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Wichita Falls High School

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Coordinates: 33°53′38″N 98°31′01″W / 33.89389°N 98.51694°W / 33.89389; -98.51694
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wichita Falls High School
Address
Map
2149 Avenue H and Coyote Blvd.

Wichita Falls
,
Wichita
,
Texas
76309

United States
Coordinates33°53′38″N 98°31′01″W / 33.89389°N 98.51694°W / 33.89389; -98.51694
Information
School typePublic, Secondary
MottoPride, Tradition, Honor, Excellence
Established1891
ClosedMay 24, 2024; 6 months ago (May 24, 2024)[1]
School districtWichita Falls Independent School District
Staff74.15 (FTE)[2]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,309 (2022–2023)[2]
Student to teacher ratio17.65[2]
Color(s)    Red and Black
AthleticsFootball, Basketball, Volleyball, Powerlifting, Track, Cross Country, Soccer, Tennis, Swimming, Baseball, Softball, and Golf
MascotCoyote
RivalsS. H. Rider High School
NewspaperThe Coyote News

Wichita Falls High School (WFHS) was a public school in Wichita Falls, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls Independent School District (WFISD) and was one of the district's three high schools up until 2024.[1] Located at 2149 Avenue H and Coyote Blvd., the school served students in grades nine through twelve.

History

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As the first high school in the city, Wichita Falls High School was locally known as "Old High." The school was founded in 1891, with a new building built on Broad Street in 1909. In 1924 the school moved to new building on Avenue H, and the old building became Reagan Junior High.[3] The 1909 building now serves as the WFISD Administration Building, and is a state historic landmark.[4]

WFISD completed construction of two new high schools – Legacy and Memorial – which opened for classes in August 2024.[5] Wichita Falls High shut its doors permanently at the end of the 2023-2024 school year, with students moving to one of the two new high schools.[6] The campus will sit vacant until a potential school bond election in 2027 is proposed to convert it into a middle school.[7]

Student demographics

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As of the 2013–2014 school year, Wichita Falls High School had a total of 1,473 students (47.41% White, 35.2% Hispanic, 15.6% African American, 1.8% Asian, and 0.3% Native American).[8]

2011–2012 accountability rating

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Based on the accountability ratings released by the Texas Education Agency on August 1, 2012, Wichita Falls High School is currently rated "Academically Acceptable".[9]

The WFISD also awarded Wichita Falls High School with an award for the district's highest GPA, every year from 1991 to 2002. The award was discontinued in 2002.

Athletics

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Whether at home or away, during the glory years the Wichita Falls team was always a handful for its opponents.

— Ty Cashion[10]

Wichita Falls had one of the most predominant football programs for more than 30 years, from the late 1930s to the early 1970s. Under the guidance of head coaches Ted Jeffries (1931–43), Thurman Jones (1944–46), Joe Golding (1947–61), and Donnell Crosslin (1965–79), the Wichita Falls Coyotes made the state finals ten times between 1937 and 1971, winning six times.[11]

  • Football State Champions
    • 1941 (2A), 1949 (2A), 1950 (2A), 1958 (4A), 1961 (4A), 1969 (4A)
  • Football State Runner Up
    • 1937 (1A), 1959 (4A), 1960 (4A), 1971 (4A)

At the time of its closure, Wichita Falls High School had made playoffs 46 times, winning eight Quarterfinal Championships, seventeen Regional Championships, twenty-one Area Championships, twenty-three Bi-District Championships, and thirty-six District Championships since 1923.

In September 2007, Texas Monthly Magazine named Wichita Falls High School as the top high school football program in state history.[12]

Student journalism

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Wichita Falls High School's journalism program publishes the school's newspaper and yearbook.

Mrs. Anetta Reusch managed the award-winning program for numerous years until her retirement in 2013. Mr. Jason Byas has since taken the reins of the organization as the faculty adviser.

In 2013, the organization was reevaluated and the two publications were restructured to publish under the entity WFHS Publishing. The move was meant to save cost for the newspaper and yearbook and improve communication throughout the program and the publications it publishes.

Since the restructuring, the newspaper, The Coyote News, for the first time in over five years, made a profit and the yearbook increased yearly sales.

The newspaper runs an online edition of the paper. WFHS Publishing has also published a history guide to Wichita Falls High School that is available on their website.

Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps

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The Wichita Falls High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Army program was established in 1951. The battalion was officially recognized as the Coyote Battalion. While being established the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp program competed statewide and nationally as well as hosting the annual "The Wichita" JROTC Drill meet during November every year. They had an average participation body of 130 cadets per year. The Battalion received the gold level presidential service award in 2019, and at the time of closing in 2024, were considered an honor unit with distinction (Yellow Star) by the U.S. Army JROTC.

Rivalry

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Wichita Falls High School participated in the rivalry against Rider High School since the completion of Rider in 1961. Beginning the week of the infamous game, the Wichita Falls Police Department reported an increase in vandalism, theft, and attacks from both sides.

Notable alumni

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Final day for three WFISD high schools by Rowan Hardman - May. 24, 2024
  2. ^ a b c "WICHITA FALLS H S". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  3. ^ "Wichita Falls Time Line 1872-1993". wichitafallstx.gov. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  4. ^ "Wichita Falls High School". wichitacountyhistoricalcommission.org. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  5. ^ Brown, Brayel (August 7, 2024). "New WFISD high schools are ready for students". KAUZ-TV. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  6. ^ Hoggard, Joshua (January 18, 2023). "Final day of high school at Hirschi, Rider, WFHS confirmed". Texoma’s Home Page. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  7. ^ Smith, Spencer R. (August 15, 2023). "WFISD school board discuss middle school plans". KAUZ-TV. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  8. ^ "WFISD School Info". Wichita Falls Independent School District. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  9. ^ "WFHS Accountability" (PDF). Texas Education Agency. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  10. ^ Cashion, Ty (1998). Pigskin Pulpit: A Social History of Texas High School Football Coaches. Austin: Texas State Historical Association. pp. 164–165. ISBN 0-87611-168-1.
  11. ^ "Football State Archives School Search: Wichita Falls". uiltexas.org. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  12. ^ Levin, Joe (February 2023). "One of the Greatest Programs in Texas High School Football History Faces Its Final Season". Texas Monthly. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  13. ^ "Men's Hall of Honor announces seven new inductees". TexasSports.com. September 16, 2004. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  14. ^ "ACU coach Joe Golding is living his dream and continuing family's winning tradition". Abilene Reporter-News. February 8, 2019.
  15. ^ Tribe, Henry Franklin (November 20, 2013). "Fowler, Thomas Weldon (1921–1944)". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
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