Lee High School (Huntsville, Alabama)
Encyclopedia
Lee High School is a four-year public high school that serves students in grades 9-12 from Huntsville, in Madison County, Alabama in the United States, as a part of Huntsville City Schools
.
which runs in front of the current school location, not after General Robert E. Lee. (The highway itself was named for the general.) The school's mascot is a 5-Star General and, for many years, a painting of General Robert E. Lee mounted on his horse and holding the Confederate flag was on the Gymnasium wall. Later the flag was painted over and the Generals mascot is now held to represent no specific person.
The current facility for Lee High School was constructed in 1958. During its first few years, it operated as a Junior High School as nearby Rison High School was closing and Chapman Junior High School was opening. The year 1964 marked Lee's first graduating class.
In 1986, the Huntsville City Schools created the Lee Arts and Pre-Engineering Magnet programs. This program draws students from other schools in the city to Lee for study and opportunities in specific areas. The arts magnet has been rather successful, attracting talented students for theater and vocal music opportunities.
Currently, the Huntsville City Schools are constructing a new Lee High School facility next to the original location. Similar to the reconstruction of Huntsville High School
in 2003-04, the current building will remain in use until the new facility is completed, and then will be torn down. The new building is 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²) and designed for 1,200 students.
One issue surmounted during construction was the Norfolk Southern railroad adjacent to the school; a raised bridge has been erected to allow students to access playing fields that will be across the track from the classrooms.
The Generals’ banner waves above us,
We love the blue and gray we see.
It tells of friends, love, and trust
And brings us ever close to Lee.
Ever onward through life’s journey now,
Though parted we may always be—
Still lingering in our fondest memory,
Our hearts will ere be true to Lee.
Still lingering in our fondest memory,
Our hearts will ere be true to Lee.
One of the most prestigious awards was First Place in “The Greatest Bands in Dixie,” awarded during Mardi Gras in New Orleans in February 1976.
Killed in the initial crash were 19-year old Nicole Ford and 16-year old Christine Collier. Tanesha Hill, age 17, died later at Huntsville Hospital
. A fourth victim, Crystal Renee McCrary, age 17, died the day after the crash. Bus driver Anthony Scott and 14 students were hospitalized, according to Huntsville Hospital spokeswoman Pam Sparks.
Huntsville Police spokesman Wendell Johnson said a 1990 Toyota Celica apparently hit the Laidlaw Education Services-contracted school bus. The bus driver apparently attempted evasive action, and a reaction sent the right tire climbing up the protective barrier. The bus's momentum caused it to teeter on the wall briefly, flipped upside down, careening headlong onto the ground below. It was unclear if the driver jumped or was ejected, though National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Debbie Hersman said the bus driver was found on the overpass, and that, "We are trying to determine why the bus driver was on the overpass."
Investigating agencies at federal, state and local levels include the NTSB, Alabama State Department of Transportation, Alabama Department of Public Safety, and Huntsville Police Department.
Thad Sokolowski, a 17-year-old Lee High School eyewitness said, "The orange car was going to pass the bus. He thought something was wrong with the car, like his tire got blown out because it started fishtailing." He added that the orange Toyota hit the bus, "but not hard. It was a bump," adding that the bus "skidded down the rail and it was gone." His description of the wreck was given to his mother, Bonnie Sokolowski, and published in The Huntsville Times, because he did not want to speak with reporters.
Police Chief Rex Reynolds said evidence will be presented to a grand jury, as is required by state law for fatalities involving minors, and added that charges have not yet been filed against the 17-year-old Toyota driver. Chief Reynolds said the bus driver had a clean driving record.
Crestwood Medical Center and Huntsville Hospital, the two local hospitals, both activated their Mass Casualty action plans. Emergency response personnel from throughout the area were called upon to assist in rescue efforts. Huntsville Hospital emergency room physician Dr. Sherrie Squyres said all off-duty hospital medical and nursing personnel were requested to return to work, and that three trauma surgeons and one neurosurgeon were committed exclusively to accident response.
