Altoona High School is a public high school located in Altoona, Wisconsin. It serves students in grades 9 through 12 and is the only high school in the Altoona School District.
History Although elementary education had been provided for Altoona residents since the late nineteenth century, a public high school was not opened until October 1913. The original building burned down in 1951, and a successful February 1952 referendum authorized a new building, which opened in October of that year. A 1981 referendum to address overcrowding by building a new high school failed, but a 1986 referendum for a new building passed.
Demographics The school's student population is 86 percent white, five percent Hispanic, two percent Asian, and two percent black. Four percent of students identify as a part of two or more races. 28 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Academics Advanced Placement classes are offered at Altoona; just under half of students take an AP class.
Athletics AHS athletic teams are known as the Railroaders and compete in the Cloverbelt Conference. In the fall of 2019, a new sports complex with artificial turf opened, housing contests for the football, soccer, and track and field. The football field is named after former Green Bay Packers player Fuzzy Thurston, a graduate of the school.
+State ChampionshipsYearDivision/ClassSport 2018 Girls hockey* 2011 Division 3 Girls basketball 2001 Division 2 Softball 1939 Class C Boys basketball 1934 Class C Boys track and field* denotes championship was part of a cooperative team
Athletic conference affiliation history
Little Eight Conference (1926-1937) Cloverbelt Conference (1946-2021) Middle Border Conference (2021–present)
Performing arts Altoona High has a competitive show choir. The group was originally named "Northland Singers", but is now known as "Locomotion". At times, the school also had a jayvee-level group, "Enginuity". The school has hosted its own competition, "Locopalooza", annually since 2000.
Notable alumni Leonard Haas, former chancellor of University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire Tod Ohnstad, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly Fuzzy Thurston, Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame member
References