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St. Marys High School

Coordinates: 39°11′10″N 96°03′28″W / 39.18611°N 96.05778°W / 39.18611; -96.05778
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Marys High School
Address
Map
601 East Lasley

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Coordinates39°11′10″N 96°03′28″W / 39.18611°N 96.05778°W / 39.18611; -96.05778
Information
School typePublic high school
Established1895
School districtKaw Valley USD 321
PrincipalAdam Hurla
Grades7-12
Enrollment175 (9-12 grades)
Color(s)  Blue
  White
Athletics conferenceBig East League (est. 2024)
MascotBears
RivalSilver Lake and Rossville
NewspaperPress Paw (discontinued ca. 2009)
WebsiteSt. Marys Jr/Sr High School

St. Marys High School is a fully accredited public high school located in St. Marys, Kansas, United States, serving students in grades 9–12. It is operated by Kaw Valley USD 321. The school colors are blue and white and the school mascot is the Bear. The average annual enrollment (7-12) is approximately 300 students.

History

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St. Marys was established in 1869. A parochial school began in 1881. The frame building was moved from the "hill" to 5th Street in 1887 and a new, stone structure was dedicated in 1893. A transportation system, developed in 1909, consisted of a team and wagon to meet students crossing the river by ferry. The former St. Marys High School building was built in 1931 across from the current swimming pool on Lasley Street. The public and parochial schools merged in 1946. In 1966, St. Marys, Rossville, Emmett and Delia combined to become one district, USD 321, Kaw Valley. A bond issue in 1978 brought about the construction of a new building at 601 E. Lasley, on the old Jesuit college grounds. Students moved to the new building in 1981. A football field was added in 1982 and a track was installed in 1983. The old St. Marys High School was demolished in 1983. The shop addition was converted into a senior citizen center. Old Hill School was sold to the city of St. Marys in 1982 and razed in 1983. The first graduating class of St. Marys High was the class of 1899, thus making them the 100th graduating class.[1]

Extracurricular activities

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St. Marys is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs. Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs.

Athletics

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Athletic teams compete in the 3A division and are known as the "Bears". As of 2024, they compete in the Big East League, a combination of 11 teams from the Mid-East League and Big Seven League. St. Marys is classified as a 3A school, the fourth-largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association. St. Marys has won multiple state championships in various sports.

In 2009, the athletics program was ranked as the top athletics program in the state of Kansas according to Sports Illustrated.[2][3] Several graduates have gone on to participate in college athletics.

State championships

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State Championships[4][3]
Season Sport/cctivity Number of championships Year
Fall Volleyball 4 1999, 2003, 2007, 2008
Winter Basketball, boys' 1 2009
Basketball, girls' 3 1982, 2000, 2009
Spring Golf, boys' 3 1988, 1989, 2004
Softball 8 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009
Debate 1 1981
Total 20

School publications

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The school newspaper is known as the Press Paw and is a member of the High School National Ad Network. This publication was discontinued circa 2009.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "School History" (English). St. Marys High School. 2019-02-27. Archived from the original on 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  2. ^ "Top athletics program in each state and the District of Columbia". Sports Illustrated. 2009-07-06. Archived from the original on 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  3. ^ a b "State Champions" (English). St. Marys High School. 2019-02-27. Archived from the original on 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  4. ^ "State Records & State Champions". Archived from the original on 2009-04-21. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
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