 2011 | Track (men) |
Student life
Fine arts organizations
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2013) |
Literary organizations
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The school's yearbook, the Gladius, is an all-color annual, published by Lifetouch.
The school's literary-art magazine, the Iliad, and the school's newsmagazine, the Odyssey, have won gold medals from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and top honors from the University of Georgia's Georgia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, the Southern Interscholastic Press Association, and the Quill and Scroll Honor Society.
Occupational organizations
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2013) |
Student organizations
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2013) |
Demographics
- American Indian/Alaskan Native - 0%
- Asian - 2%
- Black or African American - 52%
- Hispanic - 21%
- Multi-Racial - 3%
- Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander - 0%
- White/Caucasian - 22%
Student body population - 1,376
These statistics were current as of August 18, 2014.[7]
Notable alumni
- Fran Tarkenton - 1957, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback
- Horace King - 1971, former running back for the NFL Detroit Lions
- Ricky Wilson - 1971, musician, former B-52's guitarist (died 1985)
- Kim Basinger - 1972, actress
- Keith Strickland - 1972, musician; B-52's drummer, bass player, and guitarist
- Todd Kimsey - 1980, actor (Seinfeld, The Perfect Storm)[8]
- Frank Bush - 1981, coach for the NFL Houston Texans, former linebacker for the Houston Oilers[9]
- Brian Kemp - 1982, Georgia State Senator (2002–2006), Secretary of State (2010–present)[10]
- Nene Leakes - 1985, born Linnethia Monique Johnson, reality show star, The Real Housewives of Atlanta
- Derek Dooley - 1986, wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys
- Willie Green - 1986, former wide receiver for the NFL Denver Broncos
- John Kasay - 1987, NFL Carolina Panthers kicker[11]
- Jason Farris Brown - 1987, country music artist and former professional golfer
- Chuck Smith - 1988, former NFL defensive end and current defensive line coach at the University of Tennessee
- Phaedra Parks - 1990, entertainment attorney,[12] reality show star, The Real Housewives of Atlanta
- Tharon Johnson - 1996, Democratic political strategist, member of the National Finance Committee for the Democratic National Committee, National Southern Regional Director at Obama for America (2012), Managing Director at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
- Dunta Robinson - 2000, NFL Atlanta Falcons cornerback
- Logan Smalley - 2001, director of Darius Goes West
- Eve Carson - 2004, slain Student Body President of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
- Darius Weems - 2008, subject of the documentary Darius Goes West
References
- ^ Clarke Central High School. (2010). Clarke County School District. Accessed 9-24-2010.
- ^ Odyssey Newsmagazine
- ^ [1]. "Clarke Central High School". Retrieved June 6, 2015.
- ^ [2]. "Group slowly collecting artifacts from Burney-Harris High". Retrieved June 6, 2015.
- ^ "Clarke Central High School: Celebrating Excellence" (PDF). Clarke County School District. 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ Jeff Cochran, Gladiators claim first region title since 2003 Clarke Central 21, Flowery Branch 0 Athens Banner-Herald, November 6, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
- ^ Annual Performance Report. August 18, 2014. "Clarke Central High School Annual Performance Report". Retrieved June 6, 2015.
- ^ "Todd Grant Kimsey obituary". Athens Banner-Herald. 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
- ^ Frank Bush, database Football. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
- ^ Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp. (2010). "Georgia Secretary of State". Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ "A Team of Destiny". October 14, 2005. Athens Banner-Herald. Retrieved November 27, 2007.
- ^ "Housewives" Kandi Burruss, Phaedra Parks, Sheree Whitfield hit the gym - Atlanta Journal-Constitution