Washington High School (Missouri)

Washington High School
Location
600 Blue Jay Drive Washington, MO
Coordinates	38°32′53″N91°00′34″W / 38.5480°N 91.0094°W / 38.5480; -91.0094
Information
Type	Public School
School district	School District of Washington
Principal	Eric Turner
Staff	79.14 (on an FTE basis) [1]
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	1,246 (2023–2024) [1]
Student to teacher ratio	15.74 [1]
Color(s)	Blue and White
Mascot	Blue Jay
Website	School website

Washington High School (WHS) is public high school in Washington, Missouri that is part of the School District of Washington.

History

Washington High School was established in 1900 in the former private high school building, with its class of 1900–1901 having only five graduates, and 47 students total. ^{[2] [3]}

Following the case Brown v. Board of Education, Washington Schools desegregated in 1954 with Clifford Aitch being the first African-American graduate in 1959. Aitch would later teach physical education in the Washington School District as its first African-American teacher. ^{[4] [5]}

The new Washington High School was erected in 1956, during the tenure of superintendent CJ Burger who would later name the school’s auditorium, with its first principal being Russel C. Nix. The new school had been in the works for years, and had even received funding from the graduating class of 1949. ^{[6] [7]}

Dr. Donald Northington served as superintendent of Washington Schools from 1963 to 1990, and the school’s main lobby is dedicated as “Northington Lobby” in his honor. ^[8]

Russel C. Nix served as the first principal of the new Washington High School and is the dedicatee of the library and cafeteria addition known as “Nix Cafeteria.”

Demographics

The racial/ethnic breakdown of the 1,348 students enrolled for the 2021–2022 school year was:

• White – 93.7%
• Hispanic – 2.4%
• Multiracial – 1.9%
• Black – 1.0%
• Asian/Pacific islander – 0.7%

The male/female ratio for 2021–2022 was:

• Male – 51.6%
• Female – 48.4%

In addition, 13.7% of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch. ^[9]

Activities

For the 2023–2024 school year, the school offered 25 activities approved by the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA): baseball, boys and girls basketball, cheer, boys and girls cross country, dance, football, boys and girls golf, orchestra band and vocal music, scholar bowl, boys and girls soccer, softball, boys and girls swimming, girls tennis, boys and girls track and field, girls volleyball, and boys and girls wrestling. ^[10]

The Washington Blue Jays have won the following state championships:

• Football: 1973
• Scholar bowl: 2017
• Softball: 2021, 2023 ^[11]

Student activities:

ΜΑΘ* Football

• Girls and boys swimming
• Softball
• Wrestling
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Cheerleading
• Golf
• Volleyball
• Baseball
• Track
• Cross Country

Notable alumni

• Whitney Wegman-Wood – actress and screenwriter
• Rodney "Rocky" Sickmann, class of '76 – author, US Marine Corps, Sergeant, held hostage during the Iran hostage crisis. ^[12]
• Scott Suggs, class of '08 – professional basketball player, Mr. Show-Me Basketball (2008).

References

1. "Washington High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
2. "Timeline". washmohistorical.org. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
3. Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (1901). 1901, Missouri Annual Reports of Public Schools (Report). Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
4. "Desegregation in County Left Its Mark; Buildings, Memories Stand Test of Time". emissourian.com. September 7, 2006. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
5. "WINGS Announces Its Hall of Honor Recipients". emissourian.com. August 21, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
6. "101 Graduate at Public Schools Here". Washington Missourian. Washington. June 2, 1949. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
7. "The cornerstone for the new public high school building..." Washington Missourian. Washington. February 9, 1956. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
8. "man"+behind+the+Northington+Lobby/1_frhtsyv6 "The "man" behind the Northington Lobby". schooltube.com. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
9. "DESE School Report Card, Washington, Washington High". dese.mo.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
10. MSHSAA. "MSHSAA: Washington High School". mshsaa.org. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
11. MSHSAA: Washington High School State Championships
12. "Distinguished Alumni". emissourian.com. March 17, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2022.

External links

• Washington High School
• Washington High School at the Wayback Machine (archive index)