Hillcrest High School (Idaho)

School history

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, overcrowding at Bonneville High School and a rising population in the southern end of Bonneville School District #93 proved a need for a second school within the district's boundaries. The passage of a bond issue in 1990 in the amount of $10,880,000 provided the financial means for constructing Hillcrest High School, along with Iona Elementary School and a major addition to Falls Valley Elementary School. Students started classes in August 1992 in grades nine through twelve. Some areas were not completed when the school opened, including the gym. The property adjoins the property of Sandcreek Middle School and makes an acceptable middle school/high school campus configuration.

Academics

Hillcrest offers a variety off scholastic opportunities for students. The school offers foreign language courses in German, Italian, Spanish, and French. It also offers 7 different Advanced Placement classes: Calculus, Statistics, U.S. Government, U.S. History, Economics, English Literature, and English Composition. Hillcrest also affords students the opportunity to participate in vocational/technical courses in conjunction with Bonneville High School and Eastern Idaho Technical College. These courses include drafting, woodworking, metalworking, electronics, auto body, auto tech, welding, cabinet making, robotics, family science, and a Certified Nursing Program. Hillcrest sponsors an ACT preparation course in the spring and fall.

In 2006-2007, Hillcrest had a graduation rate of 98.39%, above that of their district average (97.41%) and the national average (about 70%).

The student teacher ratio is 21, a little above the state average of 18.

Clubs and activities

Clubs at Hillcrest include: Art Society, Ballroom Dance Team, Bible Club, Business Professionals of America (BPA), Chorale, Debate, Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, French Club, Future Lawyers, German Club, History Club, HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), Idaho Falls Robotics Team, Inklings, Interact Club, Italian Club, Knightline Dancers, The Knight Times Newspaper, National Honor Society, Operation Ping Pong, Pep Band, Round Table, Ski and Snowboarding Club, Spanish Club, Spirit Squad, Student Council, Swim Team, Tennis Club, Thespians, Yearbook, and Young Democrats of America. Hillcrest High School is renowned for its highly successful speech and debate teams.

Hillcrest publishes a self-run newspaper, funded primarily by advertisements and fund raising, called The Knight Times. The school also produces a yearbook called Excalibur.

Speech and debate

The Hillcrest Debate squad won the state team championship in 1996, 1997, and 1998 and won the sweepstakes trophy in 1997 and 1998. In 2001, the championship split in two, one trophy going to the Lincoln-Douglas debate competition winner, the other going to the Policy debate winner. Hillcrest won state championships in Lincoln-Douglas debate in 2004, 2005, and 2006 and state championships in Policy debate in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009. Hillcrest currently sits atop the National Forensics League ranking for their respective district, over 100 points above the next school.

Hillcrest has consistently sent competitors to the NFL National Speech and Debate Tournament to represent Idaho. Verifiable data shows Hillcrest sending contestants from 1993–1995 and 2001–2007, but the school has sent students in other years as well. Verifiable data also shows Hillcrest winning the NFL plaque at the Idaho district tournament from 2002–2006 and the NFL trophy in 2005, but the school has won the awards in other years as well. The plaque is awarded to the school whose top 15 entries compete in the most rounds in the district tournament and the trophy is awarded to the school who has amassed the most rounds from year to year, the winner’s round total being reset to zero upon receipt of the trophy.

Most recently, in 2008, the Debate squad placed second at the state tournament with two entries placing third and one entry placing second. Also in 2008, the Speech squad placed third at the state tournament with three entries placing first and two entries placing second.

Athletics

Hillcrest offers the following sports, with their respective advisers in parentheses: baseball (Scott Barr), boys basketball (Don Baldwin), girls basketball (Kieth Leppert), cross country running (Bob Hagert), football (CoachvMarshall)), golf (Don Baldwin), boys soccer (Bryan Johnston), girls soccer (Dave Coffman), softball (Scott Hillyard), tennis (Doug Anderson), volleyball (Dean Goodworth), and wrestling (Bob Neal). The school participates in the High Country Conference in the IHSAA in the 5A class. They compete against other schools in the conference, Blackfoot High School, Bonneville High School, and Rigby High School.

