Fayetteville–Manlius High School (also F-M High School or FMHS) is a comprehensive New York public high school on East Seneca Turnpike in the Town of Manlius, serving grades 9–12 in the Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District. It is the only high school in the district, and is the successor to both Wellwood Middle School and Eagle Hill Middle School. The school is governed under the authority of the New York State Education Department, whose standardized examinations are designed and administered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York.
History Fayetteville–Manlius High School was opened in 1963 after the 1951 merger of then separate Fayetteville and Manlius school districts and subsequent need to consolidate students into a single high school. Upon this opening, a major school restructuring was implemented, as the Fayetteville High School became Wellwood Middle School and Manlius High School became Pleasant Street Elementary (which closed in 1975). A new middle school, Eagle Hill, was also opened directly next to the high school in 1965. Space requirements, due mainly to ballooning enrollment and continued reorganization as a result of the 1951 merger, prompted the district to relocate Eagle Hill to a new building on a new campus in 1972, so the high school could expand into the junior high's previous facilities. This expansion, which connected the two buildings, now called House 2 and House 1, by a hallway and an enclosed footbridge, nearly doubled the school's footprint. F-M High School served grades 12 through 10 until 1976, when the two junior high schools became middle schools, and FM High took in 9th graders.
Administration Former principal of Mott Road Elementary School and vice principal of Fayetteville–Manlius High School itself, Patrick McNamara was selected to replace interim principal John Durkee, himself replacing longtime principal Raymond W. Kilmer, III (now superintendent of Oswego City School District), and legally began his reign on July 1, 2024.
Traditions Many of the school's traditions stem from the fact that decades ago, hornets nested in a 200-year-old oak tree that formerly stood on the old high school campus (now Wellwood Middle School).FM Football: A Tradition in Pride and Excellence Because of this, the athletic teams' mascots are the Hornets, and several of the names used for the school newspaper over the years have been hornet-related (see Extracurriculars, below).
The school alma mater gives tribute to the original tree in its opening stanza, "Guarded by the old oak tree...". The alma mater is set to the melody of "Aura Lee". Its lyrics are attributed to teacher Richard Rhoades "and his music composition class". The motif can also be seen in the school colors (green and white), in the district logo, and in the name of the school yearbook (Oakleaves).
Demographics There are currently 1,405 students enrolled at F-M High School and 130 faculty members, for a student-teacher ratio of approximately 14:1.
As of the 2005–06 school year, the racial/ethnic makeup of the student population was 91.8% White, 2.7% Black or African American, 4.4% Asian or Pacific Islander, and 0.8% Hispanic. Approximately 0.5% of the population, or 8 students, demonstrated limited English proficiency. Approximately 0.8% of students qualified for a reduced-price lunch, and another 3.5% were eligible for a free lunch. Since then the Asian student population has increased significantly, and now makes up almost 10% of the school's population.
Academics and extracurriculars
Curriculum
The school focuses on graduating all students with the minimum of a Regents Diploma, but some may also graduate with a less advanced local diploma. The Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation may be achieved with extended studies in a foreign language.
Though the curriculum is developed and sanctioned by the New York State Department of Education, and classes are developed to prepare students to achieve success on the required Regents Examinations, most core courses offer one or two components that explore more advanced topics. The school offers standard level Regents courses, but also offers more advanced Honors courses, Interdisciplinary courses (in English and History), Advanced Placement (AP) courses, as well as Syracuse University courses offered through Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA). SU courses offered through Project Advance are taught at the high school by F-M faculty members (qualified by the university), and follow the same curriculum and are given the same credit as courses taught at the university. A large percentage of students opt to take SU courses offered through Project Advance instead of AP classes because their equally challenging curriculum is often more widely accepted for transfer credit by the students' successive colleges or universities.
F-M is part of an extremely small percentage in the country that does not rank students publicly with the exception of awarding valedictorian to a graduating senior. The school also uses a 100 grade point scale, as opposed to the much more common 4.0 scale, and weighs the GPA based on class difficulty level (Regents, Honors, AP, etc.). In addition, the athletic department does not participate in academic All-America honors.
Notable achievements Science Olympiad National Champions in 2004 Other National Finishes: 3rd Place: 2005. 4th Place: 2000,C Results, 2000 National Science Olympiad 2001, 2006,2005 Science Olympiad National Results 2007,2007 Science Olympiad National Results 5th Place: 2009 New York State Championships in ten consecutive years 2003–2012, 2014, and 2018.N.Y.S Science Olympiad C-Division State Information – 2013–2014 C-Division State Information – 2004–2005 "F-M wins 5th state Science Olympiad" The Post Standard. March 11, 2007 2005 gold medal and 2006 blue ribbon, Expansion Management magazine's Education QuotientEducation Quotient, Expansion Management 1999, 2000, and 2006 GRAMMY Signature SchoolGrammy in the Schools Click on the "Signature Schools" link Six-times named one of the American Music Conference's "Best 100 Communities for Music Education in America".American Music Conference's "Best 100 Communities for Music Education in America" The high school is consistently honored by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards as having one of the best art programs in the country.Scholastic Art and Writing Awards In 2006, students from the high school received a record number of national awards, including the prestigious National American Vision Award. The district consistently exceeds average state and national performances on the SAT. In addition, 99% of F-M students take the exam at least once.Town of Manlius Neighborhood Report. See page 11 for SAT performance. The average scores for the Class of 2010 are as follows: F-M StateNew York Profile Report, 2010 College-Bound Seniors NationTotal Group Profile Report, 2010 College Bound Seniors Critical Reading 565 484 501 Math 593 499 516 Writing 560 478 492 TOTAL 1718 1461 1509
Graduation data In 2006, the school graduated 100% of its senior class, 69% of whom received a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation, and 28% of whom received a Regents Diploma. Of these graduating students, 98% continued on to higher education, 84% to a four-year college, and 14% to a two-year college. Of the remaining graduates, 1% continued into the workforce, and another 1% had unknown plans. The dropout rate also remained under 1%, about half of whom enrolled in a High School Equivalency or GED program.
