Western Hills High School (Benbrook, Texas)

The Western Hills community encompasses the urban area surrounding the school, the Benbrook city area, southwest Fort Worth, and the rural section west to the Tarrant County line. The city of Benbrook school system once served students in Benbrook and surrounding rural areas. In 1954, all Benbrook students above the sixth grade were transferred to the Fort Worth ISD. In 1962, the Benbrook School District was consolidated into the Fort Worth system, busing the high school students to North Side High School or Arlington Heights High School and its junior high schools to J.P. Elder or William Monnig Junior High. Western Hills was first opened on the campus of Arlington Heights High School in the fall of 1968 with 714 students crowded into thirteen temporary buildings. In January 1969, this student body moved into its new home on the twenty-five acre tract in West Fort Worth at 3600 Boston Avenue.

The creation of General Dynamics Fort Worth Division in nearby White Settlement spurred an increased enrollment from the original 714 to 2,243 in 1972. At that time the student body was housed not only in the main building with one level but also in 23 portable buildings. With a decreasing student enrollment of 2,052 in the fall of 1980, the school building was expanded to two floors and eliminated the portable buildings.

On October 23, 1989, a briefcase containing a firebomb was found. During an attempt to disarm the device it exploded causing mostly smoke damage and no injuries.[2][3] In 1991, the decline of student enrollment had tapered off to 1,503, reflecting of job losses from the sale of General Dynamics' Fort Worth division to Lockheed.

In recent years, school enrollment has ranged between 1,461 and 1,503. Recently, 14 portable buildings have been added to the campus.[4]

The Western Hills cougar insignia

The school mascot is the cougar. Official school colors are forest green and gold and throwback colors reflecting early years are yellow and green.

The WHHS student newspaper is The Mountain Line, (a cougar is also known as a mountain lion) begun in the spring of 1970. The paper won the best-in-city award in its first year in a contest sponsored by the Fort Worth press.

Western Hills High School's school annual yearbook is named The Catamount. The name was chosen by the new school's annual staff after suggestions made by annual staff members.

WHHS currently competes as a University Interscholastic League Class 4A school.

• Todd Oldham, internationally recognized fashion designer and TV fashion host for MTV, graduated from Fort Worth, Texas' Western Hills High School in 1980.
• William Flores, recipient of the Coast Guard Medal for valor in the Coast Guard's worst peacetime accident; namesake for the third US Coast Guard Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter USCGC William Flores (WPC-1103)
• Vaden Todd Lewis, Guitarist, Vocalist for Toadies

• Western Hills High School
• WHHS Band Website