Butler Area Senior High School


Butler Area Senior High School is a coeducational public senior high school in Butler Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States, serving grades 9–12. The school has a Butler, Pennsylvania post office address. It is the senior high school for the Butler Area School District. The school was founded in 1908, moved to a larger building on an adjacent site in 1917, and moved again to its current site in 1960.

History

Butler Senior High School was originally opened in a yellow-brick building on a site bounded by McKean, East North, Cliff, and New Castle Streets in central Butler. In 1917 it moved to a three-story red-brick building across Cliff Street, the original building becoming the junior high school. In 1937 it was named John A. Gibson High School, in honor of the district superintendent who retired that year. In 1960 it moved again, to a new building on Campus Lane. The 1917 building later became the junior high school, with an annex built in 1994–95 occupying the site of the 1908 building.
Previously Butler Area Senior High had grades 11-12, while the Intermediate High School had grades 9-10, and the Junior High School 7-8. The junior high, later a middle school, closed in 2022. Since then the Intermediate High School took over for middle school/junior high school grades, and the senior high school now has the grade span 9-12.

Attendance boundary

The district covers the City of Butler, the boroughs of Connoquenessing and East Butler, and the townships of Butler, Center, Clearfield, Connoquenessing, Oakland and Summit. Census-designated places in Butler Township include Homeacre-Lyndora, Meadowood, Meridian, and Oak Hills. CDPs in Center Township include Shanor-Northvue and Unionville.

Extracurricular programs

The Senior High is home to the Butler Golden Tornado athletics teams and offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports.

Marching band

The Butler Golden Tornado Marching Band marches 175 students, who audition for their places.

Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps

Butler High School has an Army J.R.O.T.C. program battalion, the Tornado Battalion.

Notable alumni

Sports
Major League Baseball
National Football League
Sports, other
Film, Stage & Television
  • Chester Aaron, author with over two dozen publications
  • Marc Blucas, actor, best known by his portrayal of Riley Finn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • Joan Chandler, actress, best known for her roles in Alfred Hitchcock's Rope with James Stewart and Humoresque with Joan Crawford.
  • Josie Carey, the host of The Children's Corner on WQED in Pittsburgh. Fred Rogers was a puppeteer and musician on her show for seven years before creating Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
  • Barbara Feldon, actress and model, best known for her portrayal of Agent 99 of the TV series Get Smart
  • Joe Fishel, actor
  • Grace Gealey, actress, portrayed 'Anika' on the Fox series Empire
  • Fred McCarren, actor, best known for his roles in Amanda's and Hill Street Blues.
  • Michele Pawk, Tony Award-winning actress
Music
Public Office and Military
Technology
Pageants
Other