Peoria High School (Arizona)
Encyclopedia
Peoria High School is a public secondary school located in Peoria
, Arizona, United States
. The high school is currently a part of the Peoria Unified School District
. The school opened its doors in August 1919, since which it has maintained an Excelling academic status. Currently, approximately 1,600 students are enrolled, and because of this, Peoria is a Class 4A Division I school, as rated by the Arizona Interscholastic Association
. Their mascot is the Panther
. Peoria is considered the fifth largest (by student population), and oldest, high school in the Peoria Unified School District. Peoria's sports and arts programs are referred to as the “Peoria Panthers”. The principal is Dr. Kayla Carter and vice principals include Monique Molina, Tara Willoby, and Philip Camacho.
and was the third largest high school in the state. The school was also in need of major renovations.
Due to overcrowding and a need to redo the school Raymond S. Kellis High School
was built and opened for the 2004-2005 school year. The new high school is located within the city limits of Glendale, approximately 3 miles southwest of Peoria High. This removed most of the rapidly growing areas from Peoria High, including all of Country Meadows Elementary, Cotton Boll Elementary, and most of Sun Valley Elementary students. This also gave Alta Loma Elementary students a choice to attend either Peoria or Kellis and Ira A. Murphy Elementary students a choice to attend either Peoria or Centennial. Due to the opening of Kellis the number of students enrolled at Peoria has rapidly dropped over the years to its current number in the 1,600s.
, which is located in the neighboring city of Glendale
.
. Student Council includes freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Freshmen elections take place in December. All other elections are held at the end of each year for the following year.
Peoria, Arizona
Peoria is a city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. Located primarily in Maricopa County, it is a major suburb of Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau releases, the population of the city is 154,065. Peoria is currently the sixth largest city in Arizona for land...
, Arizona, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The high school is currently a part of the Peoria Unified School District
Peoria Unified School District
Peoria Unified School District #11 provides primary and secondary education for most of Peoria, Arizona, parts of Glendale and Youngtown, Arizona, and a small portion of Surprise, Arizona, and northwestern Maricopa County. With 39 schools, it is the third largest school district in Arizona.-Early...
. The school opened its doors in August 1919, since which it has maintained an Excelling academic status. Currently, approximately 1,600 students are enrolled, and because of this, Peoria is a Class 4A Division I school, as rated by the Arizona Interscholastic Association
Arizona Interscholastic Association
The Arizona Interscholastic Association is the major high school sports association in the state of Arizona. It comprises most of the state's public district high schools, various charter and private schools, plus one high school in California San Pasqual High School in Winterhaven, California,...
. Their mascot is the Panther
Panthera
Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae , which contains four well-known living species: the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard. The genus comprises about half of the Pantherinae subfamily, the big cats...
. Peoria is considered the fifth largest (by student population), and oldest, high school in the Peoria Unified School District. Peoria's sports and arts programs are referred to as the “Peoria Panthers”. The principal is Dr. Kayla Carter and vice principals include Monique Molina, Tara Willoby, and Philip Camacho.
Overpopulation
Rapid growth from infill developments in the farms surrounding Peoria High School, master planned communities being built to the south, and students moving into the Youngtown area caused a major spike in Peoria High School's enrollment. Between 2000 and 2004, a new building complex was constructed, and students were eating during three lunch periods. During the 2003-2004 school year, Peoria High School hit a peak in its student population, in the low 3,000s, and also welcomed the district's largest freshman class, with more than 900 new students. The school was ranked as 5A-I according to the Arizona Interscholastic AssociationArizona Interscholastic Association
The Arizona Interscholastic Association is the major high school sports association in the state of Arizona. It comprises most of the state's public district high schools, various charter and private schools, plus one high school in California San Pasqual High School in Winterhaven, California,...
and was the third largest high school in the state. The school was also in need of major renovations.
