Arlington Heights High School
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Arlington Heights High School (AHHS, Heights) is a secondary school located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Fort Worth Independent School District. Its mascot is the Yellow Jacket and its colors are blue and gold.
| Arlington Heights High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
4501 West Freeway , 76107 United States | |
| Coordinates | 32°43′55″N 97°23′9″W / 32.73194°N 97.38583°WCoordinates: 32°43′55″N 97°23′9″W / 32.73194°N 97.38583°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public secondary |
| Established | 1920[1] |
| School district | Fort Worth independent school District |
| Principal | Sarah Weeks |
| Teaching staff | 119.50 (FTE)[2] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,919 (2019–20)[2] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 16.18[2] |
| Campus | Urban |
| Color(s) | Royal blue and gold |
| Athletics conference | University Interscholastic League 5A |
| Nickname | Heights |
| Rival | Paschal High School |
| Newspaper | Jacket Journal |
| Website | School website |
Arlington Heights High School serves western portions of Fort Worth including the Como, Arlington Heights, Ridglea, Meadows West,[3] and Rivercrest neighborhoods, and the City of Westover Hills.[4] As of 1996 some students were bussed in from the Butler subsidized housing in Downtown Fort Worth and some communities in southeast Fort Worth with racial and ethnic minority groups.[3]
Hollace Weiner of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said in 1996 that the school was a "scholastically touted institution that draws students from private schools."[3]
History
Arlington Heights High School was established in 1922 and hosted 715 students in its inaugural year. The current building was built in 1937 to a design by Preston Geren Sr. Originally, students from this area attended Stripling High School in the 1920s, which is now a feeder middle school.
Arlington Heights was generally affluent and white until the late 1960s. African American students attended Como High School, which no longer exists and was merged with Arlington Heights at its closing. Students at Arlington Heights refer to their school as "The Hill", as the main building offers a view of the Trinity River valley to the south, from which AHHS is visible.
In 1968 Western Hills High School was initially hosted in temporary buildings at Arlington Heights,[5] until its campus opened in 1969.[6] on the 25-acre tract in West Fort Worth at 3600 Boston Avenue.[citation needed]
Notable incidents
In 1979, a Paschal High School student (and son of a county Commissioner) stole a bulldozer from a County construction site, drove it up Hulen Street and rammed it into the Arlington Heights High School Field House the day before the annual Heights-Paschal football game, destroying the field house.[7] This resulted in criminal convictions and a nationwide reassessment of safety and security measures, as well as beginning a national discussion about youth violence and vandalism on many national television and radio programs.
In 1963, a number of Paschal students attacked a crowd of Arlington Heights students, using blunt weapons, Molotov cocktails, and a single plane fly-over, which dropped toilet paper with Paschal's school colors.[8]
Description
The school occupies a red brick building that is visible from Interstate 30 (West Freeway).[3]
The main building houses 74 classrooms, a library, band hall, auditorium, gymnasium, cafeteria, workrooms and administrative offices. Outside buildings include a second gymnasium, field houses with concessions stands, and a weight room. The new wing opened in the fall of 2004 and houses six classrooms and a-state of-the-art dance studio. The surrounding grounds are covered with tennis courts, baseball, softball, a unique multi-purpose athletic facility, soccer and football fields, and an all-weather track which is open to public use.[9]
Student body
In 2014, approximately 1,800 students attended the school. 46% were Hispanic, 29% were White Anglo, and 22% were Black. 45% of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.[10]
Arlington Heights' student-athletes compete in the UIL 5A classification for 12 varsity sports.
