Richardson High School

Richardson High School (RHS) is a magnet high school in Richardson, Texas, United States with approximately 2,770 students and a student/teacher ratio of approximately 15:1 in the 2018–2019 school year.[3] It is the oldest high school in the Richardson Independent School District (RISD).

Richardson High School
Richardson High School in 2021
Address
1250 West Belt Line Road

Richardson
,
Dallas County
,
Texas
75080

United States
Coordinates32°57′06″N 96°45′44″W
Information
TypeHigh school/secondary school
MottoScientia Cum Prudentia
Established1890 (1963 - current facility)
School districtRichardson Independent School District
PrincipalChris Choat[1]
Teaching staff203.25 (FTE)[2]
Grades9–12
Enrollment2,790 (2021–22)[2]
Student to teacher ratio13.73[2]
Color(s)Purple and gold    
MascotEagle
NicknameRHS
PublicationThe Talon
Feeder schoolsWestwood Junior High School Richardson West Junior High School
Magnet ProgramsLaw, culinary arts, visual arts, photography/photo media arts, theater, tech theater, communications, robotics, science, and computer science
WebsiteRichardson High School Website

Richardson High School is the flagship high school of the Richardson Independent School District (RISD).[4] The school has many magnet programs, such as culinary arts,[5] theater, visual arts, tech theater, communications,[4] robotics, law, science, and computer science. The school also has award-winning mock trial, debate, and computer science teams.[4]

History

The school, which opened shortly after the first public school in the city was burned down by Ross Inman in 1890, began in a two-room building on Old Pike Road, a street that is now part of Greenville Avenue. A rural school with fewer than 100 students up to 1950, the school opened its present facility in 1961. During the period of the late 1950s, RHS shared facilities with Westwood Junior High School on Abrams Road. Bill Passmore was principal during this transition into the new facility on Belt Line Road.

Jeremy Wade Delle suicide

On January 8, 1991, Jeremy Wade Delle, a 15-year-old[6] sophomore, fatally shot himself with a .357 Magnum in front of his second-period English class.[7] The incident inspired the Pearl Jam song "Jeremy".[8]

Brent Archie scandal

On July 30, 2008, teacher and coach Brent Archie was arrested on charges of having relationships with three female students. Archie was a football and wrestling coach, and also taught Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) and world history. This was the first incident of its kind in RISD history.[9][10]

Athletics

Richardson's sports mascot is the Eagle; students, teachers, and alumni are referred to as Eagles; and the team shares Eagle-Mustang Stadium (capacity 12,000) with West Junior High School.

The school was the University Interscholastic League State Champions for Men's & Woman's Soccer in 1985.[11][12]

Notable accomplishments

The school was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in the 1983–84 school year.[13]

In August 2006, Richardson High School was named one of three "best practices" high schools in the state of Texas.[14] The award granted by the National Council of Educational Accountability and the Just 4 Kids Foundation is based upon staff development, staff retention, standardized test scores and support programs for students.

In May 2007, the RISD was awarded the "Excellence in Education Award for Large School District in Texas" by the HEB Foundation.[15] Richardson High School and Richardson West Junior High played instrumental roles in the selection process and hosted the site visit committee in March 2007. In addition to the award, the RISD received a check for $100,000.

In the 2012 U.S. News & World Report rankings of the Best Schools in America, Richardson High School ranked number 711 out of 21,766 public high schools, putting it in the top 3.5% of all public high schools in the United States. RHS was also rated the 65th best in the state of Texas.[16]

In 2015, 2016, and 2017, Richardson High School was one of the few hundred schools in the state of Texas, and the only high school in RISD to earn all 7 distinctions in the STAAR state assessment.[17]

Notable alumni

Media

In 2009, the school's student news team started a public, student-written magazine known as The Talon.

KRET-TV
Main article: KRET-TV

In 1960 the Richardson Independent School District established KRET, the first TV station in the nation to be owned by a school district.[18] The studio was located at Richardson High from 1963–1970. The studio was previously located at Richardson Junior High School (1960–1963). The station was converted on August 31, 1970, into a closed-circuit network named "TAGER".

References
  1. "Staff Directory". schools.risd.org. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  2. "RICHARDSON HS". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  3. "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for RICHARDSON H S". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  4. "Richardson High School Achievements" (PDF). Edline. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  5. "Richardson culinary students create easy, healthy recipes for kids". dallasnews.com. January 29, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  6. "Early life - Jeremy Wade Delle". Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  7. Miller, Bobbi; Nevins, Annette (1991-01-09). "Richardson teenager kills himself in front of classmates". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2014-09-04.
  8. Black, Johnny (September 2002). "The Greatest Songs Ever! Jeremy". Blender. Archived from the original on December 29, 2008. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
  9. Flemmons, Stephanie (September 25, 2009). "Richardson ISD teacher faces trial for sex crimes". planostar.com. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  10. "RISD sex scandal 'disturbing and tragic'". Wfaa.com. August 15, 2009. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  11. League, University Interscholastic. "Boys Soccer State Archives — University Interscholastic League (UIL)". www.uiltexas.org. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  12. League, University Interscholastic. "Girls Soccer State Archives — University Interscholastic League (UIL)". www.uiltexas.org. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  13. "Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982–1983 Through 1999–2002" (PDF). ed.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  14. Hughes, Kristine (August 18, 2006). "Richardson High recognized for its teamwork". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved August 17, 2012. (payment required)
  15. Weiss, Jeffrey (September 3, 2011). "How Richardson ISD beat its peers in getting the class of '09 college-ready". dallasnews.com. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  16. "Education: Richardson High School Overview". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  17. "More than 400 campuses earn all possible distinctions in 2017 accountability ratings". tea.texas.gov. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
  18. "Educational TV Rates Top Grade in Classes". The Dallas Morning News. March 31, 1960. section B, p. 6.
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