Lancaster High School (Ohio)

Infobox_School | name = Lancaster Senior High School


imagesize = 67px
motto =
established = 1849, current building opened in 1963
type = Public
principal = Steve Wigton
faculty =
enrollment =
colors = Blue & Gold
mascot = Golden Gales, personified as Taz from the Looney Tunes cartoon series.
location = 1312 Granville Pk.
Lancaster, OH 43130
information = [phone]
website = http://www.lancaster.k12.oh.us

Lancaster High School is a secondary-level public high school located in Lancafster, Ohio and is the only high school within the Lancaster City Schools district. The current building was opened during the fall of 1963, at a cost of $3,198,991.87. Currently, the building houses grades 9-12, a recent change due to the failure of multiple bond and levy issues voted down in local elections, forcing the closure of the freshman-only Stanbery Campus of the high school. Lancaster HIgh School offers college prep, honors, AP, average, and lower level classes and houses its own career & technical education (vocational) center.

History

The first high school in Lancaster, Ohio was founded in 1849 and was housed in a building at the corner of Broad and Mulberry Streets, in what was known then as the North Building. In 1856, the high school was moved to a South School due to over crowding at the North Building. Enrollment continued to increase and in 1872 the school board had to provide additional classrooms at another building until 1873 when a new three-story North School building was opened. This building eventually became overcrowded, and in 1906 the high school was moved to a new building located at the corner of Mulberry Street and Pearl Avenue (current location of the Stanbery Campus). According to board of education minutes from 1908, the new building already was overcrowded; and in 1914 a bond issues was passed to allow an extension to be built on to the existing building. This annex was completed in 1917. Overcrowding continued, and in 1930 another addition to the building was completed. In 1950, the final addition to the high school was completed to the east side of the building, which today houses administrative offices.

In 1963, a State Fire Marshall ordered that the 1906 and 1917 sections of the building be abandoned because they were a fire hazard. These sections were demolished in 1965.

In October 1960, the school board selected a location for a new site for the high school. Construction began in 1961, and was completed in 1963.

Current Building

The current building is located on a 75 acre site, located on Granville Pk (SR 37). The building consists of two wings: the left-wing (front)-1st floor houses administrative offices, the library, teachers' lounge, and general classrooms -2nd floor houses classrooms and labs for biology, chemistry, and physics; the right-wing (only 1 story) houses art, music, and shop classes. Between the two wings is an area referred to the "GAC," housing the Gymnasium, Auditorim, and Cafeteria.

In 1963, Fulton Field was opened to accommodate football games.

In 1965, using funds from interest earned from previous bond issues and funds from the National Education Act of 1963, the high school opened a vocational building on-site to house cosmetology, drafting, electronics, auto mechanics, and Occupational Work Experience programs. In addition, a planetarium was constructed using donated monies from Mrs. Phillip Rising Peters in memory of her husband and son. In addition to the building, Mrs. Peters also donated the instruments and equipment used in the planetarium. [http://www.lancaster.k12.oh.us/d%5Fsmith/ Peters Planetarium] is one of a very few actually located on the grounds of a high school.

In 2003, as part of Ohio's bicentential, the High School was made a historical landmark due to Robert G. Heft's designing of the current 50-star flag.

The students of Lancaster High School have a bike path that connects to the Ohio University Lancaster Campus.

Notable Alumni

* David Graf, actor most notable for playing Officer Tackleberry in the Police Academy films.
* Bobby Carpenter, linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys.
* Robert G. Heft, designer of America's 50 star flag, which was adopted by the U.S. Congress on July 4th, 1960.
* Rex Kern, former Ohio State football quarterback.
*Marc Wolfgang Miller, cryptozoologist, explorer

External links

* [http://www.lancaster.k12.oh.us Lancaster High School]
* [http://www.lancaster.k12.oh.us/lcshistory/ Lancaster City Schools History]
* [http://www.lancastergoldengales.com/ Lancaster High School Athletic Program]
* [http://www.bandofgold.org/ Lancaster High School Band of Gold]
* [http://www.lancaster.k12.oh.us/s_mathias/ Lancaster High School Drama Department]