Aplington-Parkersburg High School

Aplington-Parkersburg High School is a school in Parkersburg, Iowa, United States. It is a part of the Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District, and it also serves Aplington.[6]

Aplington-Parkersburg High School
Address
610 N Johnson St Parkersburg , Iowa USA
Coordinates	42.573°N 92.779°W / 42.573; -92.779
Information
Type	Public
Motto	"Committed To Promoting Life Long Intellectual and Personal Growth"
Established	1993[1]
School district	Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District (2004-) Parkersburg Community School District (1992-2004)
NCES District ID	1903750[2]
Superintendent	Jon Thompson[3]
NCES School ID	190375001337[2]
Principal	Aaron Thomas[4]
Teaching staff	22.10 (FTE)[5]
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	260 (2017–18)[5]
Student to teacher ratio	11.76[5]
Campus	Rural
Color(s)	Red, Black and Silver
Athletics conference	North Iowa Cedar League
Mascot	Falcons
Website	http://www.apl-park.k12.ia.us

History

It was formed in 1992 from the merger of the high schools of the Aplington and Parkersburg school districts.[1] The Parkersburg district maintained the joint high school.[7] The two districts legally merged into a single district on July 1, 2004.[8]

On May 25, 2008, the school was destroyed by an EF5 tornado. It has since been rebuilt.[9]

Athletics

The athletic extracurricular activities at Aplington-Parkersburg High School are football, volleyball, cross country, basketball, wrestling, tennis, soccer, golf, track and field, softball and baseball. The Falcons are classified as a 2A school. Throughout its history, Aplington-Parkersburg has won several state championships in various sports and were state runner-up numerous times. In addition, several graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics.

Athletic competitions take place within the North Iowa Cedar League. Prior to the 1992 merger, the separate high schools in Aplington and Parkersburg were members of the Big Marsh Conference until the 1976–1977 school year, when both schools left to join the Mid Iowa Conference, then the Big Iowa Conference.[10][11]

Ed Thomas

On June 24, 2009, Ed Thomas, the football coach, track coach, and athletic director, was shot and killed in the weight room.[12] He was featured on the July 6, 2009 cover of Sports Illustrated.[13]

State championships

State championships
Season	Sport	Number of championships	Year
Fall	Football	2	1993, 2001
	Volleyball	1	2005
Spring	Golf, Boys'	1	1994
	Track and Field (wheelchair division)	3	2005, 2006, 2007
	Track and Field, Girls'	1	2001
Total		8

Notable alumni

• Jared DeVries, retired NFL player for the Detroit Lions[9]
• Aaron Kampman, retired NFL player who played mainly for the Green Bay Packers[14]
• Brad Meester, retired NFL player for the Jacksonville Jaguars[15]
• Chelsea Poppens, professional basketball player who formerly played for the San Antonio Stars of the WNBA.[16]
• Casey Wiegmann, retired NFL player who played mainly for the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs[17]

References

1. "Aplington team part of rich boys' state hoops history". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. March 8, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
2. "Aplington Parkersburg High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
3. "Ex-Iowa teacher gets prison for sexual contact with students". Chicago Sun Times. Associated Press. June 17, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
4. Sullivan, Jim (August 28, 2014). "Ed Thomas' spirit still strong at Aplington-Parkersburg". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
5. "Aplington Parkersburg High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
6. "Aplington-Parkersburg." Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved on February 25, 2019.
7. Miller, Jessica (2003-06-17). "Vote on Aplington-Parkersburg school merger will likely be in August". WCF Courier. Retrieved 2019-02-25. Both districts have maintained separate elementary schools. Aplington has been home to the middle school, and Parkersburg has been home to the high school. With a merger, that would stay the same.
8. "REORGANIZATION & DISSOLUTION ACTIONS SINCE 1965-66 Archived 2019-02-09 at the Wayback Machine." Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved on February 25, 2019.
9. Drehs, Wayne (June 24, 2008). "Iowa town turns to football to recover from tornado". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
10. "3 top schools leaving Big Marsh is action shocking to remaining 6". The Nashua Reporter. March 24, 1976. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
11. "Reinbeck's boys post 68–54 win". Waterloo–Cedar Falls Courier. January 15, 1978. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
12. "Ed Thomas shot, killed inside school". ESPN. June 25, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
13. Ed Thomas Cover Archived July 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
14. "Small Iowa high school produces four NFL players". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 11, 2004. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
15. Owens, Shannon (November 15, 2012). "Brad Meester shows his feminine side". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
16. "Chelsea Poppens - Women's Basketball". Iowa State University Athletics. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
17. Zinser, Lynn (June 24, 2009). "Iowa Coach Is Fatally Shot at School He Helped Rebuild". New York Times. Retrieved October 6, 2014.

External links

• Official Website
• NPR story on school and shooting