Stillwater High School Inspires Tomorrow’s Pioneers
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Stillwater High School’s Pioneer mascot is a historic figure for Oklahoma but one that is still relevant as the school continues to explore new territory – in campus and technology upgrades, as well as academic achievement.
The high school’s 1,000 students now receive announcements through Twitter accounts or Internet videos. Activities fill the school’s performing arts center, only four years old.
Meanwhile, construction has recently been completed on a 6,000-seat, multipurpose sports stadium, just in time for the 2009 football season.
“We have an incredible facility,” says Stillwater High School Principal Uwe Gordon. “Our last one, Hamilton Field, was built in 1948. It was a beautiful field. It had just kind of run its course.”
Though only a few miles away from the high school, playing at the older field meant that football players, band members and cheerleaders had to pack up and drive. No game was ever really a home game.
Voters approved bond financing in 2008 for the $21 million Pioneer Stadium, which will also host other sports, such as soccer.
Still, strong athletic support doesn’t eclipse the high school’s primary focus on academics, which in many cases extends beyond the classroom.
The school ranks among the top five Class 6A schools in Oklahoma according to the state’s academic performance index. In 2008, Stillwater students had the highest average ACT scores in the state.
What’s more, Expansion Management magazine has given the school a Gold Medal rating – the magazine’s highest – for workforce preparation.
Part of that preparation comes from programs that allow Stillwater students to study off-campus and earn college credits before they receive their high school diplomas. During the 2008-09 academic year, more than 240 students enrolled in college classes.
Another 75 Stillwater High School students regularly head to Meridian Technology Center, which accepts students from 10 area high schools. There, they can choose career pathways ranging from biotechnology to culinary arts. Through a cooperative alliance with Northern Oklahoma College, the high school students earn college credits.
“When they finish with us, they already have a transcript at the college,” says Ken Koch, Meridian’s chief communications and marketing officer.
Students pay $8 per credit hour, but it’s still significantly less expensive than paying for two years of tuition, as well as room and board costs, Koch says.
“We do have students that graduate from their home high school, earn their certificate at Meridian and earn their associate degree in applied sciences at one of the colleges,” he says.
While some students are getting a jump start on higher education, Stillwater Public Schools administrators also are keeping an eye toward the future, particularly the growing number of elementary school pupils who will become tomorrow’s Pioneers.
“Our graduating classes now are between 325 and 350. The second grades and below are close to 500,” Gordon says. “We’re getting ready for those. Having the opportunity to expand our campus and modernize our programs is helpful.”
Story by Victoria Eckenrode
