Tucker High School
Encyclopedia
Tucker High School is the only public high school
in Tucker
, an unincorporated section of DeKalb County
, Georgia
, and is operated by the DeKalb County School System
. Its student body consists of over 1,400 students from many different cultures.
Basketball, coached by James Hartry, has also succeeded far among most sports winning a State Championship in 2007 and a Semi-final in 2008. According to local headlines, these Tigers play hard and often have an almost perfect season. In basketball Miller Grove High School is usually the biggest rival to worry about. Boys soccer has come a long way since its beginnings and is now a strong team in the region making it to first round of play offs a few times. Girls soccer, once notable, is in a building period . In 2009 the girls track team took home the state champion win. Other sports at the school include baseball, fast-pitch softball, cross country, golf, girls basketball, tennis, football cheerleading, basketball cheerleading, swimming, gymnastics, girls volleyball, and wrestling.
The 1950s saw a rapid growth in student enrollment, from 271 students in 1952 to 1,100 students by 1962. In 1963 a new building was dedicated, providing instructional space for 1,300 students.
A new building has been constructed since 2008 to replace the existing 1963 facility. The 228500 square feet (21,228.3 m²) replacement facility features 81 classrooms and supporting spaces including a media center, speech, and computer science labs as well as rooms for vocational, art, and music instruction, a gymnasium, kitchen and cafeteria, commons, auditorium, and guidance and administrative offices. Site work included replacement of all sports fields, new entrances and exits from surrounding roads, and a new bus loop. The project cost over $66 million.
Demolition of the 1963 building began in July 2008, and by of September 2008, the Venable Gymnasium and the athletic locker rooms, band room, and chorus room located underneath it had been razed. Also demolished was the house at 5054 LaVista Road, whose property will now be part of the campus. iIn January 2009, site work and placement of deep piles for the foundation system of the first phase of the new complex took place on the site of the former gym and the parking lot to the south of the existing building. By August 2009, the precast structure for the two-level parking garage, commons and administrative areas, and the Year 9 Academy building had been completed, and work on interiors had begun.
In January 2010, the new Year 9 Academy Building, Classroom Building, and Administrative Offices were occupied. The balance of the existing building has been vacated, and was demolished to make way for phase two construction. To compensate for instructional space lost to construction activities, an Educational Village was established on the baseball field at the beginning of the 2008-2009 academic year.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Tucker
Tucker, Georgia
Tucker is a census-designated place in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 27,581 at the 2010 Census. Although central Tucker, also known as "Main Street Tucker", is laid out as a planned "railroad town," it has never been formally incorporated. Municipal services such as...
, an unincorporated section of DeKalb County
DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population of the county was 691,893 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is the city of Decatur. It is bordered to the west by Fulton County and contains roughly 10% of the city of Atlanta...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and is operated by the DeKalb County School System
DeKalb County School System
DeKalb County School System is a school district headquartered at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States...
. Its student body consists of over 1,400 students from many different cultures.
School Goals
To assist students in becoming mature adults, prepared to continue their formal education and equip them to meet the challenges and problems created by a changing and complex society.Academics
Tucker High School offers a challenging curriculum that addresses the needs of its students through self contained classes, visually impaired classes, regular education, advanced placement (AP Classes), and the IB program (International Baccalaureate). Currently Tucker offers eighteen different AP courses. In 2004, Tucker became a International Baccalaureate Diploma offering school (which is a two year academic program for 11th and 12th grade students)Athletics
Tucker High School offers a variety in sports for girls and boys. They play in the AAAA region. Some of the most predominant sports teams in the school are football, boys basketball, boys soccer, as well as boys and girls track and field. These programs show greatness and overall improvement. The football team has made it to the playoffs each year(2007, 2008, and 2009) since becoming coached by head coach Franklin Stephens . In 2008 the tigers had nearly a perfect season losing only to Marist School 38-0. They then came back to beat Marist 15-3 for the AAAA State Championship. Throughout Tucker's history Marist has always been one of their biggest rivals. Often winning one year, and losing the following year. In the 2010 football season Tucker beat Marist 31-24 in double over time. It was Tucker's first regular season win over Marist since 2007 when they lost the semi finals to Northside-Warner Robins High School.Basketball, coached by James Hartry, has also succeeded far among most sports winning a State Championship in 2007 and a Semi-final in 2008. According to local headlines, these Tigers play hard and often have an almost perfect season. In basketball Miller Grove High School is usually the biggest rival to worry about. Boys soccer has come a long way since its beginnings and is now a strong team in the region making it to first round of play offs a few times. Girls soccer, once notable, is in a building period . In 2009 the girls track team took home the state champion win. Other sports at the school include baseball, fast-pitch softball, cross country, golf, girls basketball, tennis, football cheerleading, basketball cheerleading, swimming, gymnastics, girls volleyball, and wrestling.
