North High School (Denver, Colorado)

North High School is an historic public high school located in the Northside of Denver, Colorado, United States. The school is part of the Denver Public Schools system and has been in continuous operation since 1883.[4] It is one of four original high schools in Denver; the other three are East, West, and South.

North High School
Denver North High School
Location
2960 N. Speer Blvd. Denver, Colorado 80211-3754 United States[1]
Coordinates	39°45′36″N 105°01′21″W
Information
Type	Public
School district	Denver Public Schools
Principal	Scott Wolf[1]
Faculty	74.39 (FTE)[2]
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	1,235 (2017–18)[2]
Student to teacher ratio	16.60[2]
Color(s)	Purple and gold
Athletics	4A
Athletics conference	Denver
Mascot	Vikings[3]
Information	(720)-423-2700[1]
Website	http://north.dpsk12.org

History

The high school was constructed by the then-independent township of Highland, northwest of Denver, in 1883. It belonged to Denver Public Schools from the beginning and was known as 'Denver North Side High School'; the original graduating class of 1886 was entirely female.[5] In 1896 Highland was incorporated into the city of Denver and the existing school became inadequate for the growing number of students; a new Beaux-Arts style building was constructed in 1911 which continues to serve as the core of the modern school.

In the latter part of the 20th century, North High School experienced a continual decline in attendance and student achievement. In 2012-13 the graduation rate was 56.7%, with a drop-out rate of 3.4% and attendance rates of 90%.[6] In 2010 it received a $3.1 million grant from the federal government as part of a scheme to reinvigorate low-performing schools in the United States.[7] In 2007 the school received a $17.1 million remodeling that restored the historic features of the 1911 building and updated the athletic buildings and infrastructure.[8]

Following several changes in administration, North High School has seen a strong rebound in recent years, with sharp rises in student enrollment, attendance, and graduation rates. [9]

Demographics

The number of students enrolled in North High School in 2009-2010 was 953.

• 8.6% White
• 3.4% African American
• 85.4% Hispanic
• 1.4% Native American
• 1.3% Asian

Notable alumni

• Gold Meir, fourth Prime Minister of Israel
• Bobby LeFebre, Colorado's current poet laureate, and the state's youngest and first poet laureate of color.
• Virgil Jester, former MLB player (Boston Braves)
• Merrill H. Hoyt, prominent Denver architect, business man and leader[10]
• Burnham Hoyt (class of 1904), prominent mid-20th century architect in Denver,[11]
• Pat Haggerty, NFL referee

Gallery

• 
  Library, 1918

References

1. School Facts, Piton Foundation
2. "North High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
3. http://denvernorth.org/athletics/
4. Ariana Ross (2016-09-10). "NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST - DENVER'S ICONIC PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS". Denverpubliclibrary.org. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
5. Ariana Ross (2016-09-10). "NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST - DENVER'S ICONIC PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS". Denverpubliclibrary.org. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
6. Yesenia Robles (2015-03-15). "Denver's North High showing signs that latest improvements will stick". Denver Post. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
7. Jeremy P. Meyer (2010-08-27). "Colorado schools get $43 million in grants". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
8. "North High School Historic Renovations". a-p.com. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
9. Jeremy P. Meyer (2010-08-27). "Colorado schools get $43 million in grants". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
10. Noel, Thomas J.; Norgren, Barbara S. (1987). Denver: The City Beautiful. Denver, CO: Historic Denver, Inc. pp. 204–205. ISBN 0-914628-22-4.
11. "Colorado Architects Biographical Sketch - Burnham F. Hoyt" (PDF). HistoryColorago.org. Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Colorado History Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.

• Colorado Department of Education Report Card