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Owasso High School

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Coordinates: 36°16′47″N 95°49′42″W / 36.27972°N 95.82833°W / 36.27972; -95.82833
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This article is about the high school in Oklahoma. For the high school in Michigan, see Owosso High School.
Owasso High School
The main entryway of Owasso High School's East Campus
Address
Map
12901 East 86th Street North

Owasso
,
Oklahoma
74055

United States
Coordinates36°16′47″N 95°49′42″W / 36.27972°N 95.82833°W / 36.27972; -95.82833
Information
EstablishedSeptember, 1975
School districtOwasso Public Schools
NCES District ID4023280[7]
SuperintendentMargaret Coates[8]
PrincipalTiffani Cooper[9]
Teaching staff139.13 (FTE) (2022–23)[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment2,986 (2022–23)[1]
Student to teacher ratio21.46 (2022–23)[1]
CampusesEast Campus, West Campus[4]
Color(s)Red, black, and white
     
SongOwasso Alma Mater[5]
Fight songOwasso Fight Song[6]
Athletics conference6A District 1
SportsBaseball, Basketball (Boys), Basketball (Girls), Cheer, Cross Country, Football, Golf (Boys), Golf (Girls), Pom, Soccer (Boys), Soccer (Girls), Softball, Swimming (Boys & Girls), Tennis (Boys), Tennis (Girls), Track and Field, Volleyball, Wrestling[10]
MascotRambo
NicknameRams
Rival
NewspaperOwasso RamPage[3]
Websiteohs.owassops.org
Last updated: August 8, 2022

Owasso High School is a high school located within Tulsa County in Owasso, Oklahoma, United States. It is among the largest high schools in Oklahoma by enrollment with nearly 3,000 students. In 2024, the school received international attention following the death of Nex Benedict.[11][12]

The district (of which this is the sole comprehensive high school) includes Owasso, a small portion of Tulsa,[13] Limestone, and a small portion of Valley Park.[14] It is located within the 7,000 square-mile Cherokee Nation reservation in northeastern Oklahoma.[15]

History

[edit]

Owasso Independent School District v. Falvo

[edit]
Main article: Owasso Independent School District v. Falvo

In October 1998, Kristja Falvo filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, alleging that the use of "peer-grading" within Owasso Public Schools violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA authorizes the withholding of federal funds from public school districts that "release any information from a student's education record" without permission from a "parent or eligible student."[16] The district court ruled in favor of the school district, prompting Falvo to file an appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. The appellate court then overturned the decision of the district court, arguing that "the District Court erred when it resolved that the grading practice did not offend FERPA."[17] The school district then appealed to the Supreme Court, with the case being argued in late November 2001.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Owasso Public Schools, citing that peer-graded papers do not constitute records "maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a person acting for such agency or institution."[18] Justice Anthony Kennedy delivered the Court's opinion, stating:

"Petitioners, supported by the United States as amicus curiae, contend the definition covers only institutional records—namely, those materials retained in a permanent file as a matter of course. They argue that records "maintained by an educational agency or institution" generally would include final course grades, student grade point averages, standardized test scores, attendance records, counseling records, and records of disciplinary actions—but not student homework or classroom work."[18]

LGBT issues

[edit]
Further information: 2020s anti-LGBT movement in the United States

In April 2022, Owasso teacher Tyler Wrynn was forced to resign from his post following video circulated by Libs of Tiktok in which he addressed his LGBT students, saying "If your parents don't accept who you are, fuck them. I'm your parents now".[19][11]

Death of Nex Benedict

[edit]
Main article: Death of Nex Benedict

In 2024, the school attracted international media attention following the February 7 fight in a West Campus girls' bathroom between Nex Benedict, a 10th grader who identified as nonbinary, and three girls whom Benedict accused of bullying them and their friends about their clothing. The school sent the students to the school's registered nurse but did not call the police or an ambulance. Later that afternoon, Benedict's mother took them to the emergency room and called the Owasso police. The police officer, who recorded the interview on his body camera, told the Benedicts that the school district “dropped the ball” by not contacting the police. Benedict was discharged that day but the next afternoon their mother called 911 and an ambulance took Benedict to the hospital, where they died. Armed with a search warrant requested on February 9, the police searched the high school for evidence of a possible murder. The police said a preliminary medical examiner's report following an autopsy did not find that the death resulted from trauma.[20][21][22][12] On March 13, a medical examiner's summary report was released, citing suicide as Benedict's cause of death, and including a finding of a "combined toxicity" of diphenhydramine and fluoxetine.[17][23]

