South Park High School (South Park, Pennsylvania)

History

The Original Snowden Township High School (6450 Pleasant Street)

Prior to 1934, high school students in the township had to travel outside the district to attend secondary schooling. However, from 1934 to 1938, high school grade classes began to be housed in the Library School building, located on Pleasant Street. The first class of 72 students graduated from then-called Snowden Township High School in 1938. The last class to graduate from that building had 53 students in 1958. The school then housed grades Kindergarten through sixth under the name Library Elementary School until the completion of S.J. Engott (now South Park) Middle School in 1976. From 1976 until 2001, the school continued to operate as one of the district's three elementary schools. The school closed in 2001 due to the completion of the new South Park Elementary Center, consolidating all three elementary schools. The building still stands and now operates as a newly renovated apartment building.

The Second Snowden Township High School (2178 Ridge Road)

The Library School continued to house elementary school students, while a new yellow-bricked building on Ridge Road would house grades 7-12. Grades 7 and 8 would be moved to the newly built S.J. Engott Middle School in 1976, leaving grades 9-12 at the high school. The old high school underwent several additions throughout its usage, including expansions for the library, auxiliary gymnasium, cafeteria, and

office space. After the school closed in 2005, it remained vacant, being used as a storage facility for the district. Rumors spread in 2014 that the board of directors were considering renovating the building into a new middle school, creating a campus of all three schools and stadium. However, the building was beyond repair with ceiling leakages, foundations issues, and asbestos problems. In December of 2015, the school was demolished.

New High School Building (2005 Eagle Ridge Drive)

The students and staff moved into a new two-story building in January 2005, leaving the old high school vacant until its demolition in December 2015. The site of the former building now holds a large maintenance building, a marching band practice field, and a parking lot for the stadium. The new building is the third building to have housed high school students in the district's history. As of the 2005-2006 school year, the school had 752 students enrolled and 44.5 teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 16.9 students/teacher. Enrollment is projected to decline to 600 students in 2020. The new high school building is located on Eagle Ridge Road on a campus which includes the Elementary Center, Eagle Stadium, and several other athletic fields. The new building includes: 50 classrooms, six full computers labs, an indoor six-lane swimming pool, full cafeteria services, central administration offices. full sized and auxiliary gyms, and a beautiful 1200 seat auditorium with a stage. The average indoor area to be maintained is app. 208,000 sq ft. The enrollment for the 2015-2016 school year was 637 students and 46 teachers with a teacher ratio of 14 students/teacher

Graduation rate

In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. South Park School District's rate was 94% for 2010.

According to traditional graduation rate calculations:

Graduation requirements

The South Park School Board requires a minimum of 25 credits for a student to graduate including: English 4 credits, Social Students 4 credits (includes Civics, West. Civ. & U.S. History), Science 3 credits (includes Biology), Mathematics 3 credits (must take Algebra and Geometry), Computer Information Technology I & II 1 credit, on-line Health and PE. 2 credits (swimming no longer required), Independent Living 0.5 credits and Electives 7.5 credits. Students must earn a minimum of 7.0 credits per year to progress to the next grade.

By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a project as a part of their eligibility to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor and its expectations are set by the individual school district.

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, for the graduating classes of 2015 and 2016, students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, English Composition, and Literature for which the Keystone Exams serve as the final course exams. Students’ Keystone Exam scores shall count for at least one-third of the final course grade.

Classes

The following Advanced Placement (AP) are offered at South Park High School:

A complete listing of high school courses can be found by viewing the Program of Studies.[1]

Academic Achievement

In both 2010 and 2009, the South Park Senior High School achieved AYP status.

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 31% of South Park Senior High School graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges. Less than 66% of Pennsylvania high school graduates, who enroll in a four-year college in Pennsylvania, will earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Among Pennsylvania high school graduates pursuing an associate degree, only one in three graduate in three years. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, one in three recent high school graduates who attend Pennsylvania's public universities and community colleges takes at least one remedial course in math, reading or English.

Dual enrollment

The high school offers a Dual Enrollment program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. Many Allegheny County high schools are participating in the program. Students remain enrolled at their high school. The courses count towards high school graduation requirements and towards earning a college degree. The students continue to have full access to activities at their high school. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. Parents are responsible for costs. The state offers a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.

Extracurricular activities

The school offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility to participate is determined by school board policy. At South Park Senior High School a student on academic probation will not be permitted to participate in any extra curricular or inter-scholastic activities or programs. A student that is not passing at least 3 core subjects and 1 other one-credit course or 2 one-semester courses during a grading period does not have acceptable academic standing and is placed on academic probation for the next nine week grading period.

Music Department

The South Park High School music department was directed by William Rossetti until his retirement in 2015. A new director, Kendra Orcutt, took over the department after Rossetti's retirement who had previously directed the department for almost 20 years. The music opportunities at the high school include Concert Band, Jazz Band, Pep Band, Pit Orchestra, and Concert Choir. Students also have the opportunity to audition for District Band and District Chorus. Several general music courses are also offered at the high school level.

Marching Band

The Marching Band currently has about 75 members of instrumentalists, colorguard, and majorettes. They perform their half-time show consisting of four songs at every home and away football game during the fall season. They also perform annually at the Kennywood Fall Fantasy Parade, South Park Community Day Parade, and South Park Memorial Day Parade. The band travels to Disney World in Florida every four years to march down Main Street in part of Disney Performing Arts. The most recent trip was May 2015.

Concert Band, Jazz Band, & Concert Choir

The Concert Band is a class that students take during the school day. It includes woodwinds, brass, and percussion. They have three concerts during the school year: December, May, and a "Pops" concert in February. They also perform at several other events, including the commencement ceremony and senior awards assembly. Their concerts usually include the Jazz Band and Concert Choir. Jazz Band meets is an extracurricular group that performs during the Pops concert and spring concert. Concert Choir is made up of men and women. The group primarily consists of altos and sopranos.

Pit Orchestra

The Pit Orchestra is a group that performs during the spring musical. It consists of about fifteen students who work directly with the students involved in the drama club. Recent productions by the drama club include Fiddler on the Roof (2008), Annie (2009), Grease (2010), Oliver! (2011), Lil' Abner (2012), The Sound of Music (2013), Beauty and the Beast (2014), Anything Goes (2015), and the Addams Family (2016).

Pep Band

The Pep Band is an informal group of instrumentalists that perform at home basketball games during the winter season. They are under the direction of the marching band's drum major.

Clubs

Athletics

South Park High School competes in the PIAA's District 7, commonly referred to as the WPIAL. WPIAL-affiliated sports at SPHS include:

Athletic facilities at SPHS include two gyms, a weight room with an adjacent aerobics room, an indoor swimming pool, a football stadium, a baseball field, and a track.