Westport High School (Missouri)
| Westport High School | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Address | |
 | |
315 East 39th Street Kansas City, Missouri 64111 | |
| Coordinates | 39°3′22.29″N 94°25′5.09″W / 39.0561917°N 94.4180806°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Motto | "Where Education Is Our Priority" |
| Established | 1907 |
| Closed | 2010 |
| School district | KCMSD |
| Superintendent | John Covington |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Athletics | Football Basketball Volleyball Cross Country Track and Field |
| Nickname | Tigers |
| Rival | Central High School |
| Newspaper | The Crier |
| Yearbook | The Herald |
Westport High School was a comprehensive high school located at 315 East 39th Street in Kansas City, Missouri. It was part of the Kansas City, Missouri School District. A trowel was used to lay the cornerstone of the school on June 8, 1907. The Class of 1957 presented a frame with the exact trowel on October 6, 2007 to coincide with their 50th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of the school. Westport closed in 2010; its building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
Background
Westport High School is the last school to become Achievement First in 2009-2010. The purpose is to prepare students for post-secondary education and high-quality careers. Westport is a historic neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri that was originally its own town. It was annexed by Kansas City in 1897.[1] Today, it is one of Kansas City's main entertainment districts. The high school is across the street from Westport Middle School and it opened in the fall of 1908. It was considered the finest school in Kansas City and among the finest in the county, at a cost of nearly $500,000, and being built of stone and vitrified brick.[2]
A new fire alarm system has been under way since November 2008 to replace the current one. The first fire drill under the new fire alarm system was on April 29, 2009 and April 30, 2009. During the Summer 2009, there were steps taking place to improve the school. The district layoffs are a result of constant changes with teacher placements.
School closing
Westport High closed on June 3, 2010 because of school district Superintendent John Covington's right-sizing plan to close almost 30 schools. Mr. Harold Hawkins will be the last principal of Westport High due to the school closing for good until further notice. He was called out of retirement to become principal on April 7, 2009.[citation needed]
After Westport closed in 2010, Southwest Early College Campus took the attendance zone of Westport.[3][4]
Yearbook
"The Herald" is the name of the school yearbook.
The 2007-2008 yearbook was the first yearbook to be a DVD. The 2008-2009 yearbook was the second yearbook to be a DVD and the first in HD.
Newspaper
"The Weekly Crier" is the name of the school newspaper.
Student activities
- Student Council
- National Honor Society
- JROTC
- Drill Team
- Choir
- Debate
- Cheerleading
- Tutoring
- Various stage activities
West Port last ROTC programs or Drill team was in the mid to late 1940's . There was a chapter of the Future Teachers of America.
Schedule
The regular schedule includes three lunch shifts in Period 3.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | 7:20-8:50 | 8:55-10:25 | 10:30-12:35 | 12:40-2:10 |
Principal
Partners in community service
Westport High School and Herndon Career Center are partners in community service with SkillsUSA, FBLA, and FCCLA. April 28, 2007 marked the first community service project for Westport and Herndon Career Center from Raytown, Missouri.[5][6] The theme was "Restoring Westport High". April 19, 2008 marked the second community service project for both schools. The theme was "Schools-Helping-Schools".
Notable alumni
- Walt Bodine, Kansas City broadcaster
- Sumner Blossom, editor of American Magazine[7]
- Ewing Kauffman, pharmaceutical executive and owner of Kansas City Royals, class of 1934[8]
- Bob O'Brien, professional basketball player
- Brandon Rush, NBA guard for Golden State Warriors
- Michael Jefferson, former point guard for High Point University
- Gilbert Muro, Emmy award winning Technical Director for "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt" in NYC, 1966 graduate
- Fredda Josephine Brown, 1920's musician and radio personality[9]
References
- ^ History of Westport
- ^ Local History - Kansas City Public Library
- ^ "NEW school boundaries for 2010-2011 School Year." Kansas City, Missouri School District. Retrieved on January 20, 2011. "Southwest Early College Campus – (Assumes Westport High boundaries)"
- ^ "Kansas City Missouri School District 2010/2011 Southwest High School Boundary. Kansas City, Missouri School District. Retrieved on January 20, 2011.
- ^ Tankard, Frank (April 29, 2007). "Students offer time to improve school: Volunteers spend the day - and elbow grease - to make repairs at Westport High School". The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, MO). Retrieved 2009-10-04.
- ^ Blocher, Fred (2007-04-29). "Monchelle Wright (top) and Natausha Bowie were among about 100 area students sprucing up Westport High School on Saturday". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
- ^ Lee Shippey, Luckiest Man Alive, Los Angeles, Westernlore Press (1959), page 34
- ^ Pace, Eric (August 2, 1993). "Ewing M. Kauffman, 76, Owner Of Kansas City Baseball Team". The New York Times.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "OneTubeRadio.com, "Fredda Josephine Brown, WDAF Kansas City, 1926"".