Notable alumni

[edit]

Campus

[edit]

The high school consists of two campuses: East Campus serves 11th and 12th graders and West Campus serves 9th and 10th graders.[35] The school also offers various concurrent academic programs for students through Tulsa Community College and Tulsa Technology Center.[36][37]

Campus history

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Upon Oklahoma gaining statehood in 1907, the city of Owasso constructed its first public school (a three-story brick building that housed all of the district's grades) in what is now the city's downtown area. In 1965, a new high school (and what is now the Owasso 7th Grade Center) was built at the corner of 86th Street and Main Street, which served as the city's high school until a new one was constructed in 1975 at the corner of 86th Street and 129th Street.[38] This served as the main campus of Owasso High School until a merger with the Owasso Mid-High School in 2017, after which the two schools would be referred to East Campus and West Campus, respectively.

Athletics

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Owasso High School's mascot is the ram, although, before the 1950s, the school's mascot was the owl.[39]

The school currently fields teams in 18 different high school sports, including:[40]


Football

[edit]

Owasso's varsity football program has won three state championships throughout its history.[41] The team is currently led by Bill Blankenship, who has held the position as head coach since 2017.[42] The team plays its home games at Owasso Stadium on the school's East Campus.

Owasso holds several football rivalries with other Oklahoma schools. These include the "Battle of the 'Burbs" with Bixby High School and the yearly Folds of Honor Patriot Bowl with Broken Arrow High School.[43][44]

1974 Championship

[edit]

The Rams' first football title was a 1974 Class 3A co-championship shared with Ada after a 7–7 tie. The game was played at (what was then) Skelly Stadium at the University of Tulsa.[45] The outcome of the game played a crucial role in the adoption of a new overtime rules format by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA).[41]

2017 Championship

[edit]

On December 1, 2017, Owasso defeated Union (Tulsa) 21–14 in Oklahoma's Class 6A-1 championship game at H. A. Chapman Stadium. This made Owasso the first school since 1995 other than Union or Jenks to win the state title in the classification for the state's largest schools.[46]

2019 Championship

[edit]

Owasso won its third state title on December 7, 2019, by defeating the Jenks Trojans 14–6 in the Class 6A-1 championship game at the University of Central Oklahoma's Chad Richison Stadium.[47]

Baseball

[edit]

Owasso's baseball team has won 14 state championships, including 11 since 1998. The program won its most recent title in the 2022 Class 6A championship by defeating Edmond Santa Fe 7–3.[48] The team plays its home games at Stigall Field on the school's East Campus.

