Hays High School

Hays High School
Entrance of Hays High School
Address
2300 E. 13th Street Hays, Kansas 67601 United States
Information
School type	Public, High School
Established	1872
School board	Board Website
School district	USD 489
Grades	9 to 12
Enrollment	1,500
Campus	Urban
Color(s)	Maroon      Gold      Black
Athletics conference	Western Athletic Conference
Mascot	Indian
Rival	Great Bend High School
Newspaper	Guidon
Website	School Website

Coordinates: 38°52′2″N 99°17′42″W / 38.86722°N 99.29500°W / 38.86722; -99.29500

Hays High School is a coeducational public secondary school located in Hays, Kansas operated by Unified School District 489.

Hays High School was founded as a school in 1872. A school library was built in 1886 and the school was officially instituted a year later. In 1893, the Alumni Association was formed. During the same year, the first literary society (Alpha) was established. Additional literary societies were established over the next several years. In the early 1890s, bookcases were purchased for use in each classroom. In 1921, many library books were gathered and catalogued according to the Dewey Decimal System. By 1937, the school had over 3,700 volumes and the library held 34 people. The current library has approximately 15,000 books and provides seating for 80. The school newspaper, "The Guidon", began in 1902. The newspapers were available to students for 2 cents each and helped the student body stay informed about issues. The football program began in 1902. The first game was played against Lacrosse High School and resulted in a 5-2 victory. The first yearbook was published two years later in 1904. The baseball and tennis programs also began in 1904. At the time, the tennis program was known as the "Junior Tennis Club". During this time, football and baseball games could only be scheduled for Saturdays, which proved to be inconvenient for the programs and the competing schools.

Manual training was required for all students during the early 20th Century. All students were required to devote at least two hours per week to manual training. This was done through the Hays High Manual Training Department which consisted of planning, fitting and squaring, making crosses and squares, dove-tailing, and wood carving. Twelve benches, a grindstone, and a tool chest were all provided to students.