Hurricane High School (Utah)
Hurricane High School is the only high school in Hurricane, Utah, United States. It enrolls students in grades 10-12 from Hurricane and surrounding communities, including La Verkin, Toquerville, Hildale, Virgin, Rockville, and Springdale. With 884 students enrolled as of 2016, it is the fourth largest high school in the Washington County School District.[1] In 2017, a total of 296 students graduated with an 89% graduation rate. USBE Data and Research 2017
Hurricane High's school colors are red and black. The school mascot is a tiger.
History
The first school classes were held in Hurricane in 1906 in the living room of Ira E. Bradshaw's home, consisting of grades one through eight. Hurricane's first high school class graduated in the 1927-1928 school year.
A two-story red brick high school building was built during the Great Depression with help from the federal government’s Works Progress Administration. The building was completed and the school opened just after Thanksgiving in 1936.
The school chose the colors red and black because those are the colors on a hurricane warning flag. The school then chose the nickname Tigers because it was an animal that could be rendered easily in black and red.[2]
In 1974, a new gymnasium and three classrooms were completed at the current school site, the first phase of construction of the current facilities. Students walked between the old high school building and the new building for classes. In 1978, classrooms and a cafeteria were added, and grades 9-12 moved to the new building. The old building remained in use for other grades until it was demolished in the spring of 2004. A new auditorium, auxiliary gym, and administrative office areas were added in 1996. In 2001, a science hall was added and named for the outgoing principal, Robert Goulding.
The school's enrollment continues to grow and has forced a new expansion/remodel of the existing building. It was completed in 2011 and students started being enrolled in the new building in 2012. The new building has three stories.
Darin Thomas is the current principal at Hurricane High School.
See also
References
- Washington County School District Enrollment Information 2006-2007 School Year document (PDF) from the Washington County School District web site viewed April 7, 2007
- Vincent, Stephen (10 Feb 2014). "Hurricane High School: Roaring with Pride". The Spectrum. St. George, Utah. pp. A1. Retrieved 13 Mar 2018.
Of all the Southern Utah high schools, Hurricane's name, colors and mascot may have some of the murkiest details, mixed with legend and fact. Definite proof may be elusive, but if the pieces are assembled, Hurricane's mascot and colors have a logical sense of progression. From a gust of wind came the name Hurricane. From the hurricane warning flag came the colors red and black, and from those colors came the name 'Tigers.'