South Grand Prairie High School
Encyclopedia
South Grand Prairie High School (SGPHS) is a suburban, public high school in the city of Grand Prairie
, Texas
(USA
). It is part of the 36-campus Grand Prairie Independent School District
.
The first campus was housed at what is now the ninth grade center.
In the fall of 1972, SGPHS moved into its permanent home at the corner of Corn Valley Road and Warrior Trail. Two major renovations to accommodate increases in enrollment have occurred. Additions included 20 classrooms, 3 computer labs, a suite of administrative offices and a competition gymnasium. The exterior of the building was also refurbished.
A new tech systems lab in the Browning Combs Vocational Center was added in 1998, and another classroom in the same building was transformed in 1999 into an art gallery to showcase art from both SGP and Grand Prairie High School. A new college & career center housed in the library was completed in the 1999-2000 school year and named for former career counselor Richard Parsons.
In 1999, South Grand Prairie was named a "New American High School National Showcase Site" by the U. S. Department of Education.
In 2002, the front of the building was completely redesigned, and the SGPHS 9th Grade Campus was moved to an adjacent building (formerly Andrew Jackson Middle School) to the main campus. Since that time many career academy courses have been implemented and acknowledged.
In 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 the school received a "Recognized" status from the Texas Education Agency.
In the spring of 2007, SGP received a grant to become part of the SREB and the HSTW new Enhanced Schools Network. Over a two year period, the administration and staff will work toward even more improvement via the 'best practices' recommended by this program. Specifically included is a concentrated literacy emphasis, which at SGP is referred to as the WRAD program - Writing and Reading across Disciplines.
http://sgphs.gpisd.org/about/history.html
In fall of 2011, Arch Bevis
became the 8th principal of South Grand Prairie High School, taking over after previous principal Donna Grant
.
South Grand Prairie High School's Theatre Arts Department is known for its award winning productions, such as "Aida", "High School Musical", "Back to the 80's", "Little Shop of Horrors", "Disco Inferno" and "The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)". South Grand Prairie High School's Theatre/Speech Department has qualified for and won numerous District, Area, Regional, State and National titles (University Scholastic League, Texas Forensics Association, National Forensics League). Not only is the SGP Theatre Department an award-winning team, so is the SGP Choral Department, especially the Sweepstakes winning Varsity Show Choir, directed by Larry Hand. The Choral Department is famously known for its Lasagna Dinner and Show concert, featuring SGP's finest of singers with extraordinary talent.
Grand Prairie, Texas
Grand Prairie is a city in Dallas, Ellis, and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas and is a part of the Mid-Cities region in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Grand Prairie is a suburb of both Dallas and Fort Worth and had a population of 175,396 at the 2010 census.- History :The city of...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). It is part of the 36-campus Grand Prairie Independent School District
Grand Prairie Independent School District
Grand Prairie Independent School District is a school district headquartered in Grand Prairie, Texas, United States.GPISD is a district serving more than 22,000 students within the Dallas County portion of Grand Prairie. The district boasts 36 campuses, including 23 elementary schools, seven...
.
Characteristics
- Four-year comprehensive public high school
- Flexible plans of study based on five career pathways
- Accreditations: Texas Education AgencyTexas Education AgencyThe Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...
; Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation... - Named Texas Renaissance Games State Champions in Falconry 1975, 1976, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, and 1993
- Infamous for being the alma mater to the worldwide sensation known as KROO
History
South Grand Prairie High School originally opened in the fall of 1969 with 448 students enrolled, 87 of which were seniors.The first campus was housed at what is now the ninth grade center.
In the fall of 1972, SGPHS moved into its permanent home at the corner of Corn Valley Road and Warrior Trail. Two major renovations to accommodate increases in enrollment have occurred. Additions included 20 classrooms, 3 computer labs, a suite of administrative offices and a competition gymnasium. The exterior of the building was also refurbished.
A new tech systems lab in the Browning Combs Vocational Center was added in 1998, and another classroom in the same building was transformed in 1999 into an art gallery to showcase art from both SGP and Grand Prairie High School. A new college & career center housed in the library was completed in the 1999-2000 school year and named for former career counselor Richard Parsons.
In 1999, South Grand Prairie was named a "New American High School National Showcase Site" by the U. S. Department of Education.
In 2002, the front of the building was completely redesigned, and the SGPHS 9th Grade Campus was moved to an adjacent building (formerly Andrew Jackson Middle School) to the main campus. Since that time many career academy courses have been implemented and acknowledged.
In 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 the school received a "Recognized" status from the Texas Education Agency.
In the spring of 2007, SGP received a grant to become part of the SREB and the HSTW new Enhanced Schools Network. Over a two year period, the administration and staff will work toward even more improvement via the 'best practices' recommended by this program. Specifically included is a concentrated literacy emphasis, which at SGP is referred to as the WRAD program - Writing and Reading across Disciplines.
http://sgphs.gpisd.org/about/history.html
In fall of 2011, Arch Bevis
Arch Bevis
Archibald Ronald "Arch" Bevis is an Australian politician who was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2010, representing the Division of Brisbane, Queensland. He was born in Brisbane, and educated at Ithaca Creek State Primary School and The Gap State High School...
became the 8th principal of South Grand Prairie High School, taking over after previous principal Donna Grant
Donna Grant
Donna Grant is the co-author of three bestselling novels such as Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made, Far From the Tree, Better Than I Know Myself and the re-released Exposures, originally published in 1990 by Warner Books...
.
South Grand Prairie High School's Theatre Arts Department is known for its award winning productions, such as "Aida", "High School Musical", "Back to the 80's", "Little Shop of Horrors", "Disco Inferno" and "The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)". South Grand Prairie High School's Theatre/Speech Department has qualified for and won numerous District, Area, Regional, State and National titles (University Scholastic League, Texas Forensics Association, National Forensics League). Not only is the SGP Theatre Department an award-winning team, so is the SGP Choral Department, especially the Sweepstakes winning Varsity Show Choir, directed by Larry Hand. The Choral Department is famously known for its Lasagna Dinner and Show concert, featuring SGP's finest of singers with extraordinary talent.