Wichita High School East | |
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Address | |
2301 East Douglas Avenue Wichita, Kansas 67211 United States |
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Coordinates | 37°40′56″N 97°18′34″W / 37.682334°N 97.309466°WCoordinates: 37°40′56″N 97°18′34″W / 37.682334°N 97.309466°W |
Information | |
School type | Public, High School |
Established | 1878 |
School district | USD 259 |
Superintendent | John Allison |
CEEB code | 173206 |
Principal | Ken Thiessen |
Teaching staff | 131.60 (on a FTE basis) |
Grades | 9 to 12 |
Gender | coed |
Enrollment | 2348 (2016-2017) |
Student to teacher ratio | 17.31 |
Campus type | Urban |
Color(s) |
Navy blue White Columbia Blue |
Athletics | Class 6A District 6 |
Athletics conference | Greater Wichita Athletic League |
Mascot | Blue Aces |
Rival | Wichita Southeast High School |
Newspaper | The Messenger |
Yearbook | Echoes |
Website | east.usd259.org |
Wichita East High School , known locally as East, is a public, co-educational secondary school located near the center of Wichita, Kansas, United States. The school's 44-acre (180,000 m2) campus and the building's Collegiate Gothic styling make it an urban landmark. With a student population of 2,348, it is the largest high school in the state.
The school offers the International Baccalaureate program, a prestigious magnet program that teaches students at college level, that attracts students from all around the Wichita metro area. In 2014, East was ranked the #1 school in the state of Kansas by U.S. News & World Report and the #1 place to work in Wichita by the Wichita Business Journal.
Wichita East traces its roots back to 1878, although the current building wasn't completed until 1923. Originally known as Wichita High School, East was the first of seven traditional public high schools to be built in USD 259, Wichita's Unified School District. In 1929, when Wichita North High School was completed, the school's name was changed to Wichita High School East. Originally built on a campus shared with Roosevelt Junior High School, the high school's growing enrollment forced the conversion of the junior high school into a second wing of the high school.
The junior high school and high school were joined by a third structure in 1976-1977, a library and cafeteria that connected the second floor of the two buildings. In 2004, a construction project added a new gymnasium, converted the old gym into the current science wing, and provided air conditioning to the entire building, but the renovation removed the building's swimming pool, auto mechanics building and 500 Hall, which housed the wood shops.
In 2011, East added a secondary gym and a new swimming pool. In 2012, the school celebrated the opening of the new performing arts center, featuring a 600-seat theater, instrumental rehearsal spaces and vocal music room.
In 2014, East was ranked the #1 school in the state of Kansas by U.S. News & World Report. The campus is also home to the Wichita Area Technical College.