Tucson High Magnet School
Tucson High Magnet School, commonly referred to as THMS, THS, or Tucson High, is a public high school in Tucson, Arizona. It is part of the Tucson Unified School District with magnet programs in Technology, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts. The school is located adjacent to the University of Arizona and is close to the Downtown Arts District. It is the oldest high school in Arizona, having been established in 1892 and then re-established in 1906. The school celebrated its centennial in 2006. In terms of enrollment, THMS is the largest high school in southern Arizona and the eleventh-largest in Arizona, with more than 3,200 students enrolled.
History
Tucson High is the oldest operating public high school in Arizona. On April 10, 1906, the Arizona Board of Regents resolved that as of September 1, 1906, students from all Arizona cities, having a population of more than 5,000, must have completed the 9th grade before enrolling in the University of Arizona Preparatory Department. Then the voters of Tucson School District No. 1 approved the formation of a high school district on August 8, 1906.The first day of class in the newly established Tucson High School was on September 10, 1906, with 45 students who began classes in the Plaza School at 13th Street and 4th Avenue. After a few weeks, the high school students were relocated to a two-room building located at 1010 E. 10th Street, the current location of Tucson Unified School District headquarters.
In 1908, they moved to the newly constructed Tucson High School building at 501 E. 6th Street, which is currently Roskruge Elementary and Bilingual Magnet Middle School, and remained at that location until they completed their high school years. By 1910, only ten students from that original class remained as students.
Construction on the current Tucson High School Main Building began in 1923 and was completed in 1924, in time for the fall classes. Tucson High's Main Building was designed by Henry Jaastad and cost $750,000. The grand building with its ornate details, such as Corinthian columns, stood as an architectural masterpiece then and remains the same today. A magnificent icon, the 14 towering columns of the Main Building welcomed classes ranging in size from 175 in 1924 to the largest class of 3,500+ in 2016. In the 1956, a second high school, Pueblo High School opened its doors in the southern part of Tucson and, in 1957, Catalina High School opened in the northeast part of the town to accommodate the increasing number of students in the fast-growing city of Tucson. Although Amphitheater High School had been operating at this time, it was a separate school district that served just a few students living in what was then far northwest area of Tucson. Amphi opened in 1939 as the second high school in Tucson.
The 1987 film, Can't Buy Me Love, starring Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson, was shot on location at the school when it was known as Tucson High School.
Achievements
First-place photography awards in AGFA national competition and other national recognition programs; five gold keys in Scholastic Art competitions; winners in the District graphic design competitions; band, choral, and drama groups have rated “superior” in local and state competitions, orchestras receiving "superior" ratings and "superior with distinction" in the Fall of the 2015–2016 school year, and several music groups attending competitions in California every year, some receiving Silver rankings and gold rankings to be given the chance to compete to perform in Carnegie Hall in New York; Academic Decathlon honors and high placement in the Southern Arizona Mock Trial competition; District recognition for “Outstanding Young Scientist;” students in the Math, Engineering, Science Achievement program have placed high in state competition; several Regional Science Fair student awards; two National Merit Scholar Finalists.The School's Yearbook Publication, The Tucsonian, is a nationally recognized and awarded publication that often receives First Class ratings from the National Scholastic Press Association, and a nomination for a Pacemaker Award, the highest national honor in the field of student journalism, for the 2010 volume of the book.
In 2013, Tucson High's theater teacher, Art Almquist, was named one of People Magazine's Teachers of the Year.
Programs
Noteworthy programs at THMS include performing and visual arts; technological education providing comprehensive curriculum to all students with the most current technology available in these areas; an integrated program in humanities, arts, math, science, computers, bilingual and block English/social studies classes; the unique location enables students to take advantage of programs at the University of Arizona, Pima Community College, and the Downtown Arts District; marching band and jazz ensembles; vocal music; orchestra; mariachi; guitar; musical theater; folklorico; piano lab; film acting; studio photography; commercial arts; steel drums; environmental biology; integrated technology; robotics; and desktop publishing; and advanced placement classes are available in ten academic areas. One of the schools most significant and controversial programs focuses on Mexican American Studies. This program's curriculum is specifically designed to give Chicano/Latino students a more inclusive and culturally aware approach to education.Marching Band
The Tucson High Marching 100 is the oldest marching band in Tucson, Arizona. Started in 1919 as instrumental music by Arthur Sewell the program has grown immensely in its 100+ year time.The Tucson High Marching 100 performs a field show annually at home football games and at competitions such as: University of Arizona Band Day, Ironwood Ridge March the Ridge, Flowing Wells Show of Shows, Mountain View Rock the Den, TUSD Marching Band Exhibition, and Arizona State Marching Band Championships.
