Topeka High School
Topeka High School is a public secondary school in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It serves students in grades 9 to 12, and is one of five high schools operated by the Topeka USD 501 school district. In the 2010–2011 school year, there were 1,840 students enrolled.
Topeka High School was established in 1871, and moved to its current location in 1931. At the time, it was among the first million dollar high schools west of the Mississippi River. Topeka High offers a variety of sports and extracurricular activities, and notable alumni include Charles Curtis, 31st Vice President of the United States.
History
Early history
The Topeka Board of Education established Topeka High School in 1871, and the first classes were held on the 3rd floor of Lincoln College at the time located where the GAR Memorial Hall is currently. Over the next 10 years, the school was moved to various locations, including the Washburn Building at 10th and Jackson, and a room situated above the Topeka YMCA and Daily Capital newspaper. In 1882, the first black student graduated from Topeka High. Attendance continued to outgrow the capacity of the school facilities, and in 1894, a new school was completed on the northwest corner of 8th and Harrison, at a cost of $85,000. Topeka High School's student population had reached 1,000 by 1903, and a decision was made to construct a Manual Training High School across the street on the southwest corner of 8th and Harrison, at a cost of $100,000. One third of the new building would be for manual training, and the remainder used for academic classes.In 1915, an auditorium and cafeteria were added to the north school, and the old auditorium was converted to classes. Soon after, a portable frame building was constructed to serve as a study hall and library, and in 1923, an administration building known as 'The Annex' was added to the west side of the south building. In 1921, Topeka High's cafeteria cook Ida M. Moyer was declared "Champion Pie Baker of the World". It was calculated that over the previous 6 years, Moyer had baked 37,248 pies.
Current location era
Overcrowding persisted at the new facility, made worse in 1924 when Topeka's fire marshal closed the school's 4th floor, calling it "the biggest fire trap in the city". A committee planning the construction of a new high school recommended that one large school be built, and that it occupy an entire city block. They wished it to be "an addition to the City's public buildings, and not just another building". Bishop James Wise offered to sell the grounds of Bethany College and other church property for a price of $142,000, and in 1928, Topeka voters approved issuing bonds of $1.1 million to finance construction of the new Topeka High School. Thomas W. Williamson and Theodore R. Griest were selected as architects, and Linus Burr Smith as designer. Construction of the new school took 18 months, and the total cost was $1.8 million. The school opened in September 1931, and there were 2000 students enrolled by the following year.A spar from the USS Constitution was acquired with the assistance of Vice President Curtis, and mounted on a nautical base in the plaza to serve as a flagpole. It was dedicated in October 1931. After years of wear, a replacement spar, also from the USS Constitution, was installed in 2004. Topeka High's 'Hoehner Auditorium' was selected as the site for the inauguration of Kansas Governor Payne Ratner, on January 9, 1939. In 1957, Time and Newsweek listed Topeka High among the 38 best schools in the nation.
Two new high schools helped ease the crowded conditions at Topeka High: Highland Park High School was annexed into Topeka in 1958, and Topeka West High School was completed in 1961. Restructuring of the district curriculum meant that in 1980, students in the 9th grade would begin attending high school. In 1984, Topeka High installed a computer-assisted automated dialing device which called home each time a student was truant. Principal Ned Nusbaum commented, "It's been a very effective tool for getting kids into class". The US Dept of Education recognized Topeka High as a "School of Excellence" in 1989.
In 2001, Topeka High awarded an honorary diploma to the Honorable Eric S. Rosen, Justice, Kansas Supreme Court—a longtime supporter of the school. The school celebrated its 75th anniversary at its current site on September 17, 2006. In 2007, Topeka High School was ordered to stop providing free condoms to students, as it was contrary to school district policy. The annual Martin Luther King event, sponsored by the state of Kansas, took place in Hoehner Auditorium in 2012. Topeka High is located near the Statehouse, and the governor's celebration at the new venue was well received.
Campus
The 1931 campus is a stunning, three-story Gothic building of almost 278,000 square feet designed by Thomas W. Williamson, a 1907 graduate of Topeka High School.Notable architecture includes an ornate bell tower, which rises 165 feet over the main building entrance and contains an 18-note Deagan tubular tower chime. In 1974, the tower was rededicated in honor of Thomas Williamson.
The library was modeled after the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace. Much of the wood shelving is hand-carved, and the ceiling is hand-painted. The original chairs, now 75 years old, remain in the library and have been restored by the Topeka High School Historical Society.
The 1931 building was fitted with a water supply and drain for a pool, though rising costs and concerns about segregation delayed the pool's construction until 1957. In 2005, the 20-yard swimming pool located underneath the gym was closed and converted into Laney Gym. It is used for P.E. classes and wrestling. An additional gym was constructed on the soccer field located on the northwest side of the school where JV basketball games, Freshman basketball games, and volleyball games are played. Varsity basketball continues to be played in the "Dungeon."
The school building contains 4 fireplaces, and a greenhouse built in the late 1970s.
In 2000, the school installed air conditioning.
Topeka High School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 2005.
Academics
In 1988, Topeka High School was selected as a Blue Ribbon School. The Blue Ribbon Award recognizes public and private schools which perform at high levels or have made significant academic improvements.Topeka High has eight classes on a traditional bell schedule Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. On Wednesday and Thursday, the schedule changes to a modified block schedule. Odd numbered classes are on Wednesday and even numbered classes are on Thursday. In 2017 it was decided that Trojan time would be every single day during the 4th class period. Before it was only on Thursdays. Trojan Time allows students to sign out to specific locations for further help from teachers, or just stay in their current class and study. Six percent of Topeka High's enrollment comes as transfer students. Students outside the attendance zone come to the school for its strong fine arts program, including a music program its forensic and debate teams, as well as its foreign language program, which offers Spanish, German, Mandarin, and French. Also, THS also supports a Marine Corps JROTC drill team.