Extracurriculars The student activities program offers more than fifty clubs and activities in a wide range of interests. Student-run publications include the Oakleaves yearbook, the student newspaper called The Buzz (formerly The Sting, formerly the Hornet's Nest), and a literary magazine, Voices.
The school has a Quizbowl team (which has appeared in International Academic Competitions' National History Bowl in Crystal City, Virginia) and Amnesty International Club. Fayetteville-Manlius also boasts a Model United Nations club with more than a hundred participants. The club hosts an annual Central New York MUN Conference (CNYMUN), often inviting over a thousand delegates from around New York. Another extracurricular area in which the Hornets excel is Mock Trial, where in 2016, Fayetteville–Manlius High School won the New York State Mock Trial Championship with an undefeated season record. In 2020, they placed third in the same competition.
The school has a chamber orchestra, string orchestra, concert orchestra, symphony orchestra, jazz ensemble, two bands, concert band, and wind ensemble as well as a very powerful Pep Band, and three vocal groups: choir, the select group's chorale, and Swing 16. The school also has the top Ukulele Ensemble in the Central New York area.
FM also has three major stage productions during the year. The final production of the year, called Showboat, is the annual student-run talent show, a tradition reaching back several decades. Fayetteville–Manlius High School also hosts a π memorization contest, which along with other events, culminates in an annual assembly called "pi day", which typically takes place on March 14 (the date signifies the first three digits of pi.) The assembly includes song performances as well as competitions.
Athletics F-M's 32 varsity teams compete in the Metro Division of the SCAC, Section III of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA), and Section III of the New York State Scholastic Rowing Association. The teams include:
+ Fayetteville-Manlius sports teams Fallcheerleading, cross country, field hockey, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, tennis, volleyballcross country, football, golf, soccer, volleyball, cheerleadingWinterbasketball, bowling, cheerleading, indoor trackbasketball, bowling, ice hockey, indoor track, swimming, wrestling, cheerleadingSpringcrew, golf, lacrosse, softball, trackbaseball, crew, lacrosse, tennis, track
Notable athletic achievements Girls' Cross Country 11 National Championships in 12 Seasons (seven consecutive): 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 Nike Cross Nationals ChampionsNXN Girls' Final: Manlius 'Magnificent Seven' won't be denied: Stunning 27 pt. total for F-M girls, as Rachel Johnson takes individual crown ESPN RISE. Published 12-05-2010. Retrieved 01-01-2011.2008 Nike Cross Nationals Girls' Championship Results – Note: F-M listed as "Manlius XC" US#1s Rule: Manlius XC, North Spokane XC!2007 Nike Team Nationals Girls' Results – "Manlius NY 83 repeats, 8 – 9 – 10 – 19 – 37 adds up to record 88-point margin" – Dyestat2006 Nike Team Nationals Girls' Results – "New York sweeps – Fayetteville-Manlius ends dream season with 50-point win." – Dyestat"F-M girls bask in national spotlight" – The Post Standard (12/3/2006). Second at Nike Cross Nationals: 2013 Ranked #1 in the nation (as of 01/01/18)POWERADE FAB 50 ESPN RISE – 2010 Girls' Team Rankings ESPN RISE. Retrieved 01-01-2011. 2006—2010 NYSPHSAA Class AA Champions & 1997 NYSPHSAA Class A Champions.F-M cross country girls win fifth straight AA state title Eagle News Online. Published 11-19-2010. Retrieved 01-01-20112007 NYSPHSAA Girls' Championships – TullyRunners2008 NYSPHSAA Championships Results – DyeStat2009 NYSPHSAA Girls' XC Championships Results – TullyRunners 2006 & 2007 NYS Federation Champions.2007 NYS Federation Championships – "Fay-Man girls romp again; titles for Emily Lipari, Pat DuPont, and Shen boys" – Dyestat"Fayetteville-Manlius girls win again. Shen boys, Tommy Gruenewald, and Hannah Davidson also win" -Dyestat (11/18/2006) 2006 New York Federation Championships Results. Boys' Cross Country Ranked #2 in the nation (as of 01/01/17)POWERADE FAB 50 ESPN RISE – 2010 Boys' Team Rankings ESPN RISE. Retrieved 01-01-2011.