Lawrence North High School
Lawrence North High School is a public high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The school was founded in 1976 and graduated its first class in 1978. Lawrence North is one of two high schools in the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, the other one being Lawrence Central High School.
| Lawrence North High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
7802 Hague Road , 46256 | |
| Coordinates | 39°53′46″N 86°02′05″W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Motto | Once a wildcat always a wildcat |
| Opened | 1976 |
| School district | Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township |
| Superintendent | Shawn Smith |
| Principal | Brett Crousore |
| Faculty | 166 (2016-17)[1] |
| Grades | 9 to 12 |
| Gender | Coed |
| Enrollment | 2,647 (2019-20)[2] |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Red and Green |
| Mascot | Willy the Wildcat |
| Newspaper | North Star |
| Yearbook | LYNX |
| Feeder schools | Fall Creek Valley Middle School |
| Website | lawrencenorth |
Academics
Enrollment
As of the 2019–20 school year, Lawrence North has an enrollment of 2,619 students.[2] The student population is mostly African-American, followed equally by White and Latino. Thirteen percent of the students are involved in special education, ten percent qualify for English language learner support, and fifty-two percent qualify for free or reduced price lunch.[2] The teachers, however, are eighty percent white, and most of them have more than twenty years of teaching experience.[1]
Awards and recognition
Lawrence North is recognized by the Indiana Department of Education as a Four-Star School, the highest honor that body can confer. It is also fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. [3]
Programs
Lawrence North offer 23 Advanced Placement courses, 38 dual credit courses, and houses an International Baccalaureate program, which was started in July 2003. It is also distinctive for being the only school in the district that is designated as a K-12 Spanish Language Immersion Program, a program recently recognized as an International Spanish Academy by Spanish Ministry of Education. Vocational courses are offered in neighboring McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology. In addition, other World Languages program like French, German, and American Sign Language are also offered.[3]
Extracurricular activities
Athletics
Currently, it offer ten sports programs for both boys and girls, as well as several club and intramural teams. The Wildcats is a member of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference, a member conference of Indiana High School Athletic Association. They have won fourteen state-level championships to this date.
Lawrence North is a household name in Indiana high school boys basketball fixtures. They have won a total of one national, four state, six regional, seventeen sectional, and sixteen conference titles under guidance of Jack Keefer, one of Indiana's most legendary basketball coach who had managed the program since its establishment in 1976.[4] The first state title came in 1989, when the team was led by Eric Montross. The next three titles came in a row on 2004, 2005, and 2006, guided by future NBA players Greg Oden and Mike Conley, Jr.. The program has also produced thirteen Indiana All-Stars. Keefer himself is the first coach from Indiana to be named National High School Coach of the Year by USA Today, Sports Illustrated and the National High School Coaches Association in 2006, and inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.[5] He is one of eight high school coaches in Indiana history to have 700 or more victories, and in 2016 the gymnasium was renamed in his honor.[6]
Marching Band
Lawrence North's band program was merged with its Lawrence Central counterpart to form Marching Pride of Lawrence Township in 2014. It currently has more than 250 members, divided into various program such as marching band, color guard, winter guard, concert band, jazz band, and pep band. They are selected to participate in 2017 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.[7][8]
Student publication
The main publication of the school is North Star, a student-run newspaper that is published ten times a year. There is also yearbook program LYNX, video news program Cat's Eye, and literary magazine.
Other activities
Other Lawrence North clubs and organizations including Model United Nations, National Honor Society, Academic Team, Drama Club, Speech and Debate, Inside/Out, Spanish Honor Society, Show Choir, Chess Club, Bilingual Newsletter, Performance Dance Team, International Club, Lynx (Yearbook), Ski and Snowboarding and Principal’s Advisory Council.
Notable alumni
- Mike Conley, Jr. – NBA player for Utah Jazz[9]
- Ashley Spencer – Bronze medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympics in women's 400 metres hurdles[10]
- Felisha Johnson – Ranked 14th at the 2016 Summer Olympics in women's shot put[10]
- Nolan Watson – MLB player for the Kansas City Royals[11]
- Nick Hardwick – Former NFL center for the San Diego Chargers[12]
- Eric Montross – Former NBA player for the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors[5]
- Greg Oden – Former NBA player for the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers[9]
- Kenny Irwin Jr. – Former NASCAR driver, killed in crash on 2000
- Eddie Casiano – Puerto Rican basketball player, current coach of Puerto Rico national basketball team
- Steve Bellamy – Sports and media entrepreneur, founder of The Tennis Channel and The Ski Channel
- Forrest Landis – Former child actor, best known for his role as Mark Baker in Cheaper by the Dozen 1 & 2
- Scott Leonard – Frontman of the music group Rockapella
- Christine Montross – Psychiatrist and writer [13]
- Tiara Thomas – Singer-songwriter and record producer
References
- "IDOE: Compass (School Personnel)". Retrieved 2020-03-05.
- "IDOE: Compass (Enrollment)". Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- "About - Lawrence North". Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- Elliott, Sam (February 9, 2016). "King of his court: Lawrence North renames gym after legendary coach Keefer". Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- DiPrimio, Peter (January 22, 2016). "Thrills remain for Lawrence North's Jack Keefer - High School Basketball - News-Sentinel.com". Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- "Lawrence North honors legendary coach Jack Keefer". January 30, 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- "Marching Pride of Lawrence Township lands spot in 2017 Tournament of Roses Parade". April 8, 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- Elliott, Sam (April 19, 2016). "Coming up roses: Marching Pride of Lawrence Township selected for the 2017 Rose Parade". Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- Mannix, Chris (October 31, 2016). "Mike Conley on Greg Oden: Could have been 'one of the best bigs of all time'". Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- Thomas, Derrik (July 14, 2016). "Two former Lawrence North Wildcats headed to Olympic Games in Rio - TheIndyChannel.com". Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- Bumbaca, Chris (June 18, 2015). "Royals announce signing of No. 33 overall pick, pitcher Nolan Watson". Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- Remeika, Bill (February 2, 2015). "Former Purdue standout retires from the NFL". Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/106135666/