The Shawnee Mission School District (Kansas Unified School District 512) is one of the major school districts in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Located in northeast Johnson County, Kansas, the school district enrolled 29,389 students in the 2003-2004 school year. As of 2004, the district comprises 5 high schools, 7 middle schools, 39 elementary schools, and 3 instructional centers.
Historical Significance
South Park Elementary school, in Merriam, Kansas played a significant role in school desegregation prior to the unification of the Shawnee Mission School District. South Park opened in 1948 for white students, leaving African-American students in the inadequate Walker Elementary using outdated curriculum. Corinthian Nutter, an African-American teacher, resigned in protest and taught the students from her home. 1949's Webb v. School District 90 case paved the way for Brown v. Topeka Board of Education five years later.
McAuliffe Elementary School in Lenexa, Kansas was the first school in the nation to open named in honor of Christa McAuliffe.
High schools
Shawnee Mission North High School
Shawnee Mission Rural High School opened September 12, 1922, having cost $150,000 to build. It had 12 faculty members and a senior class of 20. There had been a vote on September 21, 1921, on a "proposal to organize a rural high school district."
In 1922 the east building was completed and in 1936 the west building, housing a gym and auditorium, was connected to the east building by an arcade. In 1941 the shop wing was constructed to house agriculture and auto mechanics; it was connected to the west building by a concrete walk. In 1950 a large addition was made, including the south academic wing, the cross hall/offices, library, Field House and music rooms. After 30 years all the buildings were connected by hallways.
The swimming pool and science wing were built in 1969, the Developmental Center in 1978, the Little Theater in 1984 and the "lunch dock" remodeled in 1993. In the summer of 1997, the new library was added as well as air-conditioning. In 1998 the cafeteria and kitchen were remodeled.
As part of a recently-introduced district-wide bond, major improvements will be made to the SM North campus as well as all high schools, middle schools, and many elementary schools. A key project at SM North will be the demolition of the Stadium and reconstruction beginning in 2005.
The school was named Shawnee Mission Rural until 1948, when senior Robert F. Bennett was sent to Topeka to petition the legislature for a name change to more accurately reflect the school's suburban status. It was thought that the job would take several weeks, if it could be accomplished at all, but Bob Bennett brought it home in three days. Later elected Governor of Kansas, Bennett was named North's first 'Distinguished Alumnus' by the class of 1975.
It was thus named Shawnee Mission High School until 1958, when East opened and Shawnee Mission High School became SM North. The student body of Shawnee Mission High had petitioned the school board to name the new school anything other than "Shawnee Mission East" in an attempt to avoid a renaming of their school. This history is reflected in the fact that the North varsity letter remains an "S" to this day, a fact which continues to befuddle the students of the historically deficient other high schools. SM West opened in 1962, South in 1966, and Northwest in 1969.
Alma Mater
(tune: Far Above Cayuga's Waters -- Cornell University)
- Shawnee Mission, Shawnee Mission,
- Here's our toast to thee
- We will cherish and respect thee
- Pledge our loyalty
- We will honor, we will love thee
- Send our colors forth
- Proud and brave our alma mater
- Shawnee Mission North!
Fight Song
(tune: On Wisconsin -- University of Wisconsin)
- Onward Shawnee! Onward Shawnee!
- Fight for victory!
- Press 'em harder, ever harder!
- Show them we can fight, fight fight!
- Onward Shawnee! Onward Shawnee!
- Fight for victory!
- Fight, Indians, fight, fight, fight!
- We'll win tonight.
Traditions
There are always two mascots. One is an Indian princess, and the other is an Indian warrior. The students acting as Indian princess and warrior are always a male and female senior. The outfits they wear while playing these parts were crafted by the Shawnee Indians of Oklahoma. The Indian warrior originated in 1975 with a student's Halloween costume, which proved so popular he joined the traditional Indian princess as mascot.
During the alma mater, students stand and hold up their right index fingers while singing.
The Indian head time capsule (in front of the main office), which was gifted to the school by the class of 1965, is roped off and not to be stepped on.
The day before homecoming, Shawnee Mission North stages a large parade. Different clubs, groups, and alumni create floats to parade down Johnson Drive.
SM North is located in northern Overland Park and serves much of northeastern Johnson County. The SM North area has a population of approximately 52,000 and includes the communities of Countryside, Merriam, Mission, northern Overland Park, Roeland Park, and Eastern Shawnee.
The 2006 population of SM North was 1,966. The mascot is an Indian, and the school colors are cardinal and black.
