Southwest DeKalb High School
| Southwest DeKalb High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
| , | |
| Coordinates | 33°42′09″N 84°13′29″W / 33.702372°N 84.224644°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public Magnet |
| Motto | Home of the Mighty Panthers |
| Established | 1928 |
| Principal | Dr. Thomas Glanton |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1450 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Navy and Old Gold |
| Mascot | Panther |
| Website | Southwest DeKalb High School |
 | |
Southwest DeKalb High School, commonly referred to as SWD, is a high school located in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia. The school has a Decatur mailing address. The school is a part of the DeKalb County School System. It houses one of the three High Achievers Magnet Programs in DeKalb County, Georgia, the others being Chamblee High School and Arabia Mountain High School.
Awards and recognitions
In 2006 SWD was honored by the College Board as a model of excellence for AP class implementation.
In 2009 school administrators reported that students were enrolled in AP courses in chemistry, biology, physics, calculus, English, European history, French, Spanish, government, U.S. history, world history, economics, statistics and psychology.[1]
In 2011 the school was one of 14 schools recognized nationally by the College Board for leading the nation in helping African American and/or Latino students to succeed on Advanced Placement exams. It was the only Georgia school to be honored.[2]
Band
The SWD High School Band was one of two high school bands to perform in the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics. They were also featured in the hit movie Drumline in 2002; the movie used students from Southwest DeKalb High School band as well as other DeKalb County high school students as extras. After the movie, record producer Dallas Austin tapped the marching band for a sequel. 20th Century Fox was not interested in the production of a sequel, so instead Austin decided to produce a reality television show, titled "Drumroll: SWD" that aired on Peachtree TV, a Turner Broadcasting Station.
The SWD High School Band were also credited in Mariah Carey's album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel on the track "Up Out My Face (The Reprise)." The marching band were invited to perform in Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming. Most recently, they have performed on season four of America's Got Talent.
Athletics
The football team has won numerous region titles: 1972, 73, 77, 78, 81, 83, 84, 87, 88, 89, 90, 94, 96, 99, 00, 09. They won the Georgia AAA state championship in 1973 and the AAAA state championship in 1995.
The SWD boys' track and field teams have won 9 state titles most recent in 2015, including national championships in 1996 and 2007. The SWD girls' track and field teams have won 5 state titles in 1984, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011.
The SWD girls' basketball team won the Georgia 4A state championship in 2008, 2009, 2010 and the 5A title in 2013.
Notable alumni
- Andre 3000 - Entertainer
- Quincy Carter - former NFL quarterback
- Cosey Coleman - former NFL offensive guard
- William DuVall - lead singer of Alice in Chains and Comes With The Fall
- Shamari Fears - lead singer of Blaque
- Fred Jones - former NFL wide receiver (Chiefs)
- Khalil "Cassius D. Kalb" Walton - Grammy Award-winning songwriter and musician
- Eddie Miller - former NFL wide receiver (Colts)
- Morgan Snow - Track and Field(Hurdler) attended the University of Texas
- Angelo Taylor - Olympic gold medalist, track and field
- Terrence Trammell - Olympic silver medalist, track and field
- Porsha Williams - granddaughter of civil rights activist Hosea Williams and a cast member on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta
- Rodney Williams - football player (New York Giants 2001)
- Jackie Reid - Journalist
- Ryan Kilgore - Saxophonist