Notable alumni
- Michael A. Andrews, United States Representative from Texas (1983–1995)
- Leon Bridges, Singer
- Blake Brockermeyer, former NFL player for the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, and Denver Broncos, and former Texas Longhorns lineman
- Milton Brown, "father of Western swing"
- Betty Buckley, Tony Award-winning actress and singer[11]
- Tim Curry, Tarrant County District Attorney, 1972–2009
- T. Cullen Davis, son of oil tycoon Stinky Davis; accused and acquitted twice for murder at his mansion
- John Denver, folk rock musician[3]
- Willie Flores, United States Coast Guard Medal recipient[12]
- Tony Franklin, former placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, and Miami Dolphins[11]
- Pete Geren, United States Representative from Texas (1989–1997) and Secretary of the Army (2007–2009)[11]
- Preston Geren Jr., architect
- Turner Gill, head football coach at Liberty University; former head football coach for the Kansas Jayhawks; former National Champion Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback[13]
- Robert Allen Hale, criminal and self-proclaimed pilgrim of the Alaskan wilderness
- Gunilla Hutton, cast member on Hee Haw and Petticoat Junction
- Martha Hyer, actress nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
- Joe K. Longley, former President of the Texas State Bar[14]
- Delbert McClinton, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and musician
- Ronnie Mills, former swimmer; won gold and bronze medals at the age of 17 at the 1968 Summer Olympics
- Lee Harvey Oswald, assassin of President John F. Kennedy (did not graduate)
- Bill Paxton, actor and film director
- Mike Renfro, former NFL player for the Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys; college player at TCU
- Sergio Reyes, former U.S. Olympic boxer
- Chuck Reynolds, football player
- Dusty Rhodes, Hall of Fame professional wrestler, known as "The American Dream"
- A'Shawn Robinson, All-American football player, University of Alabama; former defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions, currently for the Los Angeles Rams
- Tom Schieffer, former U.S. Ambassador to Australia and Japan; candidate for Democratic nomination for governor of Texas
- Tommy Thompson, author
- Marc Veasey, Congressman
- William Walker, Metropolitan Opera baritone
- Van Williams, actor, The Green Hornet
Feeder patterns
Students attending the following feeder schools are zoned to attend Arlington Heights High School:[15]
Elementary schools
- Burton Hill
- Como
- M.L. Phillips
- North Hi Mount
- Ridglea Hills
- South Hi Mount
Middle schools
- W.C. Stripling
- William Monnig
Rivalries
- R. L. Paschal High School, Fort Worth (listed by Texas Football Monthly as the oldest ongoing high school rivalry in Texas history)[16]
- Trimble Tech High School
- Western Hills High School
References
- ^ . Archived from the original (English) on December 10, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
- ^ a b c ARLINGTON HEIGHTS H S
- ^ a b c d e Weiner, Hollace. "Low scores at Arlington Heights called no surprise." Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Monday August 5, 1996. 9 Metro. Retrieved on December 12, 2011.
- ^ Kennedy, Bud. "Teens' talk turns to tales of hate and killing." Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Thursday March 26, 1992. 2 News. Retrieved on December 12, 2011. "News central: Millionaires and wealthy families live in Westover Hills and the Rivercrest neighborhood, and their children go to Arlington Heights High."
- ^ "Endurance Test". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. September 7, 1968. p. 4-A. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Western Hills High Building Opened". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. January 28, 1969. p. 2-A. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
- ^ https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1985/july/doomsday/ Doomsday "D" Magazine
- ^ 50 years ago, Paschal flew into history, with a high school prank gone wild Fort Worth Star Telegram
- ^ "Arlington Heights High School - Home". schools.fortworthisd.net. Archived from the original on February 8, 2007. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ "Arlington Heights High School".
- ^ a b c Arlington Heights Yearbook
- ^ "Getting his due Coast Guard hero receives honor posthumously". Fort Worth Star Telegram. September 17, 2000. Retrieved December 2, 2011. (subscription required.
- ^ Turner Gill Official High School Football Statistics, Arlington Heights Yearbook
- ^ Patricia Busa McConnico (June 2018). "The Good Fight". Texas Bar Journal. p. 448.
- ^ "SchoolSite Locator".
- ^ Texas High School Monthly, Fall 2008