Wentzville Holt High School
Encyclopedia
Wentzville Holt High School is the older and smaller of the two high schools in the Wentzville R-IV School District
. With a 2010 enrollment of 1,617, Holt is the sixth largest high school in St. Charles County, Missouri. Although officially known as Emil E. Holt Senior High School, it was known only as Wentzville High School until 2000, when "Holt" became a common addition to the name in preparation for the addition of a second high school in the district. Now the school is often referred to as just "Holt" or "Holt High", though the common initials remain WHHS or sometimes still WHS.
After months of debate and strong protest from students, the Wentzville Board of Education voted 6-1 in February 2007 to changed from block schedule back to a traditional seven-block schedule beginning in the fall. The controversial move came following District Superintendent Terry Adams' request that district principals explore options to save money and increase instructional time in core subjects. Approximately 200 residents attended the board meeting to protest such a schedule change. They argued that reverting back to traditional scheduling would result in less project-based learning and lab time, more chaos between classes, and less time for individualized instruction. Some board members cited flat standardized test scores over the past few years as another reason for the change. They stressed the district's need to concentrate on improving performance levels on a global scale to reach international benchmarks, rather than only comparing performance to other area districts. Adams also referenced studies that indicate block scheduling results in higher grades but lower achievement. Other sources have produced information that shows schools on the block schedule in Missouri have achieved higher grades and levels of achievement.
The vast majority of Holt High School graduates went on to some type of higher education; 45.1% went on to enroll at a four-year college or university and 40% of graduates enrolled at a 2-year college.
In 1997, Holt High School became the first high school in St. Charles County to receive A+ designation. The A+ Schools program is a school improvement initiative established by the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993. Graduates who meet the seven A+ state requirements are eligibility for tuition reimbursement and general fee reimbursement to attend any public community college or vocational/technical school in the State of Missouri.
Holt's MSHSAA sanctioned sports compete in the South Division of the Gateway Athletic Conference. Until recently, the school's traditional colors were royal blue and gold. A couple years after "Holt" was added to the common name for the school, new athletic coaches and staff began re-branding the teams with new logos and a change in colors to the current Navy and Vegas Gold.
Fall sports
Winter sports
Spring sports
, which is the main high school hockey league in Missouri. The Wentzville High School ice hockey program first competed in 1996. The team won its first division championship in 2000. When Timberland High School was constructed, its students could play for the Wentzville Holt team for several years until Timberland also formed its own hockey program. The two teams now play an annual rivalry game for the Crossroads Cup. In 2011, the Holt hockey team became the first hockey team from St. Charles County to win the Wickenheiser Cup championship, which is the equivalent of the Missouri state championship for ice hockey.
Wentzville R-IV School District
Wentzville R-IV School District is a school district in Wentzville, Missouri, United States.The district serves the cities of Foristell, Lake St. Louis, and Wentzville; and portions of O'Fallon and Dardenne Prairie...
. With a 2010 enrollment of 1,617, Holt is the sixth largest high school in St. Charles County, Missouri. Although officially known as Emil E. Holt Senior High School, it was known only as Wentzville High School until 2000, when "Holt" became a common addition to the name in preparation for the addition of a second high school in the district. Now the school is often referred to as just "Holt" or "Holt High", though the common initials remain WHHS or sometimes still WHS.
Block schedule
Wentzville High School was one of the first high schools in the St. Louis area to adopt a block scheduling system. The decision to implement a block schedule plan grew out of a planning effort to develop a vision and a program of improvement for the high school. The planning team behind the move toward block scheduling consisted of teachers, students, parents, and administrators, and it began meeting in 1993. Following the implementation of block scheduling in 1995, Wentzville served as a model for many other districts throughout the Midwest looking to adopt similar scheduling systems.After months of debate and strong protest from students, the Wentzville Board of Education voted 6-1 in February 2007 to changed from block schedule back to a traditional seven-block schedule beginning in the fall. The controversial move came following District Superintendent Terry Adams' request that district principals explore options to save money and increase instructional time in core subjects. Approximately 200 residents attended the board meeting to protest such a schedule change. They argued that reverting back to traditional scheduling would result in less project-based learning and lab time, more chaos between classes, and less time for individualized instruction. Some board members cited flat standardized test scores over the past few years as another reason for the change. They stressed the district's need to concentrate on improving performance levels on a global scale to reach international benchmarks, rather than only comparing performance to other area districts. Adams also referenced studies that indicate block scheduling results in higher grades but lower achievement. Other sources have produced information that shows schools on the block schedule in Missouri have achieved higher grades and levels of achievement.
