Liberty High School (Washington)

Last updated
Liberty High School
LHS - Issaquah.jpg
Location
Liberty High School (Washington)
16655 SE 136th St
Renton, WA 98059

United States
Coordinates 47°28′47″N122°07′06″W / 47.47972°N 122.11833°W / 47.47972; -122.11833
Information
Type Public
Established1977
School district Issaquah S.D.
NCES School ID 530375000576 [1]
PrincipalAndrew Brownson
Teaching staff65.47 (on an FTE basis) [1]
Enrollment1,425 (2018-19) [1]
Student to teacher ratio21.77 [1]
CampusSuburban
Color(s)Silver, Green, and Royal Blue
   
MascotPatriot
Rivals Issaquah, Skyline, Hazen, Lake Washington
NewspaperThe Patriot Press
Awards National Blue Ribbon School Award (1999-2000)
Website liberty.isd411.org

Liberty High School is a secondary school located in the East Renton Highlands in King County, Washington, United States. Founded in 1977, Liberty anchors the southern region of the Issaquah School District in the areas of Mirrormont, Issaquah, Four Lakes, May Valley, East Renton Highlands, Lakemont area of Bellevue, and the city of Newcastle. The school was named Liberty in celebration of the U.S. bicentennial celebration in 1976. After its naming, the bell from the research ship USS Liberty was acquired and is currently on display in the NJROTC (Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) room and is used for NJROTC ceremonies. [2]

Contents

Liberty works congruently with the Bellevue College's "College in the High School" program in Spanish and Physics, which allows students to earn both high school and college credits through a different means than AP courses. [3]

National Blue Ribbon School

In the 1999-2000 school year, Liberty received the National Blue Ribbon School award of Excellence, the highest award an American school can achieve. Liberty was recognized at the national level in Washington DC on April 21, 1999. Representatives Edmonds, Kagi, Dickerson, Wensman, Ballasiotes, Pflug, Kenney, McIntire, Thomas, Hankins, Esser and Fortunato proclaimed,

"Whereas, Liberty High School encapsulates the ideals and beliefs that lie at the heart of the community it serves, and embraces core beliefs honoring personal dignity, quality and excellence in performance, moral and ethical courage, and individual capacity for flexibility and growth. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage every student, parent, teacher, school, and community throughout the State of Washington to emulate the outstanding example and national recognition achieved by our National Blue Ribbon School." [4]

School achievements

Technology: Liberty is home to the Technology Information Project (T.I.P.), a nationally recognized educational program promoting the use of computers in the high school setting. Due to the work of Michael Booky and Donald Robertson, this program promoted the teaching of computer science and information technology by having students run the district's network. See The Issaquah Miracle for more information.

Performing Arts: The Patriot Players Drama Club is very active at Liberty High, typically performing four major productions per year: two plays, a musical, and Liberty's own Student-Directed One Acts Festival.

Libertys Drama Department received top honors in 2006, as one of the best schools for theater productions in the state. The Patriot Players received numerous accolades at the 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards for their production of "Seussical." [5] Designed as a high school version of the Tony Awards, the 5th Avenue Awards program honors high school students throughout Washington who put on quality musical theater entertainment. All nominees are invited to the annual awards show at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. In addition to being asked to perform on stage during the ceremony, the Patriot Players won Best Chorus and Best Costume Design. Teacher Katherine Klekas took home Best Director. Seussical was also nominated in eight other categories: Outstanding Overall Musical Production, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Group, Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Music Direction, Outstanding Orchestra, Outstanding Lighting Design, Outstanding Hair and Makeup Design, and Outstanding Stage Crew.

Culinary Arts: Liberty was also named the top culinary art school in the State of Washington during the 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007 and 2009–2010 school year. Liberty's culinary program went on to compete at the national level in North Carolina and became a well-known program around the nation. The team defended their title in March during this year's state championship. The Culinary Arts Program follows the ProStart curriculum designed by the National Restaurant Education Foundation. Students are eligible to earn 15 college credits through the Tech Prep program as they learn culinary techniques and business skills, then practice those skills by running a restaurant in the school. Students have earned top honors and scholarships at local, state, and national competitions. [7]

Patriot Press: Liberty's newspaper, "The Patriot Press", has been ranked as the best high school newspaper in the state of Washington during the 02-03, 03-04, 04-05, 05-06, 06-07 and 07-08 school years. The Patriot Press Staff recently won two scholastic journalism awards: Honorable mention in the overall excellence category of the Edward R. Murrow journalism contest at Washington State University and first place for overall newspaper excellence in the Washington Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists contest.[ citation needed ]

Liberty Band: In February 2009 the Liberty High School Marching Band competed in the KZOK and Rock Wood Fired Pizza sponsored Battle of the High School Bands, featured on the Bob Rivers Show. With over 40 other schools in the puget sound area competing, their music video entry won the Grand Prize of $10,000. Bob Rivers referred to the Liberty Band as "One of the top, elite band programs in the state".