Among the problems facing hospital and rescue personnel was the absence of personal identification among the victims. Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Ann Roy Moore said that the Lee High School principal had initiated a student ID card program, "but not every student carried the ID."
Huntsville City Schools
Huntsville City Schools is the school district serving Huntsville, Alabama. As of the 2007-08 school year, the system had 22,839 students and employed 1,933 teachers...
.
History
Lee High School was named for the Lee HighwayLee Highway
The Lee Highway was a National Auto Trail in the United States connecting New York City and San Francisco, California via the South and Southwest. It was named after Robert E...
which runs in front of the current school location, not after General Robert E. Lee. (The highway itself was named for the general.) The school's mascot is a 5-Star General and, for many years, a painting of General Robert E. Lee mounted on his horse and holding the Confederate flag was on the Gymnasium wall. Later the flag was painted over and the Generals mascot is now held to represent no specific person.
The current facility for Lee High School was constructed in 1958. During its first few years, it operated as a Junior High School as nearby Rison High School was closing and Chapman Junior High School was opening. The year 1964 marked Lee's first graduating class.
In 1986, the Huntsville City Schools created the Lee Arts and Pre-Engineering Magnet programs. This program draws students from other schools in the city to Lee for study and opportunities in specific areas. The arts magnet has been rather successful, attracting talented students for theater and vocal music opportunities.
Currently, the Huntsville City Schools are constructing a new Lee High School facility next to the original location. Similar to the reconstruction of Huntsville High School
Huntsville High School
Huntsville High School is a public high school in Huntsville, Alabama, United States.-History:Due to growth in Huntsville in the 1920s, Huntsville High moved to a location on Randolph Avenue and White Street in 1927. This building served the high school until 1954, when a new building opened on...
in 2003-04, the current building will remain in use until the new facility is completed, and then will be torn down. The new building is 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²) and designed for 1,200 students.
One issue surmounted during construction was the Norfolk Southern railroad adjacent to the school; a raised bridge has been erected to allow students to access playing fields that will be across the track from the classrooms.
Lee High School’s “Alma Mater”
To the Tune of “Lorena” (1857), by J.P. WebsterThe Generals’ banner waves above us,
We love the blue and gray we see.
It tells of friends, love, and trust
And brings us ever close to Lee.
Ever onward through life’s journey now,
Though parted we may always be—
Still lingering in our fondest memory,
Our hearts will ere be true to Lee.
Still lingering in our fondest memory,
Our hearts will ere be true to Lee.
Magnet programs
The Huntsville City School performing arts, visual arts, and engineering magnet programs are co-located with Lee High School. Students are admitted to these programs through a combination of interview, scholastic achievement, and audition. The highly selective process has afforded Lee High School the premier arts programs in the North Alabama. The magnet programs include orchestra, creative writing, dance, engineering, photography, technical theatre, theatre performance, video/broadcast journalism, visual art, and vocal performance. In addition to their magnet courses (usually 2 to 3 hours per day), students follow a full complement of academic coursework, including AP and pre-AP coursework for most students.Academics
Lee High School offers a broad array of academic offerings, including a full range of pre-AP and AP courses. Thanks to the A+ College Ready grant, Lee has recently added even more AP courses and has increased enrollment in already existing classes.Clubs and organizations
The school sponsors a number of clubs and organization in which students may participate.
|
|
|
Lee High School Band (The Marching Generals)
Lee High's band has been the recipient of numerous awards, dating back for decades.One of the most prestigious awards was First Place in “The Greatest Bands in Dixie,” awarded during Mardi Gras in New Orleans in February 1976.
Sports
|
|
|
Bus accident
On November 21, 2006, a school bus transporting Lee High School students to a local trade school careened over a retaining wall on an elevated part of Interstate 565 at the U.S. highway 231 exit and plummeted 30 feet.Killed in the initial crash were 19-year old Nicole Ford and 16-year old Christine Collier. Tanesha Hill, age 17, died later at Huntsville Hospital
Huntsville Hospital System
The Huntsville Hospital System also known as Huntsville Hospital is a public, not-for-profit hospital campus consisting of several sites and buildings originating in the downtown area of Huntsville, Alabama...