Old Building
The first community school in Tucker, a one room schoolhouse, was founded in the late 1880s. Within a short time, a larger school was needed, and a new three room schoolhouse was constructed around 1900, providing education through the eighth grade. Tucker’s population was growing rapidly, and this building also was quickly outgrown, the school spilling over into the nearby Methodist and Congregationalist churches. A new two-story antebellum style school building was soon built to house the burgeoning student body. By 1928, more space was again required, and a new building having twelve classrooms, an auditorium, offices, storage, and indoor restrooms was built. This was followed by a granite annex building in 1935, and an infill project joining the main building to the annex in 1937.The 1950s saw a rapid growth in student enrollment, from 271 students in 1952 to 1,100 students by 1962. In 1963 a new building was dedicated, providing instructional space for 1,300 students.
Current & New Building
New Tucker High School Building
A new building has been constructed since 2008 to replace the existing 1963 facility. The 228500 square feet (21,228.3 m²) replacement facility features 81 classrooms and supporting spaces including a media center, speech, and computer science labs as well as rooms for vocational, art, and music instruction, a gymnasium, kitchen and cafeteria, commons, auditorium, and guidance and administrative offices. Site work included replacement of all sports fields, new entrances and exits from surrounding roads, and a new bus loop. The project cost over $66 million.
Demolition of the 1963 building began in July 2008, and by of September 2008, the Venable Gymnasium and the athletic locker rooms, band room, and chorus room located underneath it had been razed. Also demolished was the house at 5054 LaVista Road, whose property will now be part of the campus. iIn January 2009, site work and placement of deep piles for the foundation system of the first phase of the new complex took place on the site of the former gym and the parking lot to the south of the existing building. By August 2009, the precast structure for the two-level parking garage, commons and administrative areas, and the Year 9 Academy building had been completed, and work on interiors had begun.
In January 2010, the new Year 9 Academy Building, Classroom Building, and Administrative Offices were occupied. The balance of the existing building has been vacated, and was demolished to make way for phase two construction. To compensate for instructional space lost to construction activities, an Educational Village was established on the baseball field at the beginning of the 2008-2009 academic year.
Notable alumn(i/ae)
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- Cleveland Browns player Thomas BrownThomas BrownThomas Brown may refer to:*Thomas Brunce , also known as Thomas Brown, English Bishop of Rochester & of Norwich*Thomas Brown , American husbandman, businessman, and land speculator...
- Minnesota Vikings player Asher AllenAsher AllenAsher Allen is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Vikings in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
- San Diego Chargers player Brandon LangBrandon LangBrandon Montez Lang is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He attended Troy University, where he graduated from in 2010...
- Dallas Cowboys player Dwayne HarrisDwayne HarrisDwayne Lenard Harris is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys as the eleventh pick of the sixth round.-High School:...
- Olympic Gold Medalist Dwight PhillipsDwight PhillipsDwight Phillips is an American athlete and a four-time world champion in the long jump...
- Former New England Patriot Player Patrick PassPatrick PassPatrick Pass is an American football running back and fullback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
- Former Insurance Commissioner and 2010 candidate for Governor John OxendineJohn OxendineJohn W. Oxendine is an American politician who served four terms as Insurance Commissioner of the U.S. state of Georgia. Oxendine is of Lumbee heritage, an Indian tribe from North Carolina. A member of the Republican party, he was first elected commissioner in 1994 and was reelected in 1998,...
- Performing Songwriter Matthew Perryman JonesMatthew Perryman JonesMatthew Perryman Jones is an American singer-songwriter who currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.Jones began his career as a singer-songwriter in 1997, playing his first public performances at Eddie's Attic in Decatur, GA...
- Singer songwriter and Zac Brown BandZac Brown BandZac Brown Band is an American country music, southern rock, and folk band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown , Jimmy De Martini , John Driskell Hopkins , Coy Bowles , Chris Fryar and Clay Cook...
guitarist Clay CookClay CookDouglas "Clay" Cook is a songwriter, producer and musician who co-wrote several songs with Grammy-winner John Mayer including "No Such Thing", "Comfortable", and "Neon"... - NASCAR driver Buckshot JonesBuckshot JonesRoy "Buckshot" Jones , is an auto racing driver who has competed in NASCAR and sprint cars. He most recently ran in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series....
- NFL Cleveland Browns Thomas BrownThomas BrownThomas Brown may refer to:*Thomas Brunce , also known as Thomas Brown, English Bishop of Rochester & of Norwich*Thomas Brown , American husbandman, businessman, and land speculator...
- Assistant Director of Pro Personnel for Chicago Bears Kevin Turks
- NBA player for the New Jersey Nets Marshon BrooksMarshon BrooksMarshon Brooks is an American professional basketball shooting guard with the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 25th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.-Early years:...
- Music producer and musician Brendan O'Brien
Awards and recognitions
- Dekalb County and Region IV Star Student
- Dekalb Counselor of the Year
- Georgia Gymnastics Coach of the Year
- 2005 Dekalb County Gymnastics Champions
- International Media Festival Winner
- AAA State Basketball Champions (1996)http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/1995_96/leg/fulltext/sr658.htm
- AAA Track Champions
- AAAA State Basketball Champions (2007)
- AAAA State football Champions (2008)
- AAAA State Wresting Champion Carey Cloud (2010)
- AAAA State Wrestling Champion Gabriel Miller (2011)