Basketball

In 2007, Nancy Johnson of Hillcrest made the 4A girls basketball All-Idaho Second Team, averaging 14.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals a game and attaining a 42.2% field goal average. While neither team has won a state championship, the boys' team has won third and fourth place in 2004 and 2003 while the girls' team has won third and fourth place in 2003 and 2004 as well as second place, a loss to Burley High School, in 2007.

Cross Country

The Hillcrest boys' cross country team has won 4A state championships four times in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006. The boys' team also placed 2nd in 2005 and 2007. Although the girls' team has not won a collective championship, two individuals have won championships in three years: Janae Johnson (1999) and Karley Miekle (2000, 2001).

The following are the time differentials for the individual winners:

Football

In the years 1996–1999, the Hillcrest football team won the academic state championship with a 3.15, 3.28, 3.29, and 3.21 GPA respectively. Hillcrest won their first and only state championship in 2008 in Class 4A, defeating Jerome, 55-35.

Following is a list of Hillcrest's achievements in the Idaho State Football Championships

Every year, The Hillcrest Knight's football team goes head to head with Bonneville in a big match called 'Civil War'. Hillcrest has beaten Bonneville for 5 years straight. A tradition is to paint the goalpost the color of the winning team. The goal posts at Thunder Stadium continue to be red, even in 2012.

Golf

Though the HHS golf team has yet to win a state championship, two individuals have placed first four times at the 4A state tournament: Courtney Webb (2004) and Olivia Weber (2006, 2008, and 2009). The girls' team placed 2nd at the 4A state tournament in 2008 and 3rd in 2007, while the boys' team placed 3rd in 2005.

The following is a list of scores for the individual winners:

Soccer

In 2006, the Hillcrest girls' soccer team won the academic state championship with a 3.725 GPA. Also in 2006, the girls' soccer team won second place in the 4A State Championship. The team entered the competition with a 12-2-2 record. They began the tournament by beating Emmett High School (3-2) then beating Bishop Kelly High School (3-2). Finally, in the championship game, the team lost to Century High School (1-0). In 2015 Hillcrest's splash brothers Nacho Alia (exchange student from Spain) and Isaac Child made 20 goals each to lead Hillcrest to state championship, winning it 4-0 2 goals a piece. These guys are better than the BBC or the MSN. Also Ethan Hatch, the goalkeeper made 2 goals on the season both being on the semifinal game of the state tournament, one at the end of the game with a header to take Hillcrest to the state final.

Tennis

The Hillcrest tennis team has won two 4A state championships: One, a tie with Bishop Kelly High School, under the direction of Doug Anderson in 2006 and another in 2008. Hillcrest won 2nd place in 2007. In 2006, the tennis team also won the academic state championship with a 3.760 GPA. Since 1999, entries from Hillcrest have placed 1st seven times in their respective events, listed below:

Track and Field

Though Hillcrest has never won a state championship in track and field, individuals since 1999 have placed first in ten events in Class 4A. The boys' team attained 2nd place overall in 2004 and 3rd place overall in 2005.

The following is a list of Hillcrest's individual champions at the Idaho State Track and Field Championships:

Volleyball

In 2002, the Hillcrest volleyball team placed second in the 4A state championship, losing to Sandpoint High School in three games.

Wrestling

Two individuals from Hillcrest, Zarrick Wadsworth (2001) and John Siddoway (2006), were 4A state champions in the 135 lb (61 kg). and 140 lb (64 kg). weight class, respectively.

Building

Hillcrest High School is composed of an upper and lower gym, cafeteria/commons, media center, vocational and regular classrooms, having approximately 178,000 square feet (16,500 m²). The building has a maximum student capacity of approximately 1200 students.

The structure is a prefabricated metal structure. The music, speech, and drama rooms are separated from the other academic areas, as is the vocational wing. Hillcrest High School is built on 42 acres (170,000 m²). The property is relatively flat, with good draining into the improved parking lot area, which further meets all United States Environmental Protection Agency requirements by draining into a lower softball field area.

A new, $5.3 million auditorium was completed in August 2007 and officially opened October 15 of that same year. The auditorium, called the Performing Arts Center (PAC) at Hillcrest, seats 883. The first performance in the PAC was a play called Our Town, put on by Hillcrest January 28–30, 2008, followed by a musical called Camelot on April 14–16, 2008. Hillcrest High School also constructed a new tennis court, softball field, art room, drama room, debate room, and weight room.