Wilkes-Barre Area High School

Wilkes-Barre Area High School
Address
2021 Wolfpack Way Plains , Pennsylvania 18705 United States
Coordinates	41°16′0″N75°51′32″W / 41.26667°N 75.85889°W / 41.26667; -75.85889
Information
Type	Public high school
Established	2021
School district	Wilkes-Barre Area School District
Teaching staff	114.59 (FTE) [1]
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	2,470 [1]  (2023-2024)
Student to teacher ratio	21.56 [1]
Athletics conference	PIAA District 2 [2]
Nickname	Wolfpack
Website	Official website

Wilkes-Barre Area High School is a high school in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, located in Plains, Pennsylvania. The student body mascot is the Wolfpack. The school opened in August 2021, replacing James M. Coughlin High School, G. A. R. Memorial Junior/Senior High School, and Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School.

History

Wilkes-Barre Area High School ^{[3] [4] [5]} is the Wilkes-Barre Area School District high school in Plains, Pennsylvania. It is a replacement for James M. Coughlin High School, G. A. R. Memorial Junior/Senior High School, and Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School. ^{[6] [7] [8]}

Consolidation of previous high schools

In the 2010s, the Wilkes-Barre school district entertained various plans to reduce its schools by consolidation. ^{[9] [10]} The current schools were deemed inadequate or unsafe, with high costs to repair. ^{[11] [12]} By 2018, the school board had solidified plans for construction of a new high school to serve the entire district, at a cost of $121 million. ^{[13] [14]} Construction of a stadium was later added to the plans. ^[15]

Construction

Several locations were entertained for a site of the new high school, including existing school sites, the Murray Complex, and a former coal mining site known as the Pagnotti Site. ^{[16] [17]} After the zoning board denied the district's request to build a combined school at the site of Coughlin High School, ^{[18] [19]} the school board decided to purchase the Pagnotti Site in Plains, Pennsylvania. ^{[20] [21]} The school was ready for the 2021–2022 school year, ^[22] and opened with four principals and two thousand students. ^[3]

Consolidation criticism

Groups were against a merger for a number of reasons, and early criticism was aimed at consolidation efforts in general. ^{[23] [24] [10]} Opponents disagreed with estimates to repair the existing schools and the costs of a new school, ^[25] and noted negative effects of moving to a single high school, including increased reliance on bussing and decreased community engagement. After the selection of the high school's location, criticism also included concerns about the health and safety of building a high school on coal ash over a former coal mine. ^{[20] [26]}

Extracurriculars

Due to declining participation in sports, the district merged the sports programs for the 2019 school year, prior to the construction of the new high school. ^{[27] [28]} Based on input from students and employees, the district voted for Wolfpack to be mascot of the consolidated sports programs. ^{[29] [30]} The Wolfpack's first game as a team was football in August 2019. ^{[31] [32] [33]}

The basketball team won their PIAA District 2 championship in 2020. ^{[34] [35]}

See also

• Wilkes-Barre Area School District

References

1. "Wilkes-barre Area HS". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
2. "Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association". www.piaa.org. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
3. "District welcomes community to new Wilkes-Barre Area High School". PAhomepage.com. August 26, 2021. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
4. "Students, parents get first look at new Wilkes-Barre Area High School". wnep.com. August 26, 2021. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
5. Goolden, Sarah (August 26, 2021). "New Wilkes-Barre Area High School unveiled". WOLF. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
6. Buffer, Michael P. (August 29, 2016). "Coughlin students start school year split among 2 locations". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
7. Buffer, Michael P. (October 17, 2016). "W-B Area votes to explore plan to preserve part of Meyers". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
8. Kalinowski, Bob (August 8, 2018). "Three high schools to be consolidated in Wilkes-Barre". mcall.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
9. Buffer, Michael P. (January 28, 2017). "W-B Area spent $4.9M on failed school plan". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
10. Mark, Eric (August 9, 2018). "W-B schools plan still divisive after addition of GAR". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
11. Buffer, Michael P. (October 16, 2017). "Coughlin debris pile to cost more than $100K to remove". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
12. Buffer, Michael P. (October 7, 2019). "W-B Area to spend $25,000 for study on new high school project". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
13. Strawser, Justin (August 19, 2018). "MERGING SCHOOLS | Options for school districts include full consolidation, shared services". The Tribune-Democrat. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
14. Buffer, Michael P. (May 2019). "New venue found for W-B Area forum". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
15. Guydish, Mark (February 18, 2020). "New high school update includes proposed stadium". Times Leader. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
16. Buffer, Michael P. (October 26, 2019). "Future W-B Area high school site has rich mining past". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
17. "Letter to the Editor: Shaky ground for W-B Area school". www.citizensvoice.com. April 19, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
18. "Save Our Schools group files appeal against zoning board's building decision - News - Citizens' Voice". September 11, 2018. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
19. Buffer, Michael P. (December 8, 2016). "Future of secondary education in WBASD uncertain after zoning board decision". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
20. Buffer, Michael P. (April 12, 2019). "W-B Area breaks ground on new high school; protesters keep up fight". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
21. "New high school to increase traffic in Plains Township". PAhomepage.com. September 7, 2021. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
22. Guydish, Mark (July 30, 2021). "WB Area sets ribbon cutting for new school". Times Leader. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
23. "Wilkes-Barre Area School Board gets earful before approving program cuts". Times Leader. May 23, 2016. Archived from the original on May 25, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
24. Buffer, Michael P. (December 7, 2016). "W-B Area high school proposal rejected". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
25. Buffer, Michael P. (July 30, 2016). "W-B Area sticks by school cost estimate". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
26. Kalinowski, Bob. "Protesters: W-B Area school site is a health hazard". Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
27. Guydish, Mark (January 24, 2020). "Wilkes-Barre Area sports consolidation: More participation, or less?". Times Leader. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
28. Bennett, Steve (May 22, 2018). "W-B Area will merge 3 city high school athletic programs". www.citizensvoice.com. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
29. Buffer, Michael P. (October 4, 2018). "Welcome to the Wolfpack". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
30. "Wilkes-Barre Area School District News Article". www.wbasd.k12.pa.us. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
31. Lee, Peggy (August 23, 2019). "Wilkes-Barre Area Wolfpack Plays First Game on First Friday Night Football". WNEP-TV. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020.
32. Kalinowski, Bob (August 30, 2019). "Wilkes-Barre Area Wolfpack hosts first home game as consolidated team". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
33. "PHOTOS: Wilkes-Barre Wolfpack football comes together for the first time". www.citizensvoice.com. August 5, 2019. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
34. Bennett, Steve (February 29, 2020). "CLASS 6A BOYS: Wilkes-Barre Area wins District 2 title in program's first year". www.citizensvoice.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
35. "Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association". Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.