Robotics Club: Liberty's robotics club is a member of FIRST Robotics Competition as team 4131. The team was started in 2010 and has been to multiple competitions, including the PNW Autodesk Portland regional competition in 2013.

Volleyball Liberty volleyball 2007.JPG
Volleyball

Academics & Rankings

Test Scores:

2012-13 MSP/HSPE Results [8]
ReadingMathWritingScience
10th Grade Meeting Standard94%94%96%94%

U.S. News & World Report:

Niche.com:

School Digger:

Business Week:

Evergreen Foundation:

Athletics

Liberty Football Player Football8.jpg
Liberty Football Player

Liberty High School is a member of the 2A / 3A Kingco Athletic Conference and Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. Liberty’s sports teams have a combined 22 state titles and one national title in drill.

Drill Team

In 2016, the Liberty drill team was awarded National Champion in the military category. [15] Liberty's most recent state title came in 2019 when Liberty's Drill team took home the first-place trophy in Military. [16] They have won a state title every year from 2015 through 2019.

Football

The football team won the 2A state title in 1988 and came in second place to Bellevue in 2009 and Archbishop Murphy in 2016. KingCo 2A/3A Conference Champion 2018. [17]

Men's Golf

Liberty won the 2016 and 2017 2A Men's Golf State Title. [18]

Women's cross-country

Liberty won the 2015 2A Cross-Country state title. [17]

Baseball

Liberty's Baseball won the state title in 2003. [17] The team's most recognized alumnus, Tim Lincecum, was the 2008 and 2009 Cy Young Award recipient as the top Major League pitcher in the National League. He most-notably played for the San Francisco Giants.

Women's soccer

Liberty's Women's Soccer team won the 3A State Title in 2013, and the 2A title in 2017 and 2018. [17]

Women's Swim and Dive

Liberty's Women's Swim and Dive team won the 2A State Title in 2015, 2016 and 2017. [17]

Softball

The softball team holds a record for state championship appearances at 12 years in a row (1996–2007), the most out of any sport of any school in the states history.[ citation needed ] Liberty won the 1993 state title. [17]

Men's soccer

In 1999, the Liberty men's soccer team was ranked 12th in the nation by CBS Sports.[ citation needed ] They won the state title in 1986. [17]

Fight Song

Come on and fight for Liberty High
Honor and glory, we'll never die!
Pat-ri-ot pride will shine through
while cheering our team's on from our school.

Give it your all and fight 'till the end,
Patriot spirit we will defend!
Fight! Fight! Fight for Liberty
and lead us to VICTORY!

Alma Mater

Four years together in our school
With all our hearts abide,
By graduation we're torn apart
And scattered far and wide.

Yet, still when two or three shall meet
The memories will hold true.
We'll sing about the PAT-RI-OTS
In silver, green and blue!

Notable alumni

LHS cheerleader performing Grease Lightning Homecoming 2007.JPG
LHS cheerleader performing Grease Lightning

History and facilities

Liberty opened in 1977 as a senior high school (grades 10-12, although without a senior class the first year), and became a four-year high school (gr. 9-12) in 1984. The school was completely renovated in 1999 and was rebuilt in 2015. The school colors of silver, green, and blue were chosen to replicate those used by the Seattle Seahawks, whose first season was in 1976. The colors were selected over red, white, and blue by a vote from the student body. The school is home to the Ray Reeves Gymnasium.

2011–2015 renovation

Liberty opened a new school in the Fall of 2015 at a total cost of $86 million-dollars. The new facility, which was completed in 2015, is one of the most eco-friendly schools in the state of Washington. Green features include refillable water fountains, recycled building materials, and two live green walls. Phase I construction began in 2011, which included a $20 million addition and modernization project which passed the February 7, 2006 ballot measure for the Issaquah School District. The master plan for the campus is a series of buildings set around four exterior courts. By the fall of 2015, Liberty opened two new classroom wings, a library, two science classrooms, an additional auxiliary gym, weight room, tennis courts, expansion of the core facilities, an expanded cafeteria with a kitchen, administration and counseling wings, an entry courtyard/lobby, and a 600-seat state-of-the-art performing arts center that includes a 100-seat black box, music, band and orchestra rooms. The gym area of the school was the only portion of the original campus left intact. See Phase I, II, and III of the Schematic Plans as of April 2010 prepared by the architects for the expansion Bassetti Architects. [19]

2015-2021 Athletic facilities renovations

In addition to the complete school remodel, the football stadium has a new home-side facility that includes 2,000 seats for spectators, a new press box, a covered roof, and new artificial turf that was completed in 2015. At a cost of $5 million, the new stadium capacity has doubled to 3,100 spectators. In 2020, a horseshoe building will be built at the south end of the track that will contain team meeting rooms, restrooms, a new video board, coaches offices, support facilities, and concessions. See the football Stadium Plans as of May 2011. [20] Total cost for the 2020 stadium improvements will be $3 million.

