Leon High School

Leon High School is a public high school in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is the oldest public high school in the state, and is a part of the Leon County Schools System.

Leon High School
Address
550 East Tennessee Street

Tallahassee
,
Florida
32308

United States
Information
TypePublic coeducational secondary
Established1831 (1831)
School districtLeon County Schools
PrincipalBilly Epting
Staff89.30 (FTE)[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment2,047 (2018-19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio22.92[1]
Color(s)Red and White
         
MascotLeo the Lion
NewspaperThe Leon High Life
YearbookThe Lion's Tale
WebsiteSchool website

Leon High School in 2008
Leon High School
Coordinates30°26′43″N 84°16′32″W
ArchitectT.A. Monk, M. Leo Elliot
Architectural styleMission/Spanish Revival
NRHP reference No.93000982[2]
Added to NRHPSeptember 21, 1993

History
Leon High School 1910

Leon High School is one of the oldest high schools in the country. It was founded 14 years before Florida became a state. It was founded as Leon Academies in 1831 in Tallahassee, Leon County, and helped shape education in the capital city. In 1903 it became the Leon County Graded and High School, which was originally set as the first public high school in Florida, on the corner of Duval, Tennessee and Bronough Streets.

In 1911, a need for more room for the growing student population led to the construction of a second Leon High School where the LeRoy Collins Public Library now stands.

The current building at 550 East Tennessee Street was built in controversy. Built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) for $500,000, citizens thought the school was too expensive, too far out of town and much too big with its three stories.

The architect was M. Leo Elliott, designer of many public buildings of merit, including the Old Jail on East Gaines Street in Tallahassee.[3] The builder was Thomas Monk, who built dozens of high schools and commercial buildings around Florida, including the Monk Building in downtown Bradenton, renovated in 2000. In Tallahassee, Monk also built the Mayo Building in the Capital area, and a house in Los Robles for his daughter and son-in-law.

Until school integration and the closure of Leon County's black high school, Old Lincoln High School, in 1967, Leon High School was for whites only. The Florida Constitution of 1885 mandated school segregation; 1968 saw a new Constitution without this requirement. In 2019 the enrollment at Leon High was 33% black.[4]

Athletics

Leon High School's mascot is the Lion, and their colors are red and white. They were one of the 29 original member schools of the FHSAA. They have been a member of the Association since it formed in 1920. Leon has teams in the following FHSAA sports:[5]

  • Basketball (boys and girls)
  • Baseball (boys)
    • State champions - 1940, 1944, 1951, 1998[6]
  • Competitive cheer (girls) - 2016 2A State Runner-up; 2017 Regional Champion, 2017 Nationals- 7th place
  • Cross Country (boys and girls)
    • Boys state champions - 1969, 2007, 2008, 2009[7]
    • Girls state champions - 1977, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1988[8]
  • Flag football (girls)
  • Football (boys)
    • State champions - 1969, 1974[9]
  • Golf (boys and girls)
  • Lacrosse (boys)
  • Soccer (boys and girls)
    • Boys state champions - 1988[10]
  • Softball (girls)
  • Swimming and diving (boys and girls)
  • Track and field (boys and girls)
  • Tennis (boys and girls)
  • Volleyball (girls)
    • State champions - 2011[11]
    • State champions - 2019
  • Weightlifting (boys and girls)

Notable alumni
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gollark: I simply ignore such conventions.
gollark: Wiktionary.
gollark: util.py in the source.
gollark: It has a built-in apiary table.

References
  1. "LEON HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. Lindsay Brown; Vivian Young; Barbara E. Mattick (August 2003). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Leon High School" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-12-12. Photos
  4. "Leon High School". Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  5. "Leon Lions". c2cschools.com. C2C Schools LLC. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  6. "BASEBALL 2014-15 CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS" (PDF). fhsaa.org. FHSAA. pp. 2–5. Archived from the original (pdf) on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  7. "BOYS CROSS COUNTRY 2014-15 CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS" (pdf). fhsaa.org. FHSAA. pp. 2–4. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  8. "GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY 2014-15 CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS" (pdf). fhsaa.org. FHSAA. p. 5. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  9. "FOOTBALL 2013-14 CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS" (pdf). fhsaa.org. FHSAA. p. 2. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  10. "BOYS SOCCER 2014-15 CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS" (pdf). fhsaa.org. FHSAA. p. 2. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  11. "GIRLS VOLLEYBALL 2015-16 CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS" (pdf). fhsaa.org. FHSAA. p. 4. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
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