North High School (Evansville)

For schools of the same name, see North High School (disambiguation).

North High School Evansville North High School
Address
15331 Hwy 41 North Evansville, Indiana United States
Information
Type	Public high school
Established	1956
Locale	Mid-size city
School district	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation
Principal	John Skinner
Assistant Principals	Kathryn Elmer Andrea Gilham
Faculty	142
Grades	9-12
Color(s)
Mascot	Huskies
Current Gym Capacity	3,457
Website	Evansville North High School

North High School, or Evansville North High School, is a high school now located on the north side of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, USA.

Mission statement

North High School is committed to a cooperative educational partnership encompassing the student, home, school, and community. North High School provides all students with the opportunity for a quality education focusing on academic, vocational, social, physical, and life skills resulting in the student living and working as a productive and responsible citizen in a highly competitive, technological, and global society.

History

In the early 1950s the Evansville and Vanderburgh County population was increasing and pushing in a northern direction. It was decided that a new high school was needed to relieve the burden on the existing public high schools (Central High School in its original location, FJ Reitz High School and Benjamin Bosse High School).

The location of the school on property near the Mechanic Arts Trades and Industry High School on the north side was chosen. Mechanic Arts' curriculum (and its building) was incorporated into the new high school, which would allow students from the other high schools to come as shared time students.

In fall 1956, the new North High School opened, serving students from the seventh through 12th grades. The first graduating class consisted of only 18 girls and 149 boys because students in the district were allowed to choose to remain at their present high school or to transfer to the new school.

During that first year, the school fielded its first athletics teams, dubbed the "North Huskies." A reserve football schedule and a varsity basketball schedule were played. Football games during the early years were played at Bosse Field and other high school fields and in the 1970s, the new Central High School's field was designated as the Huskies' home field.

Many innovations were part of the new school's activities. North pioneered in presenting Broadway musicals in the Evansville schools and eventually was followed by the other schools. Its concert choir became an outstanding program and several Spring Concerts were held at the Civic Auditorium. Over the years, the choir groups have performed for hundreds of local clubs, organizations and civic events.

In 1967, North high school won the single class state basketball championship, becoming only the second Evansville high school to do so. Another state championship was won in 2000 when the North boys golf team won a state title. In 2014, the North girls golf team won a state title, becoming the first girls team to win a state title for any sport at North. In 1995, the Huskies football team was state runner-up in class 5A. Since 2000, Huskies baseball team has twice been state runner-up in 4A .

On November 4, 2008, Vanderburgh County voters approved a $149 million bond issue for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. A long list of projects includes a new $58.2 million high school for 2,000 students and an adjacent $27 million middle school for 1,000 students. In late November 2008, The EVSC purchased around 80 acres (320,000 m²) near U.S. 41 and Base Line Road for the new campus. The new North High School building opened in January 2012.

North principals

• 1956 - 1967: Adrian Meadows
• 1967 - 1981: Harold Buck
• 1981 - 1999: James Sharp
• 1999 - 2009: Brenda Weber
• 2009–Present: John Skinner

Current department chairs

• Leslie Wilhelmus (Department of English)
• Courtney Browder (Departments of Social Studies and World Languages)
• Mechelle Giles (Departments of Business, Music, Technology, Art, and Family & Consumer Sciences)
• Charles Uhde (Department of Mathematics)
• Brian Dougan (Departments of Science and PE/Health)
• Christina Bartley (Department of Special Education)
• Andrew Huff (Athletic Director)

School District

Elementary Schools (K-6)

• Scott Elementary School
• Oak Hill Elementary School
• Vogel Elementary School
• Evans Elementary School
• Delaware Elementary School

Middle Schools (7-8)

• North Junior High School

Sports

Also see: Sports in Evansville

North High School competes in the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference, which is a part of the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

State team titles

• Baseball (1962*)
• Boys' basketball (1967)
• Boys' golf (2000)
• Girls' golf (2014, 2015)

* indicates title won before IHSAA State Tournament was initiated

School song

Tune to "Across the Field"

Fight the team across the way, let's show them North is here, Set the earth reverberating with a mighty cheer. Rah! Rah! Rah! Fight, fight Huskies let's win this game, while forever we sing your fame. Hail! Hail, to green and white, ever onward to victory. Fight!

Old North High School

The old North High School Facility is now used as the Academy for Innovative studies Diamond Branch, though AIS only takes up a small percentage of the school. The auditorium is still host to numerous musicals and plays, such as a 2014 production of Les Misèrables.

Awards

North was presented with a national award in the White House Rose Garden and State Blue Ribbon honors. In 1994, North was named by Redbook magazine as one of the 134 best schools in the USA and the best in Indiana. The school was featured on ABC's Good Morning America following this honor. North's principal, James Sharp, was named "Principal of the Year" by the Indiana Association of School Principals. The first and second Evansville Courier and Press "Teacher of the Year" awards were presented to North teachers, and two more were awarded in later years. In 1995, it was named an Indiana Blue Ribbon School and, in 1996, a National Blue Ribbon School.

Famous alumni

• Dave Schellhase, All-American basketball player, NBA player, longtime college basketball coach
• Bob Ford, ABA player and television executive
• Jeff Overton, PGA Tour player
• Deke Cooper, NFL player
• Josh Tudela, MLS player

References

• Evansville North High School