The Liberty baseball and softball fields also underwent renovations. The existing infield sand was replaced with artificial turf and the surrounding stadium also received renovations.

As part of the school renovation project, the sports teams also gained a new auxiliary gym, weight room, tennis courts and Athletic Training Room that overlooks the football field.

Green Technology School

On May 4, 2010, science teacher Mark Buchli introduced Liberty High’s new solar panel to an audience that included state legislators, Puget Sound Energy and Issaquah Schools Foundation officials, and school board members. In addition to providing the school clean energy, the solar panel will allow classrooms to conduct hands-on experiments and demonstrations—and perhaps inspire a new generation of scientists to better harness the vast energy potential of the sun. The grants to Liberty will provide an opportunity for students to compare the efficiency of tracking solar arrays, which have the ability to turn and follow the sun. The panel was funded by a grant from Puget Sound Energy with additional funding for the revolving pedestal from the Issaquah Schools Foundation. [21]

As part of the completed renovation, Liberty's new facilities will include features like reusable water from green/planted roofs, geothermal heating, usable fans in all classrooms, composting, and light shelves on the building's exterior windows.

Feeder schools

Secondary schools:

Elementary schools:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catlin Gabel School</span> Independent private school in Portland, Oregon, United States

The Catlin Gabel School is a private K-12 school located in Washington County, Oregon Annual enrollment is approximately 780 students from across the Portland metro area

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Preparatory School</span> Private school in Winter Park, Florida, USA

Trinity Preparatory School of Florida is an independent college preparatory day-school for students in grades 6 to 12, located in Winter Park, a suburb of Orlando. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church and is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools.

Bellevue High School is a public secondary school located in Bellevue, Washington. Bellevue has 1632 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12.

Issaquah School District No. 411 is a public school district in King County, Washington. It is headquartered in Issaquah, Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skyline High School (Washington)</span> Public, four-year school in Sammamish, Washington, United States

Skyline High School is a four-year public secondary school in Sammamish, Washington, a suburb east of Seattle. The third and newest high school in the Issaquah School District, it opened in the fall of 1997 and serves the district's northern portion. The school colors are green and silver and the mascot is a Spartan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastside Catholic School</span> Private, coeducational school in Sammamish, Washington, United States

Eastside Catholic School is a private Roman Catholic secondary school located in Sammamish, Washington, a suburb east of Seattle within the Archdiocese of Seattle. It has a faith-based educational program for students in grades 6 through 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George C. Marshall High School</span> Public secondary school in Falls Church, Virginia, Fairfax, Virginia, United States

George C. Marshall High School is a public school in Falls Church, Virginia. Named for General George C. Marshall, it opened in 1962 and is part of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). It is ranked #245 in the nation for public schools and has received a gold award for Best High Schools from the U.S. News & World Report 2020. It is ranked 4th in Virginia and 4th in Fairfax County. George C. Marshall High School is a fully accredited high school based on Virginia's Standards of Learning tests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valdosta High School</span> High school in Valdosta, Georgia, United States

Valdosta High School is a public high school located in Valdosta, Georgia, United States.

Pasco High School is a 9–12 public high school in Pasco, Washington. It was the only high school in Pasco until 2009, when Chiawana High School was opened.

Colony High School is a high school located in Ontario, California and is part of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District. The school serves the communities of southern Ontario, including the new Ontario Ranch community and portions of eastern Rancho Cucamonga and southeast Fontana. The school earned the 2018 Civic Learning Award for the State of California and was a 2018 Silver Medal winner for the U.S. News & World Report ranking of Best High Schools. Over 60 percent of the Colony High School Class of 2017 met the University of California A-G requirement rate, nearly 14 percent above the state average.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mt. Hebron High School</span> Public high school in the United States

Mt. Hebron High School is a public high school located in Ellicott City, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Howard County Public School System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midway High School</span> Public school in Waco, Texas, United States

Midway High School is a public high school located in the city of Waco, Texas, USA and classified as a 6A school by the UIL. It is part of the Midway Independent School District, which serves the Waco, Texas area. Although the school is located in southwestern Waco, most students live in the suburbs of Woodway and Hewitt. The school was formerly located in Hewitt until the fall of 2003, when the current high school was built a half-mile away. The previous building is now Midway Middle School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Ridge High School (Lacey, Washington)</span> Public secondary school in Lacey, Washington, United States

