Westside High School (Omaha)

Westside High School is the only high school of the Westside Community Schools district (also known as District 66 to local residents) of Omaha, Nebraska, United States.

Westside High School
Front view of the Westside campus
Location
8701 Pacific St.
Omaha, Nebraska, 68114-5298
Information
TypePublic
Established1951
PrincipalJay Opperman
Faculty132.95 (FTE)[1]
Enrollment1,964 (2017–18)[1]
Student to teacher ratio14.77[1]
Color(s)              
Team nameWarriors
Websitehttp://whs.westside66.org/

Student life

Modular schedule system

Westside has used a modular schedule since 1967. Each module, or "mod" (as known colloquially among WHS students), is either a 20 or 40-minute period used for classes or independent study time in an instructional materials center (IMC). This allows freedom in scheduling as classes can be 40, 60, or 80 minutes long, as needed for one-to-one, small group, large group, and laboratory instruction. Classes are taught in a similar format to many universities; students meet a large group lecture once per week and have small group recitations throughout the week. An average student has at least one or two full open mods per day, to be used for studying, interacting with teachers, eating lunch, or socializing. Juniors and seniors who have met specific requirements are eligible to apply for a pass that allows them to leave the building during open mods.[2]

Supreme Court Case

In 1985, Westside Senior Bridget Mergens was denied the ability to create an after-school Christian Bible club. The principal at the time rejected the idea since he said a religious club violated the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. In addition, the club lacked a school sponsor that was required when forming a club. Mergens argued that the district's decision was in violation of the federal Equal Access Act requiring that groups seeking to express messages containing “religious, political, philosophical, or other content” not be denied the ability to form clubs. In 1990,Westside Community Board of Education v. Mergens was heard by the Supreme Court. In an 8-1 decision, the court said that since the club did not study school curriculum, it was permitted under the Equal Access Act.

Extracurricular Activities

Westside athletic teams have won the following state championships.

State championships[3]
SeasonSportNumber of championshipsYear
FallFootball31961, 1981, 1982
Tennis, boys'41976, 1977, 1981, 1983
Golf, girls'11990
WinterWrestling21976, 1977
Basketball, girls'31999, 2015, 2018
Basketball, boys'11980
Swimming, boys'231966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1991, 2004, 2005, 2006
Swimming, girls'131975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1995, 1996, 2012
SpringGolf, boys'51959, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1989
Track and field, boys'21967, 1975
Soccer, boys'21998, 2004
Tennis, girls'171976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2014
Baseball81972, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015
Total82

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Westside High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  2. "Modular Schedule – Bell Schedule | Westside High School". Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  3. "Nebraska School Activities Association" (English). Retrieved 2012-06-26.

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