Austin High School (Minnesota)
| Austin High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
|
301 3rd St NW Austin, Minnesota 55912 |
|
| Coordinates | 43°40′06″N 92°58′45″W / 43.6683°N 92.9791°WCoordinates: 43°40′06″N 92°58′45″W / 43.6683°N 92.9791°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public High School |
| Established | 1869 |
| School district | 492 |
| Superintendent | David Krenz |
| Principal | Katie Baskin |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Number of students | c. 1300 |
| Hours in school day | 7 |
| Color(s) | Scarlet and White |
| Song | Austin High Gives Hail to Thee |
| Fight song | AHS Fight Song; Scarlet and White |
| Athletics conference | Big 9 Conference |
| Mascot | Packers |
| Rival | Albert Lea High School |
| Newspaper | The Sentinel |
| Yearbook | Austinian |
| Feeder schools | Ellis Middle School |
| Website | Austin High School |
Austin High School (originally called Franklin School when constructed in 1869) is a public high school in Austin, Minnesota. It is part of Austin Public Schools, established in 1857. The home of the Packers, the school has over 1,250 students; AHS prides itself on having strong academics, athletics, and fine arts. The school colors are Scarlet and White, and the sports team is the Packers. AHS is a member of the Big 9 Conference.
Austin High School was primarily constructed in two phases. The older section, c. 1919, has Christgau Hall in the center, while the "new" building, c. 1939, is built around Knowlton Auditorium and Ove Berven Gym. The back of the auditorium stage is directly connected with the north end of the gym and they are divided by a (formerly movable) wall, with the cafeteria in the basement below. Classrooms are on the outside of each ring, with the overall effect being the shape of a figure-eight. Stairwells are at each outer corner, midway along the "new" building, and at either end of the hall where the "new" and "old" buildings meet. There is also an interior pair of stairwells that access the Commons (main lobby), mid-floor classrooms/offices, and Knowlton Auditorium's balcony. A feature of the main building is a commons area that includes vending machines and social area with student artwork on display, the Cashier's office, Counseling office, and Health Services (nurse) office.
The Annex is a separate building situated west of the main building, across 4th Street NW. Built in the 1950s and originally housed the vocational programs and Austin State Jr. College. The college moved to its current location in 1966. Current classes in the Annex include Auto Shop, Carpentry, Tech Explorations, Graphics, Welding, Woodworking, Choir, Band, and Orchestra. A tunnel connects the main building to the Annex, allowing students to pass between buildings without crossing 4th Street.
The school has three floors, each represented by a different color: first floor is red, second is green, and the third floor is blue. Most Freshman classes are on the third floor, while the rest of the classes are organized by each education department (Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics and Science). The basement contains the cafeteria, a tunnel system for pedestrian traffic which was remodeled in (?) into storage, and a section that originally contained a four lane pool. After the swimming teams moved to a new facility at Ellis Middle School in the early 1970s, the pool was only used for Phy Ed classes. The pool was closed and the section was remodeled into classroom and storage space after the Ellis fire of 1986.
The school is well served with three gyms: Packer Gym, Hastings Gym, and Ove Berven Gym. Packer and Hastings Gyms are adjacent to each other in the 1991 addition built at the south end of the "new" building, with a door that connects the two gyms. Their locker rooms are along the hall running beside the two gyms. Ove Berven locker rooms are two levels each and located in the southwest and northeast corners adjacent to the gym, with each having a level on the ground floor and in the basement. In the Annex, there is also a locker room, a weight training room and a gym used in the past for wrestling practice.
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