Type Public High School Status Open School number 232582 Phone +1 989-923-5382 | Established 1968 Principal Dr. Steve Poole Mascot Mounted Knight Motto "A Legacy of Excellence" | |
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Address 3901 N Saginaw Rd, Midland, MI 48640, USA Similar Bullock Creek High School, Western High School, Heritage High School, Arthur Hill High School, Freeland High School | ||
Herbert Henry Dow High School is a public high school located in Midland, Michigan. The school, a part of Midland Public Schools, is a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and in 2008 was named one of the top 20 High Schools in Michigan in a study commissioned by US News & World Report.
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History
The facility, also known as H.H. Dow High School, Dow High or Midland Dow is one of two high schools in the Midland Public School district, and a member of the Saginaw Valley High School Association. The facility was intended to alleviate overcrowding at Midland High School and construction of the 270,000-square-foot (25,000 m2) building was completed in 1968 at a cost of $9,172,303. The school was named in honor of Herbert Henry Dow, founder of the Dow Chemical Company, based in Midland. When the school opened in 1968, only sophomores were in attendance, and they would be the first class to graduate in 1971. One grade was added each year and the school included grades 10-12 until a freshman class was added in 1997. A $2.2 million science wing with 4,800 square feet (450 m2) was added in 1999. Music and athletic facilities were enhanced in 2005 as part of a 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2) building expansion which cost $3,827,697.
Dow High School has been accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools every year since 1972.
Faculty
Of the 93 faculty members at Dow High School, 67% hold single or double master's degrees or doctorates in their academic areas. Average academic class size is 26.0 students and the student-counselor ratio is 370-1.
Demographics
H.H. Dow High School Profile 2013/2014
Curriculum
A large majority of students follow a college preparatory curriculum with emphasis in mathematics, science, language arts, and social studies. 81% of the class of 2007 enrolled in two or four year college programs after graduation. Vocational programs are offered in Business Education, Technology Education, Life Management and Special Education. Approximately 15% of the senior class participated in the Cooperative Education program during the 2007-2008 school year.
Both high schools in Midland participate in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, which is intended for highly motivated juniors and seniors. The first full year of the program was 2007-08.
Athletics
The annual football game against Midland High is considered one of the biggest high school football games in the state of Michigan, generally drawing over 10,000 spectators. The Chargers have one state championship (1976), and have played for the state championship twice. Midland Community Stadium is located adjacent to Midland High School but is shared by both schools for football, track & field and soccer games. The grass field was replaced with blue AstroTurf XPe in 2004.
In 2009, both the girl's and boy's varsity tennis teams won state championships. It was the first championship by the girls' team, and the first for the boys in 25 years. The girls won division 1, while the boys won division 2. The boys team has gone on to win state championships in 2010 and 2011 also.
In 2011 the JV competitive Pom pon team placed 5th in the state, and in 2012 the Varsity competitive pom pon team placed 10th in the State.
Notable alumni
Shooting
At approximately 11:00 AM EST (16:00 UTC) on March 7, 2007, a fatal shooting occurred on a sidewalk just outside the building, near the cafeteria. David Turner, a former student at nearby Coleman High School, shot his ex-girlfriend Jessica Forsyth four times with a .44 caliber handgun (which belonged to Turner's mother) before committing suicide. Forsyth was hit three times in the chest, and once in the arm, but the injuries were not fatal.
Turner had been ordered to leave the school premises before the incident, but returned later when Forsyth agreed to meet him. Turner and Forsyth both attended an alternative high school in the area until March 5, when Forsyth transferred to H.H. Dow High. Authorities believe that Turner acted because Forsyth had broken off the relationship and transferred to Dow High to distance herself from Turner. Turner was previously convicted of stealing firearms, as well as a count of domestic abuse against his mother. He was sentenced to 18 months' probation in December 2006 with stipulation that he must not use a firearm.
On June 15, 2007 ABC-TV's 20/20 program broadcast a segment about the shooting. It turns out that Jessica was four months pregnant with Turner's baby at the time of the shooting. She and the baby both survived the shooting, apparently because Jessica had a metal plate in her chest due to a childhood accident.