Fort Lauderdale High School
Encyclopedia
school song = sang to the tune of "Flow Gently Sweet Afton" ("We Hail Thee Alma Mater")
Fort Lauderdale High School is a secondary school
located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
serving students in grades 9 through 12. The school is a part of the Broward County Public Schools
district, and is the oldest continuously functioning high school in Broward County, Florida
.
Fort Lauderdale High has an FCAT
school grade of "B" for the 2009-2010 academic year.
. Ivy Cromartie (later to become Ivy Stranahan) welcomed nine students into a wood-framed schoolhouse located on South Andrews Avenue, south of the New River. By 1901, there were 18 students enrolled at Fort Lauderdale with only 997 enrolled in all of Dade County. It was also during 1902 that the School Board began offering transportation to students living in Hallandale who needed to attend school; each day, students would climb aboard wagons for the ride.
By 1910, Fort Lauderdale’s population had grown enough to require the building of a new school so, the old two-room schoolhouse was moved slightly northward to make room. The “modern” two-story concrete school was constructed for a total cost of $7,000. At the time, Fort Lauderdale was the only high school in the 68-mile stretch between Miami and West Palm Beach. By 1914, enrollment reached 325 with only 47 being high school students; this was the first year with a full nine-month term.
In 1915, a 46 to 16 vote led the way for construction of a new Fort Lauderdale High School in the newly designated Broward County. The new school was located three blocks east of Andrews Avenue adjacent to Stranahan Park and was constructed for $55,000. The school was also referred to as Central High School because of the large area it served. The first graduating class in 1915 consisted of five boys. By 1916, it could boast that all nine of its teachers had college degrees. In 1923, Fort Lauderdale established its first Honor Society. 1962 saw the opening of the new Fort Lauderdale High School at its present location on NE Fourth Avenue, with its first graduating class celebrating commencement in June, 1963.
The past few years have seen tremendous changes to the FLHS campus, most notably the opening of a new three-story classroom building, a modern library, and a two-story cafeteria.
2007 also saw the renaming of NE 4 Ave between the city divider and NE 13 St as “Flying L Drive” in honor of the school's commitment to education and community service. The project was completed by a group of four students in John Pellegrino's Public Affairs class.
Because of its location in the county seat, the program allows students access to governmental agencies that are utilized as “living laboratories” for the ultimate learning experience. Students participate in mock trials in a courtroom housed within the school as well as take field trips to the Broward County Courthouse to witness actual trials.
Due to the high interest of its students in Pre-Law, the FLHS debate team is one of the best in the state and competes nationally while providing valuable opportunities for its students.
Dr. Gina Eyerman was also named Assistant Principal of the Year at South Plantation High in 2003 just before coming to FLHS.
The Athletic Program began in 1915 with only two male sports, Fort Lauderdale High now provides the students with eleven varsity sports for males and ten varsity sports for females. The school also offers four junior varsity sports for males and five junior varsity sports for females to participate in. In 1917, FLHS won their first state championship in Track, which is where the unique mascot was derived. Over the years the program has accumulated fifty-nine state championships, which puts Fort Lauderdale High in the lead over all other Broward County schools. In 2001 the girl's Basketball team won the 4A State Basketball Championship and later in 2004 the Boy's Track team won the 3A State Championship and Class 3A Region 4 Championship.
of the school was 30% White
, 54% Black
, 10% Hispanic
, 2% Asian
or Pacific Islander
, 3% Multiracial
, and 1% Native American
or Native Alaskan.
Fort Lauderdale High School is a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
serving students in grades 9 through 12. The school is a part of the Broward County Public Schools
Broward County Public Schools
Broward County Public Schools, a public school district serving Broward County, Florida, is the nation's sixth largest public school system and the largest fully accredited district in the nation, with over 260,000 students in more than 260 schools and education centers...
district, and is the oldest continuously functioning high school in Broward County, Florida
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
.
Fort Lauderdale High has an FCAT
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or the FCAT , is the standardized test used in the primary and secondary public schools of Florida...
school grade of "B" for the 2009-2010 academic year.
History
On October 2, 1899, Fort Lauderdale’s first school would open in what was then Dade CountyMiami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
. Ivy Cromartie (later to become Ivy Stranahan) welcomed nine students into a wood-framed schoolhouse located on South Andrews Avenue, south of the New River. By 1901, there were 18 students enrolled at Fort Lauderdale with only 997 enrolled in all of Dade County. It was also during 1902 that the School Board began offering transportation to students living in Hallandale who needed to attend school; each day, students would climb aboard wagons for the ride.
By 1910, Fort Lauderdale’s population had grown enough to require the building of a new school so, the old two-room schoolhouse was moved slightly northward to make room. The “modern” two-story concrete school was constructed for a total cost of $7,000. At the time, Fort Lauderdale was the only high school in the 68-mile stretch between Miami and West Palm Beach. By 1914, enrollment reached 325 with only 47 being high school students; this was the first year with a full nine-month term.