Every year around February a senior male is selected by his fellow classmates as "Northman". This title is much like "Homecoming King" at other schools. Originally called "Big Man on Campus", the winner was crowned at the annual "Women Pay All (WPA)" dance. In 1979 the title was considered outdated and changed to Northman.
North has won 4 state championships in football (1969, 1970, 1971, 1974) under the coaching of Larry Taylor
Famous Alumni
- Robert F. Bennett, Governor of Kansas
- General Richard B. Myers
- Dr. Phil McGraw (1968)
- Robert (Bob) Tomlinson
- Director Darren Lynn Bousman.
Shawnee Mission East High School
Opened in the school year beginning in 1957, SM East is unique in the district for featuring the International Baccalaureate program, one of the few in the region. As of 2006, the population of East is 2,012, making it the most populous school in the SMSD. East is known for its dispropotionate amount of students to classrooms, a well as only a few African-Americans. The mascot is a Lancer, and the colors are Columbia blue, black, and white. Its alumni include Major League Baseball players union representative Donald Fehr, National Review senior editor Ramesh Ponnuru, author, Harper's columnist and Editor of The Baffler Thomas Frank and author W. Bruce Cameron, Vimla Dayal, and Allyson Leach. It is located in the suburb of Prairie Village.
The Eastonian is an underground newspaper known for its longevity and long lists of editors who all use the pseudonym John Galt, the character in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Former editors include Thomas Frank, author of What's the Matter With Kansas?.
The Shawnee Mission East sports program is very skilled and competitive. During the 2005-2006 season the SME basketball team took second at the State championship. Also during the 2005-2006 school year the Shawnee Mission East tennis team (boys and girls) won the State championship. The SME swim team won the State championship in 2005 and 2006.
Another defining aspect of SME is its debate/forensics/mock trial squad. The squad is the sixth-largest in the nation with regard to National Forensics League degrees. Brian Rubaie (2006) was the top student in the nation in points, as ranked by the National Forensics League, and was recently named the All-time National points leader.
The Shawnee Mission East school newspaper, The Harbinger, has won numerous city-wide, state-wide and national awards. The newspaper is currently advised by Dow Tate. During the 2004-2005 school year, Libby Nelson, editor of The Harbinger, was named National High School Journalist of the Year by the Journalism Education Association. The Harbinger won both a Pacemaker and Gold Crown award for its work during the same year. In 2006, the Harbinger was awarded a second Pacemaker, along with a national Best In Show award for design. These awards are given to the top 20-30 high school newspapers each year by two separate groups.
School Song
- Shawnee Mission, hail to thee.
- Lancers we will always be.
- We stand beside our colors bright,
- Columbia blue, black and white.
- High school days too soon are gone,
- But fond memories linger on (stomp feet)
- May our spirits be increased,
- And God watch over SM East! (pump fists in air)
Traditions
The last school day before the Homecoming Dance, all students are released early from school to celebrate in the Lancer Day Parade. Different clubs and classes organize floats for this special event. The parade starts at the intersection of 75th Street and Mission Road and proceeds down Mission to Prairie Village Shopping Center. Traditionally, the mayor of Prairie Village gives a speech praising SME and changing the name of his/her city for one day from Prairie Village to "Lancer" Village.
The first home Kansas City Royals game of each season is unofficially designated "Senior Skip Day."
Shawnee Mission South High School
Shawnee Mission South is located on Lamar Avenue near 107th Street in southern Overland Park, Kansas. The school colors are green and gold and its mascot is the Raider. The school's mascot was chosen by the first graduating class of 1967. The Raider was chosen as a mascot because of the popular band The Raiders. Most of the students from South come from the middle school Indian Woods. The school's population in 2006 was 1,805 students. Notable alumni include former USC and NFL quarterback Rodney Peete. Additionally, The Who played a concert with the The Buckinghams at Shawnee Mission South on November 17, 1967. SMS is unique in the district for featuring the Engineering Program. Beginning in 2007-2008 school year, the Shawnee Mission School District is adopting Project Lead the Way (PLTW) as the disrict engineering signature program, offered at Shawnee Mission South High School. SMS is notable because it hosts the Shawnee Mission School District's Center for International Studies, giving students who attend opportunities to study not only Spanish, French, German and Latin, but also Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and Russian. A club at South is the Raider Revolution Club which has started in the school year 06-07, where the students build robots and compete with them at national competions. Located on the school grounds is the Shawnee Mission Environmental Science Laboratory (SMESL), a 22-acre plot of land consisting of grasslands, trees, a stream, and a pond for scientific research and study. The school houses a variety of animals, both indoor and outdoor, to be studied by students. The school also has some of the best science classrooms in the district, offering Biology Honors to freshmen and sophmores and Physics Honors. SMS is notable for its achievements in scholastic competitions such as Academic Decathlon, Categories (a local quiz-bowl type competition) and forensics. South has won the state Academic Decathlon title the last five years and has had strong finishes at the national level. In 2005, South's Science Olympiad team made district news by winning the state of Kansas competition and advancing to the national level.