Academics
In 2010, Holt's graduation rate was 90.3% and the average composite ACT score was 22.1, which is higher than the average state score of 21.6. 70.4% of graduates took the test.The vast majority of Holt High School graduates went on to some type of higher education; 45.1% went on to enroll at a four-year college or university and 40% of graduates enrolled at a 2-year college.
In 1997, Holt High School became the first high school in St. Charles County to receive A+ designation. The A+ Schools program is a school improvement initiative established by the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993. Graduates who meet the seven A+ state requirements are eligibility for tuition reimbursement and general fee reimbursement to attend any public community college or vocational/technical school in the State of Missouri.
Staff
As of 2010, Holt High School faculty have an average of 12.8 years of experience, and the average student to classroom teacher ratio is 18:1. The average annual salary is $54,173 for teachers and $100,329 for administrators, and 74.2% of teachers have a master's degree or higher. All of these figures are above their respective state averages.MSHSAA sanctioned sports
Fall sports
- Cross Country (Boys & Girls) (Class 4, District #5)
- Football (Class 5, District #2)
- Volleyball (Girls) (Class 4, District #8)
- Softball (Girls) (Class 4, District 9)
- Soccer (Boys) (Class 3, District #9)
- Swimming (Boys)
- Golf (Girls) (Class 2, District #4)
- Tennis (Girls) (Class 2, District #4)
- Cheerleading
- Dance Team
- Band
Winter sports
- Swimming (Girls)
- Basketball (Boys) (Class 5, District #9)
- Basketball (Girls) (Class 5, District #9)
- Cheerleading
- Dance Team
- Wrestling (Class 4, District #2)
Spring sports
- Baseball (Boys) (Class 4, District #9)
- Golf (Boys) (Class 4, District #5)
- Soccer (Girls) (Class 2, District #6)
- Tennis (Boys) (Class 2, District #4)
- Track and Field (Boys & Girls) (Class 4, District #5)
Ice Hockey
The Holt High School ice hockey team is a club sports program that competes in the St. Charles Division of the Mid-States Club Hockey AssociationMissouri high school hockey
High school ice hockey in Missouri is not sanctioned by the Missouri State High School Activities Association but is sanctioned by USA Hockey. High school hockey in Missouri consists of two leagues centered in the two largest cities in the state, St. Louis, Missouri and Kansas City Missouri. The...
, which is the main high school hockey league in Missouri. The Wentzville High School ice hockey program first competed in 1996. The team won its first division championship in 2000. When Timberland High School was constructed, its students could play for the Wentzville Holt team for several years until Timberland also formed its own hockey program. The two teams now play an annual rivalry game for the Crossroads Cup. In 2011, the Holt hockey team became the first hockey team from St. Charles County to win the Wickenheiser Cup championship, which is the equivalent of the Missouri state championship for ice hockey.
Other Sports
- Roller Hockey
- Lacrosse (Missouri Scholastic Lacrosse Association)
- Bowling (St. Charles High School League, USBC sanctioned)
Clubs and Organizations
- In 2009, the Ratchet Rockers First Robotics Team won the St. Louis regional.https://my.usfirst.org/myarea/index.lasso?page=team_details&tpid=21541&-session=myarea:C77D64050a79e36548Xyi438E40C
- Erica Loesche and Ryan Biggs selected as members of the International Thespian SocietyInternational Thespian SocietyThe International Thespian Society is an honorary organization for high-school and middle-school theatre students located at more than 3,600 affiliated secondary schools across the United States, Canada, and abroad. The International Thespian Society was founded in Fairmont, West Virginia...