In 1915, a 46 to 16 vote led the way for construction of a new Fort Lauderdale High School in the newly designated Broward County. The new school was located three blocks east of Andrews Avenue adjacent to Stranahan Park and was constructed for $55,000. The school was also referred to as Central High School because of the large area it served. The first graduating class in 1915 consisted of five boys. By 1916, it could boast that all nine of its teachers had college degrees. In 1923, Fort Lauderdale established its first Honor Society. 1962 saw the opening of the new Fort Lauderdale High School at its present location on NE Fourth Avenue, with its first graduating class celebrating commencement in June, 1963.
The past few years have seen tremendous changes to the FLHS campus, most notably the opening of a new three-story classroom building, a modern library, and a two-story cafeteria.
2007 also saw the renaming of NE 4 Ave between the city divider and NE 13 St as “Flying L Drive” in honor of the school's commitment to education and community service. The project was completed by a group of four students in John Pellegrino's Public Affairs class.
Pre-Law & Public Affairs
A college preparatory program designed for those interested in careers in Law, Criminal Justice, and Public Affairs.Because of its location in the county seat, the program allows students access to governmental agencies that are utilized as “living laboratories” for the ultimate learning experience. Students participate in mock trials in a courtroom housed within the school as well as take field trips to the Broward County Courthouse to witness actual trials.
Due to the high interest of its students in Pre-Law, the FLHS debate team is one of the best in the state and competes nationally while providing valuable opportunities for its students.
Advanced Studies Institute
Allows for students to take more Advanced Placement courses, putting them ahead when they enter college. They offer a wide variety of AP courses from Art to History to English.Cambridge Program
An international pre-university program developed by Cambridge University, designed with a varied curriculum, which also allows students to earn college credit.Awards
Fort Lauderdale High School was named as one of the top 1000 public schools in the nation in 2005, 2006, and 2007.Dr. Gina Eyerman was also named Assistant Principal of the Year at South Plantation High in 2003 just before coming to FLHS.
Mascot
Fort Lauderdale High School is well-known in Broward County for its unique mascot, the "Flying L": a large winged blue "L" with an arrow through its center. Originally the school mascot was known as "The Fort Lauderdale L". However, at the 1917 state track meet, a reporter from the Miami Herald remarked "Look at that Flying L" as track star Charlie Rhodes ran to victory, starring in numerous events. The following week, the town of Fort Lauderdale voted on nicknaming all of the school's sports teams "The Flying L's".Athletics
Demographics
As of 2011, the total student enrollment was 2003. The ethnic makeupEthnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
of the school was 30% White
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, 54% Black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
, 10% Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
, 2% Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
or Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
, 3% Multiracial
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
, and 1% Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
or Native Alaskan.
Notable alumni
- Rita Mae BrownRita Mae BrownRita Mae Brown is an American writer. She is best known for her first novel Rubyfruit Jungle. Published in 1973, it dealt with lesbian themes in an explicit manner unusual for the time...
, Author - Bob ClarkBob ClarkBenjamin "Bob" Clark was an American actor, director, screenwriter and producer best known for directing and writing the script with Jean Shepherd to the 1983 Christmas film A Christmas Story...
, Movie Director (Porky's and A Christmas Story) - Frantz JosephFrantz JosephFrantz Joseph is an American football linebacker who is currently a member of the Spokane Shock. He was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
, CFLCanadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
player of the Edmonton EskimosEdmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895... - Catherine HicklandCatherine HicklandCatherine Hickland is a singer and an actress best known for roles in soap operas broadcast in the United States, most notably as the character of Lindsay Rappaport on ABC's One Life to Live, a character which she has portrayed since 1998.- Early life :Hickland was born and raised in Fort...
, soap opera actress - Mark M. MillsMark Muir MillsMark Muir Mills was an American nuclear physicist and a developer of atomic bombs.He was born in Estes Park, Colorado to Enoch and Ethel Mills. Prior to college he attended Estes Park High School and then moved to Ft. Lauderdale High School, Florida. He received his B.S. from the California...
, nuclear scientist - Alexander R. "Sandy" Nininger, the first Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient of World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... - Scot ShieldsScot ShieldsRobert Scot Shields is a former American Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He played his entire baseball career with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, serving as their setup man since...
, professional baseball player - Nancy StaffordNancy StaffordNancy Elizabeth Stafford is an American prolific character actress of stage, speaker and author, known for her roles in soap operas and television. She came to prominence in the 1980s as Ben Matlock's law partner and friend, Michelle Thomas, on Matlock , before she played Judge Bell on Judging Amy...
, actress and author - Alex SadkinAlex SadkinAlex Sadkin is best remembered as a record producer in the early 1980s, but actually got his start in the music industry as a saxophonist for the Las Olas Brass in Fort Lauderdale, Florida....
, record producer - Rollin JarrettRollin JarrettRollin Jarrett is an American actor and screenwriter.-Early life:Jarrett was born in Charlotte, NC, the youngest of four brothers. His family moved to Miami, Florida when he was three and later settled in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where Jarrett attended Fort Lauderdale High School...
, Actor and Screenwriter