Owasso claims the most titles of any of the 32 teams in Oklahoma's 6A class (the next-highest being Union with 7 titles), as well as the second-most titles among all Oklahoma high schools.[49]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Search for Public Schools - Owasso HS (402328001235)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  2. ^ Owasso Average ACT SCORE, "Data on Owasso" Archived 2020-08-06 at the Wayback Machine, Magoosh, date
  3. ^ "OwassoRampage". OwassoRampage. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  4. ^ "School Information". ohs.owassops.org. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Alma Mater". ohs.owassops.org. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Fight Song". ohs.owassops.org. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Owasso Public Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  8. ^ "Dr. Margaret Coates". Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Tiffani Cooper". Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Sports – Owasso High School Athletics". Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Oklahoma banned trans students from bathrooms. Now a bullied student is dead after a fight". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2024-02-20. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  12. ^ a b "Police release video, search warrant related to investigation of Nex Benedict's death". Public Radio Tulsa. 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  13. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Tulsa County, OK" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2024-01-28. - Text list Archived 2023-06-18 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Rogers County, OK" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 2024-01-28. - Text list Archived 2024-01-29 at the Wayback Machine.
  15. ^ "Maps". Cherokee Nation Website. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  16. ^ "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)". U. S. Department of Education. 25 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  17. ^ a b Friedman, Stephen J. "Andy's Right to Privacy in Grading and the Falvo versus Owasso Public Schools Case" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  18. ^ a b "OWASSO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. I-011, AKA OWASSO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ET AL. v. FALVO, PARENT AND NEXT FRIEND OF HER MINOR CHILDREN, PLETAN, ET AL" (PDF). Library of Congress. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-23. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  19. ^ "'Anarchist' Oklahoma teacher discusses pushing his beliefs on students in undercover video". ABC local. Archived from the original on 2024-02-20. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  20. ^ "Update on Student Passing" (Press release). Owasso Public Schools. 20 February 2024. Archived from the original on 21 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  21. ^ Caldwell, Elizabeth (20 February 2024). "Owasso awaits answers in death of nonbinary student as officials warn of misinformation". Public Radio Tulsa. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  22. ^ OPD 2024-3316 Community Release, 23 February 2024, retrieved 2024-02-26
  23. ^ Murphy, Sean (13 March 2024). "Death of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict after school fight is ruled a suicide, medical examiner says". AP News. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  24. ^ Writer, BILL HAISTEN World Sports (23 April 2015). "First Celebrity Fight Night significant for Owasso's Randy Blake". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  25. ^ "Dylan Bundy's High School Baseball Stats". MaxPreps.com. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  26. ^ "Aaron Colvin - Football Recruiting - Player Profiles - ESPN". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  27. ^ "Brian Flynn Class of 2008 - Player Profile | Perfect Game USA". Perfect Game. Archived from the original on 2020-09-28. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  28. ^ "Keon Hatcher, Arkansas Razorbacks, Wide Receiver". 247Sports. Archived from the original on 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  29. ^ "Jon Kolb NFL Stats - Pro Football Archives". www.profootballarchives.com. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  30. ^ "Pete Kozma Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  31. ^ "Shake Milton, Philadelphia 76ers, Shooting Guard". 247Sports. Archived from the original on 2017-01-24. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  32. ^ "Paul Smith, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Quarterback". 247Sports. Archived from the original on 2014-12-07. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  33. ^ Favalora, Christian (June 27, 2016). "Owasso's Braden Webb fulfills his dreams with the Milwaukee Brewers | Owasso Reporter". tulsaworld.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  34. ^ "Braden Webb College, Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  35. ^ "Our Story". ohs.owassops.org. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  36. ^ "Concurrent Enrollment (Tulsa Community College)". Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  37. ^ "Tulsa Technology Center (TTC)". Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  38. ^ "History Corner: Owasso's buildings hold a rich past". Owasso Reporter. 10 June 2018. Archived from the original on 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  39. ^ Tyler. "11 Interesting Things About Owasso You May Not Know". YOwasso.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  40. ^ "Sports – Owasso High School Athletics". Archived from the original on 2022-07-02. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  41. ^ a b Hein, Shawn (April 2020). "Owasso Sports History: Owasso's wild journey to its first state football championship". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  42. ^ "Coaches". www.owassofootball.com. Archived from the original on 2020-02-22. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  43. ^ vype (24 May 2022). "Battle of the Burbs Set to Renew Owasso vs Bixby Football Rivalry – Owasso High School Athletics". Archived from the original on 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  44. ^ "Broken Arrow Athletic Department - BA, Owasso team up with Folds of Honor for Friday football". www.batigersports.com. Archived from the original on 2022-07-02. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  45. ^ BROWN, MIKE (10 October 2014). "Owasso remembers 1974 state champions". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on 2022-07-02. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  46. ^ Staff Reports (December 2017). "Championship Friday: Owasso snaps Jenks-Union hold on big-school title; BTW wins 6AII crown". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on 2022-07-02. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  47. ^ "2019 6AI champions: Owasso Rams football season in photos". Tulsa World. 19 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  48. ^ "Owasso Baseball Crowned State Champions – Presented by Wheels and Thrills". Owasso High School Athletics. 16 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-08-07. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  49. ^ "Oklahoma high School State Championship Count". Archived from the original on 2022-05-28. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
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