Due to overcrowding and a need to redo the school Raymond S. Kellis High School
Raymond S. Kellis High School
Raymond S. Kellis High School is a public secondary school located in Glendale, Arizona, United States. The high school is currently a part of the Peoria Unified School District. The school opened its doors in August 2004 due to overcrowding at Peoria High School and rapid population growth in the...
was built and opened for the 2004-2005 school year. The new high school is located within the city limits of Glendale, approximately 3 miles southwest of Peoria High. This removed most of the rapidly growing areas from Peoria High, including all of Country Meadows Elementary, Cotton Boll Elementary, and most of Sun Valley Elementary students. This also gave Alta Loma Elementary students a choice to attend either Peoria or Kellis and Ira A. Murphy Elementary students a choice to attend either Peoria or Centennial. Due to the opening of Kellis the number of students enrolled at Peoria has rapidly dropped over the years to its current number in the 1,600s.
Honor programs
Many different academic tracks are offered for students to meet their needs. The first is the basic track which helps the student to take classes that interest them and allow a wide variety with no added weight in GPA. Another track is the honors program which offers somewhat of a harder work load and helps to boost the student's GPA by weighting the grades more. The last track is the Advanced Placement (AP) program which offers college level classes and college credit for those that apply. This track weights the grades the same as an honors class, but allows the student to leave high school with a certain number of college credits already to their name. All students may take a mixture of basic, honors and AP if they wish.Graduate ratio
Peoria High School has more than 95% of its students graduate after four years. The graduation ceremony takes place at the University of Phoenix StadiumUniversity of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...
, which is located in the neighboring city of Glendale
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
.
Student government
A major club on campus is the Student Council. The Student Council is a very active club around campus. Some of the council's functions include promoting school spirit by planning spirit weeks, pep rallies, dances, homecoming and the promProm
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
. Student Council includes freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Freshmen elections take place in December. All other elections are held at the end of each year for the following year.
Band (Marching Band / Concert Band / Jazz Band / Winter Drumline)
Starting with the 2009-2010 season, the PHS Marching Band and music program is under the direction of Chris Pierson, who comes from the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University. The Division II band program is well respected, with the symphonic band receiving a superior rating with distinction at the Arizona Band and Orchestra Director's Association concert festival in Spring 2009. This past year the 2010 Panther Pride received a rating of "Excellent" at the ABODA State Marching Band Festival with their show "Shadow of a Prodigy", featuring the music of Mozart.Agriculture department
A nationally recognized program at Peoria is that of agriculture. As one of the only agriculture programs in Arizona, it continues to flourish. Every year, the students plan a 2 day conference for students throughout the state to attend.Peoria Dance Theatre
The Peoria Dance Theatre is a club for females and males who are skilled in all forms of dance. The club holds a dance concert for the community and school twice a year: one in the winter and one in the spring. To join, one must audition for the program, which traditionally occurs in the early spring for the following year.M.E.S.A.
Originally designed for minority students, this engineering club is nationally recognized for its excellence and attention to detail. No longer for minority students, anyone may join, regardless of race or year in school. Along with having a high school M.E.S.A team, a junior team is offered to 6-8th grade students who attend Peoria's feeder schools.Athletic programs
In the late 1980s, Peoria was one of the most dominant and successful athletics programs in Arizona. Between 1984 and 1989, Peoria won 8 State Championships in Men's and Women's Basketball, Women's Softball, Men's Baseball, Football and Wrestling.Championships
- Football 4A State Champions - 1944, 1987, 1988, 1994
- Football Class A District Champs - 1973
- Women's Basketball 4A State Champions - 1988, 1989
- Men's Basketball 4A State Champions - 1937, 1984
- Women's Tennis Doubles State Champ - 1975
- Baseball State Champions - 1988, 1989
- Softball State Champions - 1989
- Wrestling State Championships - 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
Alumni
- Eric GulifordEric GulifordEric Andre Guliford was an American football wide receiver who played five seasons in the National Football League and four seasons in the Canadian Football League. He was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft-External links:...
- Wide Receiver - Arizona State University, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints - Tim TooneTim TooneTimothy Lee "Tim" Toone is an American football wide receiver who is currently a member of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions with the final pick of the 2010 NFL Draft, earning the title of Mr. Irrelevant...
- Wide Receiver - Weber State, Detroit Lions (Mr. Irrelevant 2010 Draft) - Keegan Herring - Running Back - Arizona State University
- Leah Marie Brown (nee Hemsley) - newspaper reporter and published novelist
- TJ Simpson - Wide Receiver - Arizona State University
- Jamal Miles - Running Back - Arizona State University