River Ridge High School (RRHS), commonly referred to as Ridge, is a public high school located in Lacey, Washington, United States and is one of three comprehensive high schools of the North Thurston Public Schools. It was established in 1993 and named for its proximity to the geographical ridge of the Nisqually River valley. It earned its school nickname due to its location within the Hawk's Prairie area of Thurston County off Exit 111 of Interstate 5, serving students living in Mushroom Corner and Tanglewilde-Thompson Place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Interscholastic Activities Association</span>

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) is the governing body of athletics and activities for secondary education schools in the state of Washington. As of February 2011, the private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization consists of nearly 800 member high schools and middle/junior high schools, both public and private.

Liberty High School is a high school in Henderson in the U.S. state of Nevada. It is part of the Clark County School District. Liberty considers itself to be a "classical school." This is because through Liberty's curriculum, one can study Latin, as well as focus on the history and society of ancient Rome and Greece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastlake High School (Sammamish, Washington)</span> Public, four-year school in Sammamish, Washington, U.S.

Eastlake High School is a four-year public high school in Sammamish, Washington, a suburb east of Seattle. Opened in 1993, it is one of four traditional high schools in the Lake Washington School District, serving its eastern portion.

North Point High School is a school for career and technology education. It is located in the far western area of Waldorf, Maryland, United States. At 311,000 square feet (28,900 m2) and with about 2,000 students enrolled, it is the largest high school in Charles County. It is also the second newest high school, having opened in 2005. Its mascot, the Eagle, was derived from the motto of Charles County, "The wild side of the Potomac... Where eagles soar!"

Liberty High School is a public co-educational high school located in Bakersfield, California, United States. Its athletics teams are known as the Liberty Patriots and the school colors are navy, red, and silver. Liberty High School opened its doors in 1999. Liberty High School is currently the most populated high school in the Kern High School District with a student body of 2,801.

Enumclaw High School is a public school in Enumclaw, Washington. The school serves about 1300 students from Enumclaw as well as local unincorporated regions of King County and cities such as Black Diamond and Greenwater. The school's mascot is the Hornet; its colors are maroon and gold.

John T. "J.T." Curtis Jr. is a high school football coach for John Curtis Christian School. In 2023, he broke the record of John McKissick’s record of 621 wins, securing his 622nd win against nationally recognized Edna Karr High School. In 2010, he was inducted to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and in 2015, he was inducted to the National High School Hall of Fame. Midway through the 2023 season, his coaching record stands as 622 wins, 78 losses, and 6 ties in over 54 seasons.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Search for Public Schools - Liberty Sr High School (530375000576)". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences . Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  2. ↑ "USS Liberty Memorial" . Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  3. ↑ "2008 Annual School Performance Report for Liberty" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  4. ↑ http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/BillInfo/1999-00/Htm/Bills/House%20Resolutions/4677-Blue%20Ribbon%20Schools.htm [ dead link ]
  5. ↑ 5th Avenue Awards Nominees & Recipients 2006.
  6. ↑ 5th Avenue Awards Nominees 2010.
  7. ↑ "Announcements - Issaquah School District 411".
  8. ↑ "Washington State Report Card". Reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us. 2011-09-15. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  9. ↑ "America's Best High Schools: Washington - U.S. News & World Report". Images.usnews.com. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  10. ↑ "America's Best High Schools: Washington - U.S. News & World Report". Images.usnews.com. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  11. ↑ "America's Best High Schools: Washington - U.S. News & World Report". Images.usnews.com. Retrieved 2015-05-07.
  12. 1 2 "Niche High School Rankings". niche.com. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  13. ↑ "America's Best High Schools: Washington - BusinessWeek". Images.businessweek.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2009. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  14. ↑ "Compare academic rankings and ratings of Washington schools". Washington.compareschoolrankings.org. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  15. ↑ https://www.varsity.com/uploads/events/eventid_1937/files/Open_Medium_Military.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  16. ↑ http://wiaa.com/conDocs/Con1670/2018/2018%20123A%20STATE%20DANCE%20DRILL%20COMPETITION.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "School Information: Liberty (Issaquah)". State Championship Tournament History. Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  18. ↑ "This area is password protected [401]".
  19. ↑ http://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/documents/CapitalProjects/Liberty/LHSschematic.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  20. ↑ http://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/documents/election/bond/Apr26materials/LHS%20Pri3%20CncptPlna.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  21. ↑ http://www.pse.com/newsarchive/Pages/NewsSolarPower4LocalSchools.aspx?navpath=/InsidePSE/newsroom (Press Release)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.