Manchester High School West
Manchester High School West, known as West High or West, is a public high school located in Manchester, New Hampshire. According to the Blue Book: Manchester High School West Hand Book (1940), the school was officially opened in September 1923 as a grade school and high school, hosting the seventh and eighth grades. In 1924, with an upsurge in enrollment to 136 pupils, the school became a dedicated high school. The first graduating class was in June 1925.
| Manchester High School West | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
9 Notre Dame Avenue , 03102 United States | |
| Coordinates | 42°59′10″N 71°28′30″W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public High School |
| Founded | 1923 |
| School district | Manchester School District |
| Superintendent | Bolgen Vargas |
| CEEB code | 300360 |
| Principal | Richard Dichard |
| Staff | 72.90 (FTE)[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 800 (2017–18)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 10.97[1] |
| Color(s) | Royal blue and white |
| Athletics conference | NHIAA Division II |
| Nickname | Blue Knights |
| Rivals | Manchester Central High School, Manchester Memorial High School |
| Accreditation | New England Association of Schools and Colleges |
| Newspaper | Blueprint |
| Feeder schools | Middle School at Parkside Gossler Park School Northwest School Parker-Varney School |
| Website | west |
 | |
According to the 1940 Blue Book, the mission of the school was to give "each pupil an opportunity to find a career to which he is best adapted and to establish its basis by diligent study in order to promote his progress in life and to give him confidence in facing the world." The courses of study originally offered by Manchester High School West were manual arts, home economics, the commercial course, the classical course (for those planning to go on to university) and the general course.
Students living in Hooksett and Manchester attend West High School. West is one of three public high schools in Manchester. Well over 2,000 students attended West at its peak enrollment.
In the past, Bedford, a suburb of Manchester, sent its high school-aged students to West. After a generation of debate and several votes, the town of Bedford eventually voted to build its own high school. The expanding class sizes at West and growing population of Bedford finally convinced Bedford voters of a need for a new high school. Bedford High School opened at the beginning of the 2007–2008 school year. With the opening of Bedford High School, Bedford students were phased out of West High School, reducing the enrollment at West to around 1,300 students.[2]
West High School's mascot is the Blue Knight.
Demographics
The demographic breakdown of the 1192 students enrolled for the 2012-2013 school year was:[3]
- Male - 56.9%
- Female - 43.1%
- Native American/Alaskan - 0.7%
- Asian/Pacific islander - 5.0%
- Black - 8.3%
- Hispanic - 10.4%
- White - 72.2%
- Multiracial - 3.4%
Athletics
West athletics have a particularly strong rivalry with another city high school, Manchester Central.
The men's tennis team were state champions in 2005 and runners up in 2007.
Notable alumni
- Janel Bishop, 1991 Miss Teen USA
- Richard Camacho, member of Latin boyband CNCO
- Maurice McDonald, co-founder of McDonald's
- Richard McDonald, co-founder of McDonald's
- Josh Meyers, 1994, actor (MADtv, That '70s Show)
- Seth Meyers, 1992, cast member of Saturday Night Live; host of Late Night with Seth Meyers
- Charles Revson, founder of Revlon
- Anok Yai, fashion model
References
- "Manchester West High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
- "NH School and District Profiles; Manchester West High School, 2011-12 School Year". NH Department of Education. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Manchester West High School". ed.gov. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
Sources
- "Bedford Withdrawal from West Approved" by Riley Yates, The New Hampshire Union Leader, January 10, 2006.