*** Welcome to piglix ***

Summerlin Institute and Union Academy

Bartow Senior High School
BHS jackets.jpg
Address
1270 S. Broadway Ave.
Bartow, Florida, Polk County 33830
United States
Information
School type Public High School
Established 1887
Status Open
School district Polk County Public Schools
Principal Emilean Clemons
Grades 9–12
Gender co-ed
Enrollment 1301 (3/10/2014)
 • Grade 9 366
 • Grade 10 339
 • Grade 11 303
 • Grade 12 293
Language English
Color(s)     Blue
    Orange
     White
Nickname Yellow Jackets
Rival Kathleen High School
National ranking 2 (2013 Newsweek)
Average ACT scores 30.3 (IB school)
Yearbook Echo
Feeder schools Bartow Middle School, Union Academy

Bartow Senior High School, formerly Summerlin Institute and Union Academy is the only high school located in Bartow, Florida. The school is also the location of the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow High, as well as Summerlin Academy, the only public military school in Florida.

Summerlin Institute was founded in 1887 as the first public high school located in Bartow, Florida. It was named after Jacob Summerlin who donated large amounts of land to the cities of Bartow and Orlando. This school was the first brick school in the United States located south of Jacksonville, Florida. In the early 20th century, Union Academy was founded in Bartow as a high school for African-Americans. In 1927, Summerlin Institute was relocated to the corner of Broadway Avenue and Tharp Street which is the current location of Bartow High School. In 1968 Polk County, Florida schools were integrated and all high school students living in Bartow and surrounding areas were, for the first time, going to the same school. The name of Summerlin Institute was changed to Bartow Senior High School, and Union Academy became an integrated middle school. The name change was (and still is) controversial because Summerlin Institute was considered one of the more prestigious public schools in the Southern United States, but because the school was named after Jacob Summerlin, who was a slaveholder, many felt the name change was appropriate. Many (but not all) Bartowians consider the history, traditions, alumni, etc. of Bartow High School to include the pre-1970 histories of Summerlin Institutes and Union Academy as well as the history of Bartow High School (1970–present), thus making the 1970 integration a "merger" of two schools. Others consider Summerlin Institute/Bartow High School one school, and Union Academy a now defunct high school, but current middle school.


...
Wikipedia

...