Highlands High School (Fort Thomas, Kentucky)

Fort Thomas Highlands High School, also known as Fort Thomas Highlands, is a public secondary school located in Fort Thomas, Kentucky.[3][4] Operated by Fort Thomas Independent Schools, Highlands was founded in 1888. The school took its name from the original name of Fort Thomas, "The Highlands". Enrollment for the 2018–19 school year was 1,036 in grades 9-12.[2]

Highlands High School
Address
2400 Memorial Parkway

Fort Thomas, Kentucky
41075

United States
Coordinates39°05′02″N 84°27′01″W
Information
TypePublic secondary school
Established1888 (1888)
School districtFort Thomas Independent Schools
SuperintendentBrian Robinson[1]
PrincipalJohn Darnell[1]
Teaching staff57.50 (FTE) (2019–20)[2]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,221 (2021–22)[2]
Student to teacher ratio17.88 (2019–2020)[2]
Color(s)Royal blue and white
MascotBluebirds
RivalCovington Catholic High School
USNWR ranking242 (2020)
Tuition$8,900
Websitefortthomas.kyschools.us/1/Home

Academics

As of 2020, Highlands is ranked 242nd in the nation and second within Kentucky by U.S. News & World Report.[5] They boast ACT and SAT scores well above both state and national averages.[6] Approximately 90% of the school's graduates go to college, and it is the only public high school in the state with a chapter of the Cum Laude Society. Highlands also has chapters of the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta. Twenty Advanced Placement classes are offered[7] and the school is consistently a local leader in National Merit Finalists. Until 2009, Highlands won the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution State Championships in six out of seven years, and placed in the top 25 at the National Finals in 2007.[8]

The school was named a 2007 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School, the highest award that can be given to a school by the US Department of Education[9] and received a national "High Schools That Work" Gold Achievement Award in 2008.[10]

The Washington Post named Highlands the number one most challenging school in Kentucky in 2014.[11]

Athletics

The school's nickname was "the Devils" until the 1930s, when the sports teams were renamed "the Bluebirds" due to public outrage from local churches concerning the use of "Devils." The school currently competes in the following sports: Archery (Coed), Baseball (Boys), Basketball (Coed), Cheerleading (Coed), Cross Country (Coed), Dance Team (Girls), Diving (Coed), Esports (Coed), Football (Boys), Golf (Coed), Swimming (Coed), Soccer (Coed), Fast-Pitch Softball (Girls), Tennis (Coed), Track and Field (Coed), and Volleyball (Girls).

With the exception of football, Highlands plays in the AA division. The football team currently plays in 5A. Prior to the realignment effected in the fall of 2007 that expanded the sport from four divisions to six, the football team played 3A.[12]

The Bluebirds football team won their 23rd state title in 2014 and in 2012 set a new record for consecutive state football championships, with six in a row.[13] These are two of eight team state records that Highlands holds.[14] Highlands is also ranked second nationally, and first in the state, in all-time wins with 842, and have finished the football season nationally ranked on eight occasions.[14] The football team has had thirteen undefeated seasons, and 88 winning seasons out of a total of 98. The girls' soccer team won back to back state championships in 2005 and 2006,[15] and the boys' soccer team was state runner-up in 2008. The girls' cross country team won four consecutive state championships from 2012 to 2015 and three consecutive from 1978 to 1980 and again from 2002 to 2004.[16] and the girls' track team also won state in 2009. Highlands has 51 state titles across all sports. The Bluebirds baseball team has won 3 consecutive regional championships (2015, 2016, 2017).

Journalism

Highlands High School's primary school-authorized and student-written journalism source is The Hilltopper, a student-penned newspaper with the purpose of communicating to students and the greater Fort Thomas community about issues concerning the community's general welfare.[17] Consisting of four sections, primarily news, sports, opinion and entertainment, there are also smaller individual categories or repeating segments such as "Crazy Kitchen Insanity" (focusing on cooking recipes) and "Voices In The Halls". The Hilltopper also publishes articles regarding national news, such as the 2022 Will Smith–Chris Rock slapping incident and the COVID-19 vaccine.[18][19] The Hilltopper is currently staffed by 33 Highlands students.[20]

In 2022, Highlands sophomore Carter Frimming started a Hilltopper-backed parody of Between Two Ferns (with the same name), in which Frimming interviews Highlands faculty and students in a similar manner to Galifianakis. Frimming's version of Between Two Ferns is notable for its deadpan comedy uncommon in school journalism. So far, Frimming has interviewed teachers Andrew Eckerle and Matt Ewald.[21]

Notable alumni

References
  1. Collier, Mark. "Highlands High School SBDMC Names New Principal, John Darnell".
  2. "Search for Public Schools - Highland High School (210204000428)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  3. "Highlands High School - Fort Thomas, Kentucky". Education Bug. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  4. "Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, KY". high-schools.com. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  5. "Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, KY". U.S. News & World Report. 2020. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020.
  6. "About our District - Fort Thomas Independent Schools". www.fortthomas.kyschools.us.
  7. http://www2.fortthomas.kyschools.us/Curriculum/HHS_Course_Catalog_08-09.pdf%5B%5D
  8. "Center for Civic Education National Finals 2007". Center For Civic Education (civiced.org). Archived from the original on October 12, 2007.
  9. "Archived: Selected 2007 Schools - No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program". www2.ed.gov. United States Department of Education. 2007. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
  10. "Highlands High earns recognition". The Cincinnati Enquirer (cincinnati.com). June 24, 2008. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012.
  11. "America's Most Challenging Schools". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  12. "Highlands Bluebirds - Background". KHSAA. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  13. "KHSAA Football Record Book" (PDF). KHSAA. June 17, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  14. "Highland Bluebirds - Record Book". Archived from the original on October 20, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  15. "Past KHSAA Girls' Soccer State Championship Results" (PDF). KHSAA. November 23, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  16. "Girls' Cross Country Team State Titles" (PDF). KHSAA. November 23, 2002. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  17. "About". The Hilltopper. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  18. Tinker, Jonathan. "The slap heard across the nation: Will Smith versus Chris Rock". The Hilltopper. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  19. Fraley, Emerson. "Bluebirds voice their opinions over the COVID-19 vaccine". The Hilltopper. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  20. "Staff". The Hilltopper. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  21. Tinker, Jonathan. "Interviewing the interviewer: 'In Between Two Ferns'". The Hilltopper. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  22. "Ben Guidugli Stats, News and Video - TE". NFL.com.
  23. Vacchiano, Ralph (September 17, 2007). "Giants' QB Jared Lorenzen Waiting for Chance to Start". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
  24. "Marty Moore Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2006. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
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