Pinellas Park High School
Encyclopedia
Pinellas Park High School is a public secondary school in Pinellas Park, Florida
, United States. It opened in the fall of 1976 and is part of the Pinellas County Schools
system. The school mascot is the Patriot
, and the school colors are red, white and blue. The school newspaper is called the Powder Horn Press and the yearbook is Occurrences. The school is home to the Criminal Justice Academy magnet program, as well as the First Responders magnet program.
occurring that year, it adopted the name "The Patriots" and chose red, white, and blue as its school colors. In 2001, the school received a $500,000 grant to develop smaller learning communities. Five SLCs comprising the entire school population exist today: Freshman Forum (for incoming freshmen); Arts & Humanities; Environmental, Medical and Biological Alliance; Sophomore Seminar, and Business Design Technologies. The ESOL program helps foreign-language speakers and GOALS acts as a drop-out prevention program. Finally, as a result of the Pinellas county introduction of Choice schools, 80% of the school's students come from throughout the county.
at Pinellas Park High School that teaches students about the American legal system and the career
s found in that system.
s of 5 or higher on standardized tests, GPA
of 2.3 or higher for all work in sixth and seventh grades, 2 positive academic teacher recommendations, and good discipline and attendance records.
The CJA building was built between 1996–1998 and opened to students in the fall of 1998. The building has 8496 square feet (789 m²) of space, including several classrooms, administration offices, a mock courtroom
, and an apartment used as a mock crime scene
.
, was injured. Harless was sentenced to 17 years in adult prison and was later released after eight years imprisonment. McCoy was sentenced to six years in adult prison, but served 14 months in a “youthful offenders” facility.
three times on a student, Doug Walker, who was struggling with them. This incident is often cited in the debate about how much force is excessive in schools.
Pinellas Park, Florida
Pinellas Park is a city located in central Pinellas County, Florida. The population was 45,658 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 47,166 . The city was founded by Philadelphia publisher, F. A...
, United States. It opened in the fall of 1976 and is part of the Pinellas County Schools
Pinellas County Schools
Pinellas County Schools is a school district serving Pinellas County, Florida, USA and based in Largo.-Organization:Pinellas County Schools has about 102,000 students and more than 13,000 employees. Dixie M. Hollins was the county's first superintendent of schools...
system. The school mascot is the Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
, and the school colors are red, white and blue. The school newspaper is called the Powder Horn Press and the yearbook is Occurrences. The school is home to the Criminal Justice Academy magnet program, as well as the First Responders magnet program.
History
Pinellas Park High School, located in Largo, Florida, opened its doors in August 1976. Because of the United States BicentennialUnited States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
occurring that year, it adopted the name "The Patriots" and chose red, white, and blue as its school colors. In 2001, the school received a $500,000 grant to develop smaller learning communities. Five SLCs comprising the entire school population exist today: Freshman Forum (for incoming freshmen); Arts & Humanities; Environmental, Medical and Biological Alliance; Sophomore Seminar, and Business Design Technologies. The ESOL program helps foreign-language speakers and GOALS acts as a drop-out prevention program. Finally, as a result of the Pinellas county introduction of Choice schools, 80% of the school's students come from throughout the county.
Student demographics
The total student population of approximately 2,300 students comprises 70.3% Caucasians, 12.7% African-Americans, 9.5% Hispanics, 5.9% Asians, .2% American Indian, and 1.4% Other. The student attendance rate is 92.7%. Pinellas Park High School is one of the most ethnically-diverse schools of the country, comprising a large number of students from Latin and Asian countries. ESOL students form 6% of the total school population, and special education students make up 17% of the student body. PPHS is one of the district centers for special education students.Criminal Justice Academy
The Criminal Justice Academy is a four-year magnet programMagnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
at Pinellas Park High School that teaches students about the American legal system and the career
Career
Career is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a person's "course or progress through life ". It is usually considered to pertain to remunerative work ....
s found in that system.
Admissions
Students must apply and be accepted into the Criminal Justice Academy. Eighth grade applicants must have stanineStanine
Stanine is a method of scaling test scores on a nine-point standard scale with a mean of five and a standard deviation of two.Some web sources attribute stanines to the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II...
s of 5 or higher on standardized tests, GPA
Grade (education)
Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters , as a range , as a number out of a possible total , as descriptors , in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary...
of 2.3 or higher for all work in sixth and seventh grades, 2 positive academic teacher recommendations, and good discipline and attendance records.
Building
The main building has over 40000 square feet (3,716 m²) of space and was built in 1976. The building includes a gymnasium and auditorium as well as a media center and library, several computer labs, a well furnished weight room, a complete autobody shop and a complete printing shop.The CJA building was built between 1996–1998 and opened to students in the fall of 1998. The building has 8496 square feet (789 m²) of space, including several classrooms, administration offices, a mock courtroom
Mock trial
A Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
, and an apartment used as a mock crime scene
Crime scene
A crime scene is a location where an illegal act took place, and comprises the area from which most of the physical evidence is retrieved by trained law enforcement personnel, crime scene investigators or in rare circumstances, forensic scientists....
.
First responders
A new emergency and disaster training program started in 2009, though classes are held in L wing, as no buildings have been built yet. The program is currently almost exclusively for freshmen, with a limited number of openings for sophomores.School shooting
The school made news on February 11, 1988, when two male students, Jason Harless and Jayson McCoy, brought stolen guns to the school, which escalated into the shooting of two school officials and a teacher. Assistant principal Richard Allen was killed and Nancy Blackwelder, an assistant physical education teacher who was interning from the University of South FloridaUniversity of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
, was injured. Harless was sentenced to 17 years in adult prison and was later released after eight years imprisonment. McCoy was sentenced to six years in adult prison, but served 14 months in a “youthful offenders” facility.
Taser incident
The school again made national news in 2005 when police officers used a TaserTaser
A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
three times on a student, Doug Walker, who was struggling with them. This incident is often cited in the debate about how much force is excessive in schools.
Teacher scandal
In 2005 a teacher faced 47 felony charges alleging that he enticed several female high school students to email him nude pictures of themselves and give him "intimate apparel". He resigned in November after the allegations surfaced. The teacher pled no contest to 15 combined charges and was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison on October 18, 2006.Notable alumni
- Nick MassetNick MassetNicholas Allen Masset is a right-handed pitcher for Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds. He was selected in the eighth round of the entry draft by the Texas Rangers. After graduating from Pinellas Park High School, Masset attended St...
- Major league baseball player - Pamela Stein - PlayboyPlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
PlaymatePlaymateA Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of Playboy magazine as Playmate of the Month . The PMOM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, as well as a short biography and the "Playmate Data Sheet", which lists her birthdate, measurements, turn-ons, and... - Dennis KnightDennis KnightDennis Knight is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment as Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon.-Career:...
(AKA Mideon,AKA Phineas Godwinn) - Former Professional Wrestler for World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales... - Browning NagleBrowning NagleBrowning Nagle was a quarterback for the National Football League's New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and Atlanta Falcons. He also played as a quarterback for the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators and Buffalo Destroyers.-Career:...
- Former New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback - Luigi FioravantiLuigi FioravantiLuigi Fioravanti is an American mixed martial artist who fights out of Orlando, Florida with American Top Team. He was released by the UFC shortly after his first round TKO defeat to Anthony Johnson at UFC Fight Night 17...
- Professional MMAMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter - Fez WhatleyFez WhatleyFez Marie Whatley , is an American talk radio host and comedian who co-hosts The Ron and Fez Show. From October 9, 2007 to June 27, 2008, Whatley also served as the Executive Producer....
- Radio host, Ron & Fez