Type public secondary Grades 9–12 Color(s) Red and Blue Phone +1 319-558-2161 Mascot Warriors | Established 1956 Number of students 1700 Newspaper Surveyor Principal Carols Grant | |
Address 2205 Forest Dr SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403, USA District Cedar Rapids Community School District Similar Kennedy High School, Linn‑Mar High School, Xavier High School, Cedar Rapids School Di, McKinley Middle School Profiles | ||
Washington High School is a public high school in Cedar Rapids, in the U.S. state of Iowa. Built in 1956, it is named in honor of the oldest high school in Cedar Rapids.
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Background
Built in 1855, the original Washington High School—although not yet known by that name—opened in 1857. In 1869, it narrowed from a general school to a high school. Originally called "the schoolhouse", the "Cedar Rapids graded school," and the "second ward school", it received its current name in 1875 when all the Cedar Rapids schools were named for presidents. The oldest building was called Washington School. In 1887, Abbie S. Abbott began her 34-year tenure as Washington High School principal. The school was expanded in 1910 to help deal with over-crowding, but the expanded room from the addition did not hold out for long. The nearby vocational school Grant School was converted to a regular high school to reduce the burden. However, deteriorating conditions at the original structure led to its abandonment in 1935. Four junior high schools in the area, which had been expanded in preparation, were converted to joint junior/senior high schools.
The present Washington High School
September 3, 1957, was the first day of school at new Washington. Washington began with grades 10-12 and did not become a four-year high school until 1987.
During the 1956–57 school year, students voted on colors for the new high school and selected red and blue with white trim. They also picked the “Warrior” to be Washington’s mascot.
In 1961, 17,625,904 square feet (1,637,500.1 m2) of classroom space were added to the south end of the building–12 classrooms. In 1971, the area under the library was enclosed to provide new office space for the counselors. In 1990, a new gymnasium was built to accommodate the increasing number of recognition assemblies.
In 2003, a large wing of six classrooms and six science laboratories was added to the southwest corner of the building. At the same time, a new band room was completed and the entire original music area was remodeled to house the growing vocal and string orchestra programs.
The first principal, Fred J. Kluss, had been principal at Roosevelt before coming to Washington in 1957. Kluss was succeeded as principal by Don Birdsell who served for three years. Robert O. Fitzsimmons became Washington’s principal in 1962. Donald G. Nau took over as Washington principal in the middle of the 1966–67 school year. Ralph Plagman has been principal at Washington High School since 1981.
Art gallery
In 2007 Washington High School opened an art gallery to feature the works of famous Washington alumni. The gallery includes works by Grant Wood and Marvin Cone, who both graduated in 1910 at the "old Washington" school. The centerpiece of the gallery is an original mural painted in 1927 by Grant Wood called Kanesville.