Tahoma High School

Tahoma High School
Address
23499 SE Tahoma Way
Maple Valley, Washington 98038
United States
Coordinates 47°21′29″N 122°01′56″W / 47.3581°N 122.0323°W / 47.3581; -122.0323Coordinates: 47°21′29″N 122°01′56″W / 47.3581°N 122.0323°W / 47.3581; -122.0323
Information
Type Public high school
Motto Future Ready
Established 1927
School district Tahoma School District
Principal Terry Duty
Teaching staff 190
Grades 9-12
Enrollment 2300+ [1] (2018)
Campus Suburban
Color(s) Blue and Gold
Nickname Bears
Website THS Website

Tahoma High School (THS) is a public high school serving grades nine through twelve, and is the only high school in the Tahoma School District. The school provides for citizens in southeast King County, and has been housed in multiple buildings, the current one being a three-story structure in Maple Valley built in 2017.

Overview

Tahoma High School is a suburban campus located near the intersection of two major state routes, Maple Valley Highway (SR 169) and Kent-Kangley Road (SR 516). It is close to Four Corners, a major retail area of Maple Valley located at that intersection.

Tahoma High School serves the entirety of Maple Valley, Ravensdale, and Hobart, portions of Renton, Covington, and Black Diamond, and a significant area of unincorporated King County.[2] The school is bordered by Enumclaw Senior High School to the south, Mt. Si High School to the east, Liberty High School to the north, Hazen High School to the northwest, and Kentlake High School to the west.[3]

History

TaHoMa High School, 1926. Now Tahoma Elementary School.

The first large public school building in the Maple Valley area to serve secondary students was the Maple Valley Grade School, which opened in 1920 and housed grades one through twelve. In 1926, the Taylor, Hobart, and Maple Valley school districts merged to create a cooperative high school district and purchased a parcel of property for the construction of a dedicated local secondary school. This school, known as TaHoMa High School, opened in 1927 and held both junior and senior high students of the area for many years. After several remodels, this first TaHoMa High School building became Tahoma Middle School.[4]

A new building opened in 1974 as an open concept high school, while the previous building remained as the district's junior high. The open concept design proved unsatisfactory to the faculty at the time, and temporary walls were constructed early in the school building's life. In 1999, an intensive remodel of the Tahoma Senior High School building commenced. Following voter approval of a $10 million, four-year Instructional Technology Levy in 2006, the Tahoma School District outfitted the campus with wireless internet service, Activboard digital whiteboards, and upgraded computer labs.[5]

The building faced struggles with overcrowding throughout the 21st century as Maple Valley experienced rapid growth. The district installed 17 portable classrooms. Tahoma purchased many of these portables for $1 from the neighboring Kent School District. These dilapidated rooms drove voters to approve a $195 million bond in 2015 to build a new high school for the community. [6] Ground was broken in June 2015, it was completed in July 2017, and it opened for the 2017-2018 school year. The previous Senior High building has been converted to Maple View Middle School, while the first district high school building was converted to Tahoma Elementary School.[7]

Academics

The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction reported the school's graduation rate as 91.3% for the 2016-17 school year,[8] while the statewide graduation rate was reported as 75.0%.[9]

The school offers a variety of tech prep, honors, Advanced Placement, and "College in the High School" courses from the University of Washington and Central Washington University, in addition to the district's school board-approved curriculum. A Running Start program is available through the nearby Green River College campus in Auburn. Tahoma High School's Outdoor Academy program, which integrates Health and Fitness, Science, and Language Arts, has received recognition statewide for its work in changing the concept of Physical Education.[10]

Athletics

THS has been a part of the Cascade Division of the North Puget Sound League since the 2016-17 school year.[11] They were previously members of the South Puget Sound League.

Tahoma students participate in the following sports and athletic activities:

  • Fall Sports: Boys' Tennis, Cross Country, Football, Girls' Soccer, Girls' Swim and Dive, Golf, and Volleyball.
  • Winter Sports: Boys' Basketball, Boys' Swim, Dance, Girls' Basketball, Gymnastics, and Wrestling.
  • Spring Sports: Baseball, Boys' Soccer, Fast Pitch, Girls' Tennis, and Track.

Rivalries

Tahoma's oldest rivals include Kent-Meridian, Kentridge, Kentlake, Kentwood, Enumclaw, and Auburn Riverside.

Since the school moved from the rural Covington area to suburban Maple Valley and changed athletic divisions, new rivalries have been created. Hazen, Mount Rainier, and Kennedy Catholic, as new members of the NPSL 4A Cascade Division, have now begun rivalries with Tahoma.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ swift.tahoma.wednet.edu/ths/rbergum
  2. ↑ https://washington.hometownlocator.com/schools/profiles,n,tahoma%20senior%20high%20school,z,98042,t,pb,i,1120426.cfm
  3. ↑ www.k12.wa.us/SchFacilities/maps/SchoolDistrictsESDsWithCounties.pdf
  4. ↑ Tahoma School District. (2004). Tahoma Middle School Dedication [Brochure]. Maple Valley, WA: Kevin Patterson.
  5. ↑ www.k12.wa.us/safs/PUB/LEV/0607/levy06.pdf
  6. ↑ voteyestahoma.com/frequently-asked-qs/
  7. ↑ "Groundbreaking set for June 5 - Tahoma High School". Maple Valley Reporter.
  8. ↑ groupLevel=District&schoolId=112&reportLevel=District&orgLinkId=112&yrs=&year=2016-17 Washington State Report Card
  9. ↑ Washington State Report Card
  10. ↑ Seattle Times:"Phys-ed Classes Changing Course
  11. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-09-19. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  12. ↑ Scanlon, Tom (January 20, 2005). "Brandi Carlile: ready for her breakthrough". The Seattle Times
  13. ↑ Walker, Erick (August 20, 2008). "Seahawk Omare Lowe is back home with new team". The Covington Reporter
  14. ↑ Walker, Erick (February 23, 2007). "World champ's life has been a fight for survival". The Seattle Times
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