Wichita Heights High School, known locally as Heights, is a public secondary school in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is operated by Wichita USD 259 school district and serves students in grades 9 to 12. The school colors are red and black.
Wichita Heights is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 6A division and are known as the "Falcons". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs.
History Wichita Heights High School was originally approved, planned and built as Wichita Heights Rural School District Number 192, to serve the districts of Bridgeport, Kechi, Kechi Center, Riverside, and Riverview. No secondary school existed at the time for these districts; prior to its construction students were placed into other Wichita area schools. Construction of the school started in 1959, and was finished two years later in 1961 in time for the school year.
In July 1963, the school became part of the Wichita Public School District (Wichita USD 259). In 1983, Wichita Heights was designated an urban overflow school due to the increasing populations of other inner city schools.
Extracurricular activities
Athletics The Falcons compete in the Greater Wichita Athletic League and are classified as a 6A school, the largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Throughout its history, Wichita Heights has won twenty five state championships in various sports. Several graduates have gone on to participate in collegiate and professional athletics. The football team won a state championship in 2010 against Olathe North High School on November 27, 2010 by a score of 48–14.
State championships State Championships Season Sport Number of Championships YearFall Football 1 2010Winter Swimming, Boys 3 2015, 2017, 2019Wrestling 3 1968, 1976, 2011 Basketball, Boys 7 1977, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2022 Basketball, Girls 7 1979, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012 Bowling, Girls 3 2006, 2010, 2011Spring Softball 1 1988Total 25
Wichita Heights High School offers the following sports:
Fall Football Volleyball Boys Cross-Country Girls Cross-Country Girls Golf Boys Soccer Girls Tennis Cheerleading Pommies Debate
Winter Boys Basketball Girls Basketball Boys Swimming/Diving Boys Wrestling Girls Wrestling Boys Bowling Girls Bowling Winter Cheerleading Science Olympiad
Spring Baseball Boys Golf Boys Tennis Girls Soccer Girls Swimming/Diving Softball Boys Track and Field Girls Track and Field Forensics
Notable alumni
Dennis Rader (1963), serial killer known as BTK Stephen Hill (1968), judge on the Kansas Court of AppealsJudge Hill biography Cynthia Sikes Yorkin (1972), actress and former Miss Kansas Ray Troll (1972), Alaskan artist, musician Mark Parkinson (1975), former Governor of Kansas Darnell Valentine (1977), former NBA player Antoine Carr (1979), former NBA player Aubrey Sherrod (1981), former basketball player Darren Dreifort (1990), former MLB pitcher (Note: May need to click "View More Bio Info+" to see some information.) Jeffrey Prescott (1990), former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture Sheinelle Jones (1996), NBC News and Today journalist Danny Roew (1998), film director Shaun Smith (1999), former NFL player Mike Pelfrey (2002), former MLB pitcherThe Eagle's 50th anniversary All-City team Xzavie Jackson (2003), former IFL defensive end Dreamius Smith (2011), former NFL running back Perry Ellis (2012), basketball player who plays overseas Tre King (2015), IFL running back
See also Education in Kansas List of high schools in Kansas List of unified school districts in Kansas
References
External links
Official school website renovation plans new aquatic center Historical Excerpts from A History of Wichita Public School Buildings , Wichita USD 259 Map Wichita School District - High School Boundary Map, valid starting fall 2012, Wichita USD 259 Wichita School District - Boundary Map and Directory of Buildings , Wichita USD 259