Murray High School (Kentucky)

Murray High School is a public high school located in Murray, Kentucky. The school currently lies on the corner of Sycamore Street and Doran Road, but it was previously located on the corner of 8th and Main Streets where it had been from 1872 to 1971. The first school was erected by the community, and it was considered the handsomest school structure west of the Tennessee River, i.e., in what is now called the Jackson Purchase.[3] Until 1953, what is now the Murray Middle School building housed all the students in the Murray district, grades 1-12. Murray State University's first classes met on the first floor in the 1920s, and Kentucky's first Head Start was organized in the building in the 1960s. Murray High School ranked number 6 overall in ACT scores in the State of Kentucky in 2009.[4] Murray High School ranked number 11 of 227 in the KY school rankings of 2010–11.[5]

Murray High School
Address
1500 Sycamore Street

Murray
,
Kentucky
42071

United States
Coordinates36.6011°N 88.3318°W / 36.6011; -88.3318
Information
TypePublic
Motto"Once a Tiger always a Tiger"
Established1872
School districtMurray Independent School District
SuperintendentCoy Samons
PrincipalTony Jarvis
Faculty31.22 (FTE)[1]
Grades9 to 12
Enrollment479 (2017–18)[1]
Student to teacher ratio15.34[1]
CampusSmall city
Color(s)Black and Traditional Gold         [2]
SloganTradition, Pride, Excellence
Athletics14 varsity teams
Athletics conferenceKHSAA
MascotTigers
NicknameTigers and Lady Tigers[2]
Websitewww.murray.kyschools.us/mhs/home.asp

Extracurricular activities

Clubs and organizations

Murray High's chess team has had relatively recent success, claiming the state championship in four out of five years from 2004 to 2008. That was over ten years ago.[6]

  • Academic Team
  • Band
  • BETA Club
  • Big Brother Big Sister
  • Black & Gold
  • Black History Club
  • Chess Team
  • Choir
  • Dawg Pound
  • FBLA
  • FCA
  • FCCLA
  • French Club
  • History Club
  • HOSA
  • Japanese Club
  • Key Club
  • Latin Club
  • Leadership Tomorrow
  • Skate Club
  • Skills USA
  • Spanish Club
  • Speech Team
  • Step Team
  • Student Council
  • Tiger Bank
  • Tiger TV
  • Y-Club
  • Yearbook
  • Gay-Straight Alliance
  • Scoopy Society
  • Murray Futurist Club
  • Board Game Club
  • Volunteer Fire Department (V.F.D.)

Athletics

The Murray High Lady Tiger Basketball team is currently the most successful sport at the school. During former head coach Rechelle Turner's 21-year tenure from 1997 to 2017, the team had unprecedented success. Perhaps the most notable accomplishments of the Lady Tigers are their two back to back KHSAA Final Four appearances in 2016 and 2017, along with a Class A state championship in 2016 and 2018. Additionally, the Lady Tigers were Region 1 champions in 1997, 2010, 2016, and 2017. Turner is now the head women's basketball coach at NCAA Division I Murray State University.

Murray's football team is well-known across Kentucky to be one of the best in Class AA. Murray High School had undefeated regular seasons in 2009 and 2010. The program has reached the third or fourth round of KHSAA Class AA Playoffs each year from 2009-2014. Prior to moving to Class AA, Murray High School won the Class A state championship in 1961 and 1974.

The Murray girls' track and field team won the KHSAA Class A state championship in 2016 and 2017.

  • Archery
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Cheerleading
  • Cross country
  • Dance
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Marching Band
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Track and field
  • Volleyball-Ladies
  • Bass Fishing

Band

Since its inception nearly 90 years ago, Murray High School's band has arguably been the most successful activity at the school, if not the District. In recent years, the band has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City and at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, and more recently at Walt Disney World in Florida. The Murray Tiger Marching Band is regarded as one of the state's best, and has maintained a tradition of excellence for over 40 years. As a Bands of America Grand National Champion, the Tiger Band has enjoyed more success than most all Kentucky high school marching bands. The band has established itself as a formidable competitor in Kentucky's marching circuit, and is a perennial power in Kentucky's KMEA Class A. In 2017, the band won its first state championship, after contending for the top prize for a number of years. They repeated the feat in 2018, winning their second state championship. The Murray High Tiger Band is currently under the direction of Tim Zeiss and Beth Stribling. An abridged list of notable accomplishments is as follows:

  • BOA Grand National Champion - 1977
  • KMEA Class A State Champion - 2017, 2018
  • KMEA Class A 2nd Place - 1997, 2009, 2013, 2015
  • KMEA Class AA 2nd Place - 2007, 2019
  • KMEA Class A 3rd Place - 1987, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016
  • KMEA Class AA 4th Place - 2001
  • KMEA State Finalist - 1987, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
  • KMEA Class A West Regional Champion - 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
  • KMEA Class AA West Regional Champion - 2001, 2004, 2007, 2019
  • BOA Class A Super Regional Champions (Indianapolis) - 2016
  • BOA Class A Super Regional Champions (St. Louis) - 2006
  • Murray State Festival of Champions Grand Champion - 1976, 1977, 2012, 2015, 2019
  • Murray State Festival of Champions Reserve Grand Champion - 1978, 1979, 2002, 2005, 2011
  • MTSU Contest of Champions Finalist - 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
  • Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - 1980
  • Orange Bowl Parade - 1975, 1977

Notable alumni

Historical timeline
  • 1872: Community leaders raise money to build the Murray Male and Female Institute, recognized as "the finest school in the Jackson Purchase"
  • 1900: The Institute catches fire (in "some unaccountable way," according to a contemporary account) and burns to the ground. The new "Murray Graded School Building" is built with state funds. It houses grades 1-12 in the Murray Independent School District. However, this second school building catches fire in 1919 during the Christmas break and also burns to the ground. It is believed that the fire was caused by students smoking and gambling in the boiler room.
  • 1922: A new three-story schoolhouse is completed. It includes an auditorium, a large library, and several classrooms.
  • 1930: The west wing, with several classrooms, a gymnasium and locker rooms, a home economics lab, and an unfinished third floor, is added onto the building.
  • 1939: Ty Holland Stadium is built by Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps and named for the Murray City School's highly respected teacher and coach.
  • 1953: With the construction of Austin Elementary (named for A.B. Austin, long-time member of the Murray Board of Education), the Murray school building becomes Murray High School.
  • 1958: The "Band and Manual Arts" building is added onto the Murray High campus to house band, music, and industrial arts.
  • 1971: The new Murray High School is built on Doran Road, and the school system is reorganized to include four years of elementary school, five years of middle school, and four years of high school.
  • 2017: The Murray Tiger Band won Class A in the KMEA State Finals, and beat our long time rival. This is the first time this has happened.
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References
  1. "Murray High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  2. "Murray High School High School Directory Entry - (# 197)". Directory of Member Schools. Kentucky High School Athletic Association. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  3. Kentucky, a History of the State, Part II, J.H.Battle, W.H.Perrin, and G.C. Kniffin; F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Louisville, Chicago
  4. http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Administrative+Resources/Testing+and+Reporting+/Reports/2009+ACT+Tested+Juniors.htm.
  5. http://www.schooldigger.com/go/KY/schoolrank.aspx?level=3
  6. "Kentucky Chess Association Blue Book". Retrieved 18 June 2011.
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