University High School (Tucson)

Last updated

University High School
Address
University High School (Tucson)
421 N. Arcadia Ave.

Tucson
,
Arizona

United States
Coordinates 32°13′35″N110°53′20″W / 32.226492°N 110.88876°W / 32.226492; -110.88876
Information
Type Magnet School
Established1976
Oversight Tucson Unified School District
CEEB code 030488
PrincipalAlberto Ranjel
Grades9-12
Enrollment1,001 (2023-2024) [1]
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)Black and white
  
Mascot Penguin
NewspaperThe Perspective
Website uhs.tusd1.org

University High School (UHS) is an accelerated public high school located in Tucson, Arizona. Originally known as Special Projects High School (SPHS), University High School is in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD). The mission statement of UHS identifies it as "a special function high school which serves students who are academically focused and intellectually gifted and provides curriculum and social support not offered in the comprehensive high school." Since 1985, it has shared a campus with Rincon High School, a separate high school. Courses from each school can be combined, and athletics and fine arts are combined under the Rincon/University (RUHS) name.

Contents

History

Special Projects High School was inaugurated in 1976–77 on the campus of Tucson High Magnet School. The goal was to provide advanced courses for the district's students and explore interest in a variety of careers. The program also was a cost saver by acting as the only place to take Advanced Placement classes rather than at each campus. Admission at this time required an I.Q. of 130 or higher.

In 1982, the TUSD governing board renamed Special Projects High School to its current name University High School. The name represents the AP classes offered at the school.

Around this time, parents complained about the discrimination of the school's enrollment of less than 12 percent minority students. Additionally, Tucson High parents were displeased by the quality of classes and equipment versus at University High despite the two groups of students sharing a campus. Over the next year, discussion brewed weather to move UHS to the campus of Roskurge K-8 or to Rincon High School eventually moving to Rincon in 1984. [2]

In October 2017, the TUSD Governing Board considered giving University High School their own campus. The plan would include transferring the students at the underenrolled Catalina High School to Rincon and moving University High into the campus to satisfy overcrouding at RUHS. Added to the plan would be opening a direct feeder middle school close to the new campus. [3] However, by the end of that year the plan was placed on pause. [4]

Ranking and recognition

U.S. News & World Report has included UHS in their list of "America's Best High Schools" out of nearly 18,000 schools in the US:

YearRank
2024Ranked #81 [5]
2023Ranked #25
2022Ranked #28 [6]
2021Ranked #17 [7]
2020Ranked #22 [8]
2019Ranked #40 [9]
2018Ranked #27 [10]
2017Ranked #15 [11]
2016Ranked #24 [12]
2015Ranked #8
2014Ranked #7
2013Ranked #28
2012Ranked #4

In 2014, the Washington Post listed UHS at No. 28 [13] in its review of "America's Most Challenging High Schools," which ranked the 1,900 highest-performing high schools nationally. [14]

In 2013, the Daily Beast listed UHS at No. 19 in its annual list of the "Best 2,000 High Schools in the Nation. [15]

In May 2006, Newsweek named UHS as one of "The Public Elites," schools that, "NEWSWEEK excluded...from the list of Best High Schools because so many of their students score well above average on the SAT and ACT." [16]

In 2005 and 2016, it was honored as a Blue Ribbon school. [17]

Notable alumni

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References

  1. ↑ "University High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  2. ↑ Brousseau, Georgia Cole (1993). Bridging Three Centuries: The History of Tucson School District 1867-1993 (PDF). pp. 46–72.
  3. ↑ Star, Hank Stephenson Arizona Daily (October 3, 2017). "TUSD considers giving University High School its own campus in Tucson". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  4. ↑ Star, Hank Stephenson Arizona Daily (December 13, 2017). "TUSD nixes plan to make Catalina new home for University High School — for now". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  5. ↑ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ - US News Best High Schools". us news.com. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  6. ↑ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ - US News Best High Schools". us news.com. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  7. ↑ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ - US News Best High Schools". usnews.com. January 28, 2022. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  8. ↑ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ - US News Best High Schools". October 19, 2020. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  9. ↑ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ - US News Best High Schools". July 22, 2019. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  10. ↑ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ - US News Best High Schools". October 12, 2018. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  11. ↑ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ | US News Best High Schools". October 5, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  12. ↑ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ | US News Best High Schools". October 5, 2016. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  13. ↑ "America's Most Challenging High Schools - University High School". Washington Post. 2014. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016.
  14. ↑ https://apps.washingtonpost.com/local/highschoolchallenge/schools/2014/list/national/ [ permanent dead link ]
  15. ↑ "2013 America's Best High Schools". Newsweek . Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  16. ↑ "The Public Elites". Newsweek America. June 15, 2006. Archived from the original on June 15, 2006 – via MSNBC.com.
  17. ↑ "NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS PROGRAM - Schools Recognised 1982 Through 2018" (PDF). US Department of Education.
  18. ↑ https://www.universityhighschoolfoundation.org/main/sites/default/files/pilote%20releaase%201.pdf [ permanent dead link ]
  19. ↑ Star, Hank Stephenson Arizona Daily. "TUSD considers giving University High School its own campus in Tucson". Arizona Daily Star.
  20. ↑
  21. 1 2 Hertvik, Nicole (December 7, 2016). "An Interview With Jay Kuo, Composer and Lyricist of 'Allegiance.'". D.C. Theater Arts.
  22. ↑ "More on China's Second Life". Ich Bin Ein Beijinger.
  23. ↑ Star, Phil Villarreal Arizona Daily. "Former Tucsonan Reckart snags Oscar nomination". Arizona Daily Star.
  24. ↑ "AMC | Watch TV Shows & Movies Online | Stream Current Episodes".
  25. ↑ "Dan Cortese to Host truTV's Guinness World Records™ Gone Wild As New Series Starts Production". tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  26. ↑ Reel, James. "Finding 'Lost'". Tucson Weekly.
  27. ↑ Tucson, Angela Pittenger | This Is (April 19, 2017). "Tucson's Deja Foxx on eloquently confronting Sen. Flake and running for president". This is Tucson. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
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