The band programs are directed by Morani Sanders, who, during his time at the accredited University High School, directed the best jazz ensembles in the United States. This leadership has influenced many other schools as Tucson High is a main source of training for many music educators in the Tucson area.
| Year | Show Title | Musical Selections | Director | Members |
| 2005 | Paridise Lost, Paridise Found | Time to Waste, Mockingbird, Gangsta's Paradise | Robert Sanchez | |
| 2008 | Wicked | No One Mourns the Wicked, Dancing Through Life/Defying Gravity, For Good/No Good Deed/No One Mourns the Wicked | Christopher Constantine | |
| 2009 | The Music of Michael Mcdonald | Takin it to The Streets, What a Cool Belief, Minute by minute, This is it | Christopher Constantine | |
| 2010 | Think Fast: The Music of Stevie Dans | Ribbon of the Year, Ricky don't lose that number, Josie | Christopher Constantine | |
| 2011 | The Multiples of One | Call of the Mountain, Adelina Damya, River of Tears | Christopher Constantine | |
| 2012 | A Night in the Tucson Mountains | Night Watch - Movement I, Night Watch - Movement II, Night on Bald Mountain | Christopher Constantine | |
| 2013 | THMS M100 World Tours | Riverdance, El Cumbachero, April in Paris, Pictures At An Exhibition/Great Gate Of Kia | Christopher Constantine | 97 |
| 2014 | Alive and Amplified | The Pretender, All Along the Watchtower, Creep, Thriller | Christopher Constantine | 104 |
| 2015 | Star Trek | Lucy Huestis, Dean Moore | 105 | |
| 2016 | Keeping it Classic | Lucy Huestis, Dean Moore | 91 | |
| 2017 | Expressions in Red | Lucy Huestis, Dean Moore | 122 | |
| 2018 | West Side Story | Dean Moore | 105 | |
| 2019 | One Small Step | Sea, Air, Space | Dean Moore, Morani Sanders | 107 |
| 2021 | Elemental | Dark Skies, Cyclonic Destruction, Falling Snow, Rains and Parting Clouds | Dean Moore, Morani Sanders | 60 |
| 2022 | The Happiness Project | Can't Stop the Feeling, Adelie Land, Sing, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life | Dean Moore, Morani Sanders | 60 |
| 2023 | Decades of Adventure | Jurassic Park, Crossing Paths, Pirates of the Caribbean | Dean Moore, Morani Sanders | 69 |
| 2024 | Babylonia | The Tower, Hanging Gardens, Destruction | Morani Sanders, Evan Norwood | 64 |
| 2025 | Corazon Partido | Pasion Danza, Corazon Espanoles, Calles Noche | Morani Sanders, Evan Norwood, Jules O'Heron | 55 |
Every Year the Tucson High Marching 100 participates in many local parades such as the Downtown Parade of Lights, The Pima Pet Parade, and the Tucson Rodeo Parade.
Jovert (Steel Drums)
The Jovert Steel Drums Band started as Arizona's first high school steel drum ensemble in 1991 under band director Laszlo Veres. In 1999 the program was handed off to jazz pianist, Khris Dodge who was the first to call the program Jovert in 2000. As of 2010 the program services 110 students at Tucson High and has published four CDs in the past two decades. The program was handed off to a former student, Reuben Woodruff in 2021 before being taken over by band director Morani Sanders that same year. In 2024 the steel drum band changed direction again with Carlos Solis leading the program.Jovert plays pop songs in the steel drum style around various venues in the Tucson region. The performances by the jovert put audiences in energetic mood.