Fight Song
(tune: Mr. Touchdown, USA)
- We are the Shawnee Mission Raiders!
- We have the team that fights to win.
- Hail the Raiders, strong and true.
- Give us a cheer and a loud "LET'S WIN!"
- We wear our colors proudly: green, gold, and white.
- Cheering our raiders to fight!
- Go, fight, win!
- The spirit from within.
- Raiders, we're for you!
Shawnee Mission West High School
Shawnee Mission West's mascot is the Viking and the official school colors are black and gold. West opened its doors in 1962; since then, it has been remodeled several times. Additions have also been made to the school, the most famous of which is "the bridge," an actual bridge between halves of the school that later had classrooms added beneath it. As of 2006, its population is 2,042. It is located in Overland Park. Notable alumni include actor Paul Rudd, NFL linebacker Steve Towle, basketball player Matt Freije, comic book artist/writer Ande Parks, actor/writer John Lehr, actor/director Jason Wiles, baseball writer Rob Neyer, and seminary teacher Cris Howell. Every 4 years the West Pride Marching Band, along with the Golden Girls Dance Team, travel overseas to march in the New Years Day parade in London, England. The Madrigal Singers, currently under direction of Laura VanLeeuwen, were selected to represent West at Carnegie Hall 2006-07 year. The former principal, Dr. Karl Krawitz was the NEA III District Educator of the Year for 2004-2005. SM West is home to both an award-winning school newspaper, the EPIC, and yearbook, SAGA. Jaymie Stokes, Miss Kansas Teen USA 2007, is a currently sophomore at West.
SM West has a student body population that is 8% African American, which is the highest African American population of any Shawnee Mission high school. Statistically, SM West is the most ethnically diverse high school in the district.
SM West draws its student population from both Overland Park and Lenexa.
Sports
SM West has a long history of success in sports, especially in football. SM West won state championships in 1972 and 1985, in addition to runner-up finishes in 1977 and 2006. Of late, the SM West football team, and its "Viking Power" slogan have become a dominant force in class 6A football under head coach Tim Callaghan. In November 2006 the Vikings defeated Lawrence Free-State High school in the Sub-State playoffs, then lost to Hutchison High School 21- 14 in the state title game in Emporia KS on Nov 25th. They were the first Shawnee Mission School to reach the title game since West won in 1985.
SM West has competed in four state titles games for basketball, the most recent being in 2005, but has never been able to come away with the title. The SM West baseball team also has enjoyed their fair share of success, winning state championships in 1977, 1987, and 1988. In 1991, the SM West Soccer team won the 6A State title defeating two USA Today nationally ranked teams in the process (Wichita South, SM South). Also the SM West Girl's Soccer Team were 2005, 2006 Sunflower League Champions; 2005, 2006 Northeast Kansas 6A Regional Champions; 2005, 2006 Kansas 6A State Quarter-finalist; 2005, 2006 Kansas 6A State Runner-Up.
School Song
- Alma Mater, hail to thee
- Sing we now so joyfully
- Honor, praise and loyalty
- Ever shall our promise be
- Onward, we are always striving
- For thy colors brave, undying
- Hail to thee, Shawnee Mission West
- Hail to thee, Shawnee Mission West!
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School's mascot is the Cougar, and the school colors are black and orange. Its principal is Dr. Bill Harrington. As of the 2005-2006 school year, its population was 1,859. Summer school is held here for all of the Shawnee Mission Schools. It is located in Shawnee and produces a bi-weekly newspaper, The Northwest Passage, which has claimed several prestigious national awards since its initial printing in 1969. The yearbook, The Lair, has also won numerous awards. At the 2005 Fall JSPA convention held in Chicago, Illinois, it received third place in Best of Show out of all yearbooks in the nation publishing over 375 pages. It is consistently rated as one of the top yearbooks in the country. In the 2006 Fall JEA/NSPA convention held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Lair received 5th in Best of Show in its category.
School song
- Stand up we are the Northwest Cougars
- Kings of mountain, plain, and shore
- We are the Shawnee Mission Cougars
- May our minds and hearts triumphant soar
- United stand we arm in arm
- We raise our banners to the fore!
- Remember we are Northwest Cougars
- Cougars now and evermore
School Specialties
The Shawnee Mission Northwest Drumline is consistently a top placer in drumline competitions throughout the marching season. It is under the direction of Britt Haney and Matt Ronan.