's All-State Show, Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical, in 2010. - Gianfranco Burzio-Roca and Bradley Steven Annen received the S.W.A.G. award. Amy Schmidt finished a close second.
Notable alumni
- Dan Alexander '96, former University of Nebraska All-Big 12 running back and former NFL player with the Tennessee TitansTennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
(2001), Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville JaguarsThe Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(2002) and St. Louis RamsSt. Louis RamsThe St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
(2003) - Judson Birza '07, Winner of Survivor: NicaraguaSurvivor: NicaraguaSurvivor: Nicaragua is the 21st season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. It premiered on September 15, 2010 at 8:00pm, moving to the Wednesday timeslot for the first time since Survivor: Borneo....
- Kristin Boeker '97, Assistant Head Soccer Coach at the University of Texas at San AntonioUniversity of Texas at San AntonioThe University of Texas at San Antonio, commonly referred to as UTSA, is a state university in San Antonio, Texas. With an enrollment of more than 30,000 students, it is the third-largest of nine universities and six health institutions in the University of Texas System and the eighth-largest in...
, former second-team All-Big 12 soccer player at the University of MissouriUniversity of MissouriThe University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
. - Ross DetwilerRoss DetwilerRoss Emery Detwiler is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals. He is a left-handed pitcher with a mid 90s fastball that has topped out at 96 miles per hour. He throws a fastball, curveball, and changeup....
'04, former Missouri State UniversityMissouri State UniversityMissouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
pitcher who was drafted by the Washington NationalsWashington NationalsThe Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
as the 6th overall pick in the 2007 MLB Draft - Pat Elzie '80, standout basketball player who scored more than 800 points at Holy CrossHoly Cross CrusadersThe Holy Cross Crusaders are the athletic teams representing the College of the Holy Cross. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Patriot League. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Atlantic Hockey Association and women's golf in the Big South Conference...
. Went on to play professional basketball in Germany. - Chad Freidrichs, Instructor at Stephens CollegeStephens CollegeStephens College is a women's college located in Columbia, Missouri. It is the second oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college in the United States. It was founded on August 24, 1833 as the Columbia Female Academy. In 1856, David H. Hickman turned it into a college,...
, and award-winning documentary filmmaker known for films Jandek on Corwood and The Pruitt-Igoe Myth. - Tim Melville '08, drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB Draft and currently pitching in the minors in the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
organization. - Lee Ann Miller '80, 1984 Olympic1984 Winter OlympicsThe 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
and four-time World team pairs figure skater - Ethan PlaceEthan PlaceJohn Ethan Place is a Marine Corps sniper. In Fallujah, the then-twenty-year-old sniper scored 32 confirmed kills in thirteen days, from April 11 to April 24, 2004. He received the Silver Star, the military's third highest award....
'01, former Scout SniperScout SniperScout Sniper is a secondary MOS designator of U.S. Marine Corps infantrymen and reconnaissance Marines that have successfully graduated from a USMC Scout Sniper School. Scout Snipers provide close reconnaissance and surveillance to the infantry battalion...
with the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and recipient of the Silver StarSilver StarThe Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
, featured in the History Channel documentary One Shot/One Kill - Reginald Ragland '70, retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who served as a senior public affairs officer at the Pentagon, now leads summer journalism camps at several universities and serves on the board of directors of the Washington Association of Black Journalists.
- Les Sachs '68, evening news anchor, Senior Editor and Director of Public Affairs at NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate WGEM-TVWGEM-TVWGEM-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Tri-States area of Western Illinois, Northeastern Missouri, and extreme Southeastern Iowa that is licensed to Quincy, Illinois. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 10 from a transmitter east of the city on Cannonball...
. - Tony Wallace '79, all time leading scorer for Wentzville basketball, one of only three players in St. Charles County high school basketball history to score more than 2,000 points, averaged 21.17 PPG at Wentzville, led the Indians to a 3rd place finish in the class 3A state championship in 1979, played college basketball at Tulane UniversityTulane UniversityTulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
. Wallace was the first athlete from Wentzville High School to have a uniform number retired.