. A fourth victim, Crystal Renee McCrary, age 17, died the day after the crash. Bus driver Anthony Scott and 14 students were hospitalized, according to Huntsville Hospital spokeswoman Pam Sparks.
Huntsville Police spokesman Wendell Johnson said a 1990 Toyota Celica apparently hit the Laidlaw Education Services-contracted school bus. The bus driver apparently attempted evasive action, and a reaction sent the right tire climbing up the protective barrier. The bus's momentum caused it to teeter on the wall briefly, flipped upside down, careening headlong onto the ground below. It was unclear if the driver jumped or was ejected, though National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Debbie Hersman said the bus driver was found on the overpass, and that, "We are trying to determine why the bus driver was on the overpass."
Investigating agencies at federal, state and local levels include the NTSB, Alabama State Department of Transportation, Alabama Department of Public Safety, and Huntsville Police Department.
Thad Sokolowski, a 17-year-old Lee High School eyewitness said, "The orange car was going to pass the bus. He thought something was wrong with the car, like his tire got blown out because it started fishtailing." He added that the orange Toyota hit the bus, "but not hard. It was a bump," adding that the bus "skidded down the rail and it was gone." His description of the wreck was given to his mother, Bonnie Sokolowski, and published in The Huntsville Times, because he did not want to speak with reporters.
Police Chief Rex Reynolds said evidence will be presented to a grand jury, as is required by state law for fatalities involving minors, and added that charges have not yet been filed against the 17-year-old Toyota driver. Chief Reynolds said the bus driver had a clean driving record.
Crestwood Medical Center and Huntsville Hospital, the two local hospitals, both activated their Mass Casualty action plans. Emergency response personnel from throughout the area were called upon to assist in rescue efforts. Huntsville Hospital emergency room physician Dr. Sherrie Squyres said all off-duty hospital medical and nursing personnel were requested to return to work, and that three trauma surgeons and one neurosurgeon were committed exclusively to accident response.
Among the problems facing hospital and rescue personnel was the absence of personal identification among the victims. Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Ann Roy Moore said that the Lee High School principal had initiated a student ID card program, "but not every student carried the ID."
Notable alumni
- Kim DickensKim DickensKimberly Jan "Kim" Dickens is an American actress and model.-Early life:Dickens was born in Huntsville, Alabama, graduated from that city's Lee High School, and attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in communication...
, Actress - Condredge HollowayCondredge HollowayCondredge Holloway Jr. was a star quarterback for the University of Tennessee and later in the Canadian Football League.-Early years and College:...
, Quarterback, Canadian Football Hall of Fame - Craig KimbrelCraig KimbrelCraig Michael Kimbrel is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. Breaking the record for saves by a rookie in the 2011 season, Kimbrel was awarded the Rookie of the Year Award for the National League....
, Pitcher for the Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997.... - Jim McBrideJim McBrideJim McBride is an American television and film director, film producer and screenwriter.-Filmography:* David Holzman's Diary * My Girlfriend's Wedding...
, Songwriter, 1995 Alabama Music Hall of FameAlabama Music Hall of FameThe Alabama Music Hall of Fame, first conceived by the Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then saw to its Phase One construction of a after a state-wide referendum in 1987...
Music Creator Award - Amobi OkoyeAmobi Okoye-Houston Texans:Okoye signed a five-year deal with the Texans on July 26, which allowed him to begin training camp with his teammates the next day. With his first start, Okoye became the youngest player to appear in an NFL game since 1967....
, Defensive lineman for the Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... - Darian StewartDarian StewartDarian Stewart is an American football safety. He finished his senior year at the University of South Carolina...
, Defensive back for the Saint Louis Rams - Ned VaughnNed VaughnNed Vaughn is an American actor known for his television work. He attended Lee High School in Huntsville, AL and Birmingham-Southern College.-Filmography:*The Rescue, 1988 - Shawn Howard...
, Actor