As of 2006, Northwest’s boys varsity cross-country team has won the state title for thirteen consecutive years. C-team cross country boys also took the state title in 2006 for the first time in 26 years. The c-team boys were led by Group 2.6 co-captains Stephen Pedroza and Kyle "Too Fast" Morgan. The c-team boys are looking to earn another C-Team State Title in 2007 when the two senior captains pass the torch on to Malcolm "The X" Hegemen and the promising freshmen Chris Wallace. The softball team won state in 2003.
The Shawnee Mission Northwest Marching Cougar Pride is known for its annual lightshow that is displayed at their last home game of the football season.
Shawnee Mission Northwest is known in the Kansas City Area for their exceptional music programs, especially their jazz band and choir, which hold many talented musicians. The band is under the direction of Penny Snead and Doug Talley.
Middle Schools
- Antioch (building was originally Milburn Junior High)
- Hocker Grove
- Indian Hills
- Indian Woods (building was originally Nallwood Junior High)
- Mission Valley (building was originally Meadowbrook Junior High)
- Trailridge
- Westridge (building was originally Hillcrest Junior High)
Previous Schools
- Broadmoor Junior High (building now Broadmoor Technical Center)
- Indian Creek Junior High (building now used for district offices as Indian Creek Technical Center)
- Old Mission Junior High (building now part of Bishop Miege Catholic High School)
Elementary Schools
- Apache
- Belinder
- Beninghoven (Rhein Beninghoven)
- Bluejacket-Flint
- Bonjour (Don Bonjour)
- Briarwood
- Broken Arrow
- Brookridge
- Brookwood
- Carpenter (Katherine Carpenter)
- Comanche
- Corinth
- Crestview
- Diemer (John Diemer)
- East Antioch
- Highlands
- McAuliffe (Christa McAuliffe)
- Merriam (Soon to be Merriam Park)
- Mill Creek
- Moody (Dorothy Moody)
- Nieman
- Oak Park
- Overland Park
- Pawnee
- Prairie
- Ray Marsh
- Rising Star
- Rosehill
- Rushton
- Santa Fe Trail
- Shawanoe
- South Park (Soon to be Merriam Park)
- Sunflower
- Tomahawk
- Trailwood
- Westwood View
Previous Schools
- Arrowhead
- Bagby (Marsha Bagby)
- Bluejacket (merged into new Bluejacket-Flint school)
- Cherokee (closed 2001)
- Flint (merged into new Bluejacket-Flint school, building is now Wonderscope Children's Museum)
- Hickory Grove (building originally used for AEP program, replaced with new facility and renamed Horizons High School)
- Mohawk (building demolished; now a park at 67th & Lamar)
- Nall Hills (closed 2001)
- Porter (building demolished; site is now Porter Park)
- Ridgeview
- Roeland Park
- Roesland (under reconstruction)
- Skyline (building used for AEP program after closing in 1974, used as the Roeland Park Community Center since 1985)
- Somerset
- Valley View (building is now Holy Cross Catholic School)
- West Antioch (closed 2004)
District Centers
- Broadmoor Technical Center
- Center for International Studies
- Horizons High School (AEP)
- Indian Creek Technology Center
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, the district has a total population of 219,949 with 93,221 households (or occupied housing units) and 59,084 families. 69.0% of the occupied housing units are occupied by the owner. The racial makeup of the district is 91.0% White, 2.6% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.8% Asian, less than 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 1.6% of some other race, and 1.6% of two or more races. 4.3% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 93,221 households out of which 29.9% are individuals living alone, 63.4% are families, and 6.7% are non-families with two or more people. 52.2% of households (or 82.4% of families) are married couples living together and 28.6% (or 45.1%) have their own children (that is persons under the age of 18) living with them. Out of the 11.2% of households that have a householder with no spouse present, 44.4% are women living with their own children. The average household size is 2.33, and the average family size is 2.93.
The 50,632 children residing in the district are 23.0% of the total population, and 13,283 (6.0%) are under the age of 5; 13,605 (6.2%) are from 5 to 9; 14,874 (6.8%) are from 10 to 14; and 8,870 (4.0%) are from 15 to 17. 48.8% of the children are female. For 95.1% of the children in the district the householder is the child's parent and 77.3% live in married-couple families, but 1.1% are not related to the householder. Also 21 householders or spouses are under the age of 18.
See also
References
- National Center for Education Statistics. School district demographic data.
External links
- Official website
- Summary of the school district from the Kansas State Department of Education website
- Myers Reports on Military to Oldest Friends, a September 2005 article about the return of General Richard Myers to Shawnee Mission North