Type Public Secondary Superintendent Dr. Thomas Ahart Principal Mr. Kevin Biggs Phone +1 515-242-7272 Colors White, Navy blue | Established 1923 Dean Susanna Marcucci Area 2 ha Number of students 1,654 | |
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School district Des Moines Public Schools Address 4419 Center St, Des Moines, IA 50312, USA Similar Morris Elementary School, Dowling Catholic High Sch, North High School, Lincoln High School, East High School | ||
Theodore Roosevelt High School, usually referred to simply as Roosevelt High School or TRHS, is a secondary school located on the west side of Des Moines, Iowa. It is one of five secondary schools under the district of the Des Moines Public Schools, and was named after the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.
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History
The construction of the building in which TRHS is housed was initiated in 1922 by Proudfoot, Bird, and Rawson and opened in 1924 with 1,282 students. The final cost to build was $1,331,600. The building's design has won many awards and is considered one of 50 most significant buildings in Iowa by PBS. The building is on both the State and National Register of Historic Places.
Students
As of the 2008-2009 school year, there were 1,654 students enrolled at Roosevelt High School.
Curriculum
As of the 2010-2011 year, Roosevelt is set on a block schedule, there are eight blocks total and each day containing four of these blocks. These set of blocks alternate each day, meaning one week may contain three classes in four subjects, and only two classes in the other four. Students must be enrolled in physical education at least 1 semester each year while in high school and complete CPR certification. They are also required to, as before, take core academic courses in order to graduate and receive a diploma. These include Social Studies, English, Mathematics, Science, and Art, therefore leaving the two remaining blocks to be electives and/or release periods. Credits needed to graduate are currently 23, raised from 18 beginning with the graduating class of 2011.
All students are required by Des Moines Public Schools to enroll in four subject courses and a Physical Education course. The school district compels lower-class students to schedule a full day of classes, however, in order to ensure satisfaction with district graduation requirements. Juniors and Seniors have the option of having an "open period" during the first or last period of the school day (Seniors may have open periods during any period). Juniors require parental permission to have an open period.
Athletics/ Extra Curricular Activities
Roosevelt competes as a school in the Iowa High School Athletic Association 4A school. It is a member of the Central Iowa Metro League conference, or CIML, along with all four of the other DMPS high schools and Ottumwa High School. Roosevelt has historically excelled in men's swimming, with coach Clark Munger leading the school to two national championships in the 1920s and 30s. Roosevelt has won the CIML conference swim meet for the past 7 years in a row and girls swimming has won CIML conference meet 11 years in a row under swim coach Steve Teter. Roosevelt won the 2006 girls basketball 4A state championships. The boys basketball team is a Metro powerhouse, and has a fierce basketball rivalry with the Hoover Huskies. The game between the two schools usually determines the Metro Conference champion. The rivalry has grown even bigger in recent years due to close games, and a drastic increase in school pride amongst the two schools. The well known Roosevelt Sharks Synchronized Swimming Club performs an annual pageant, and is the oldest high school synchronized swimming club in the United States, being founded in 1926. Roosevelt's football team was once a Metro Conference contender, but in recent times the team has struggled to produce a playoff berth. Roosevelt also has a well known wrestling program. In 2009, they had a back to back state champion. In 2010, Roosevelt once again dominated the Metro Conference, and produced 2 state champions.