H. Grady Spruce High School

H. Grady Spruce High School is a public school in the Spruce Square Development of Southeast Dallas in the state of Texas. H. Grady Spruce High School, which covers grades 9–12, is a part of the Dallas Independent School District. Spruce serves several sections of southeast Dallas, including Balch Springs. In 2015, the school was rated "Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agency.[4]

H Grady Spruce High School
Address
9733 Old Seagoville Road

Dallas
,
Texas
75217

United States
Coordinates32°42′31″N 96°39′16″W
Information
TypePublic, secondary
School districtDallas Independent School District
Area trusteeNancy Bingham[1]
PrincipalFrancine Taylor
Faculty130 (2018)[2]
Grades9-12
Number of students1,843 (2018)[2]
Color(s)Scarlet Red and Royal Blue[3]
MascotTimberwolves (Originally the Apaches)
Websitewww.dallasisd.org/spruce

History

Once part of Rylie, this unincorporated land was annexed to Dallas in the late '50s and developed into a community most noted for its high school, H. Grady Spruce, which opened in 1963. Spruce replaced Rylie High School (which was turned into a junior high school and later a middle school in 1972).

The school is named for Henry Grady Spruce, a native of Omen, Texas, who earned degrees from Southern Methodist University and the University of Chicago. He devoted much of his 35-year YMCA career to youth, including 25 years as director of the Dallas YMCA's Camp Crockett (now Camp Grady Spruce) near Granbury and the Park Cities YMCA.

When it opened, Spruce's student body reflected the community and was predominantly Caucasian (white and with some black students and other ethnic groups). Beginning in 1971, Spruce was selected to take part in busing. Black students became a majority in the early 1980s as the demographics of the Pleasant Grove area changed. Starting in the 1990s, Hispanics became the majority.

From 1963–1998, the mascot of Spruce High School was the "Mighty Fighting Apaches". In 1998, the "Apache" mascot was changed to the Timberwolves.

On June 26, 2008, the Dallas ISD board voted to move all 10th and 11th graders from Spruce High School and released all staff from their contracts. As a result, Spruce disbanded all athletic teams during the 2008–2009 school year; thus, seniors who participated in athletics were eligible to transfer to other DISD schools.

Facilities

Previously the school housed the Dallas ISD and Parkland Spruce Youth and Family Health Center in temporary buildings. On June 3, 2013,[5] it moved to a site next to Balch Springs Middle School in Balch Springs and became the Balch Springs Youth & Family Health Center. It serves disadvantaged children who do not have primary care physicians.[6]

Statistics

During the 2011–12 school year 90% of the students at H. Grady Spruce High School are economically disadvantaged, 12.9% enroll in special education, 6.7% enroll in gifted and talented programs, and 27.1% are considered "limited English proficient."[2]

The ethnic makeup of the school during the 2011-2012 school year was 71% Hispanic, 26.9% Black, 1.5% White, non-Hispanic, less than 1% Asian/Pacific Islander, and less than 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native.[2]

Feeder patterns

As of 2007, E. B. Comstock Middle School feeds into H. Grady Spruce High School.[7]

The following elementary schools feed into Comstock and Spruce

  • Balch Spring
  • William M. Anderson
  • W. A. Blair
  • Rufus C. Burleson
  • Gilbert Cuellar Sr.
  • Julius Dorsey
  • Frederick Douglass
  • Henry B. Gonzalez
  • Richard Lagow
  • B. H. Macon
  • Nancy Moseley[7]

Athletics

The H.Grady Spruce Timberwolves compete in the following sports:[8]

Notable alumni
Maceo Demond Baston

References
  1. Dallas ISD – Schools by Trustee Archived October 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. (PDF). Retrieved on June 12, 2007.
  2. DISD Data Packet for 2012-2013 Planning
  3. Dallas ISD – David W. Carter High School Archived October 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on June 12, 2007.
  4. "2015 Accountability Rating System". Texas Education Agency.
  5. Cummings, Tommy (May 28, 2013). "Health center will move to Balch Springs Middle School campus". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  6. Jacobson, Sherry (May 2, 2013). "Balch Springs to get new Parkland youth and family health center". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  7. Dallas ISD – 2007 School Feeder Patterns Archived February 12, 2012, at the Wayback Machine – "Dallas ISD : Evaluation & Accountability Department". Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2007.. Retrieved June 12, 2007.
  8. The Athletics Department
  9. "My High School: H. Grady Spruce HS famous alumni," The Dallas Morning News sports section online.
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