South High School

Since the fall of 2004, the teachers at Wichita High School South have been members of a Professional Learning Community. Through collaboration and examination of student data, teachers work continually to improve student performance in our school. In order to be successful, a learning community must have a common set of core beliefs and values. Our mission, vision, values and beliefs show our collective commitment to the school we want to become.

South is a safe school environment with many academic and extracurricular options for students. In addition to the regular academic day, our students also have the opportunity to enroll in the extended day Learning Center to complete graduation requirements. The AVID (Achievement Via Individual Determination) program was initiated in the fall of 2008. Active parental involvement in all school programs is also encouraged.

A Quality Assurance Review Team representing the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement visited Wichita High School South on February 9, 2009. During the visit members of the Quality Assurance Review Team interviewed the administration, selected students, parents, and staff members. The team also reviewed documents, student performance data, and other artifacts provided by the school. Wichita High School South completed the school improvement process successfully and received full accreditation from the North Central Association.

• Increased Graduation Rate
• Kansas Reading scores have shown continual improvement
• Increased scholarships for graduating seniors
• 700 students participate in extracurricular athletic programs
• Thespians recognized as an Honor Troupe
• JROTC - Iron Titan Battalion

         —  U.S. Army National Competition - San Antonio, Texas, April 2009
         —  1st Armed Color Guard
         —  1st Unarmed Color Guard
         —  1st Armed Regulation Drill
         —  2nd Unarmed Regulation Drill
         —  3rd Armed and Unarmed Inspection
         —  3rd Armed Exhibition

• State DECA Career Development Conference

        —  8 students placed in the top 10 in their events

• International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California

        —  Two students accepted and participated
        —  One student placed in the top 30% in Accounting Applications

• National Sports & Entertainment Conference in Orlando, Florida

        —  Three students participated

• BPA State Leadership Conference

        —  1st place - Programming

• Cheerleading Awards - Cheer Camp - Hutchinson, KS - Summer 2009

        —  Leadership Award
        —  Superior Squad Trophy
        —  1st Cheer Competition
        —  2nd Home Pom Routine
        —  2nd place - Xtreme Routine (dance & stunts)
        —  3 cheerleaders were named All-American

• Girls' Varsity Tennis - #2 Doubles - 3rd in City League 2009
• Sedgwick County Sheriff's 2009 Powerlifting Competition - Two South students placed
• Wichita South Choir invited to perform with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra at the closing of River Festival 2009
• Orchestra - overall rating of 1 at Kansas Large Group Music Festival
• Scholastic Art Competition - 4 Gold Key Award Winners
• WSU Art Achievement Award
• Prostart Culinary Competition - A team of 4 students took 13th place
• Prostart Edible Centerpiece - Two teams of students placed 4th and 7th
• FCCLA Culinary Competition - Silver Award for one team
• Annual Musical Variety Show - Titanantics

Exit I-235 at Seneca. Go north on Seneca two blocks to 34^th St. Go east on 34^th St. to South High.  See Maps for all USD 259 locations.

To engage students in a challenging curriculum so that they will become responsible, productive citizens who value differences and can adapt to a changing world.

Vision Statement

Students and staff at Wichita High School South will form a collaborative learning community using best practices to provide a variety of learning experiences that allow students to examine options, take risks, use imagination and demonstrate mastery.

1. All students will increase reading proficiency in comprehension, vocabulary and literary structure across the curriculum from the current rate of 66.7% proficient or above to the AYP goal of 72.0% on the 2009 Kansas Reading Assessment while narrowing the gap between African/American and Caucasian subgroups.
2. All students will increase knowledge and application skills in mathematics across the curriculum from the current level of 43.5% proficient and above to the AYP goal "safe harbor" 53.3% (10% growth) proficient and above in the 2008 Kansas Math Assessment.
3. All students will increase proficiency in writing across the curriculum by raising the percentage of all students who reach proficiency from the 2007 Kansas Writing Assessment results of 57.55% to 62% on the next assessment.

Each school has a site council, which is a group of parents, community members, business representatives, teachers and other school staff. Site councils identify, consider and discuss educational problems and issues at the school. Councils provide advice and counsel for evaluating state, school district and school site performance goals and objectives. Councils may also recommend methods that may be employed at the school site to meet these goals and objectives. Monthly meetings are held during the evening at South.

• Academics First
• Student Advocacy
• College Career Center
• Learning Center
• AVID
• SOS (Save Our Seniors)
• Pass the Class
• Student Coaching
• Youth Court
• JROTC
• Unique Special Education Programs - SMD and Visually Impaired
• Circle of Friends
• Repertorie Theater
• Media Production
• HVAC
• Auto Restoration
• Interactive Distance Learning Lab (IDL)
• Advanced Placement Courses: English Literature, Chemistry, Statistics, Biology, Language, Government, U.S. History, Studio Art
• Block scheduling with built-in academic tutorial time (Titan Time)
• Vocational Education programs: Business Professional of America (BPA), Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), Youth Entrepreneurs of Kansas (YEK), and Occupational Family and Consumer Science (OFACS)
• Child Development Center
• Student/Teacher of the Month
• 24 Student Clubs

The Wichita Public schools offer a comprehensive interscholastic athletic program for high school students.For more information click here to go to the Athletic website.

Wichita High School South became the fifth public senior high school when its doors were opened to 1,500 students on September 4, 1959. The sprawling $3,121,957 one-story structure is located on a 40-acre tract near the south city limits of Wichita on West 33rd Street South.

A $2,185,200 contract for general construction was awarded to Clarence E. Vollmer Construction in June, 1957. The Moore Robertson Company obtained the $649,725 plumbing and heating contract, and Southwestern Electrical Company installed $287,032 worth of electrical materials. Built-in equipment in the building added another $260,000 to the cost, while movable equipment and furniture amounted to $225,000. The parking lot, outside physical education facilities and other miscellaneous expenses were listed at $120,000.

In the building, a total of 226,200 square feet of classroom and auxiliary facilities enclose 5.2 acres of area under a continuous roof. Another two acres of courtyards and patios add beauty to the setting of the structure designed by Wichita architects Forsblom and Parks. Parking space for 397 cars, the entrance drives and surrounding lawns account for an additional 15 acres. Much of the remaining portion of the site was developed into physical education areas, including a regulation size football field, a quarter-mile track, tennis courts, baseball and softball diamonds, an archery range and other recreational space. Carpenter Stadium for football and track was built in 1977.

Red brick was used as the basic material for the fire-resistant building, which is a modification of the plan used for Wichita High School Southeast. Major improvements in the plan used for South High included redesigning the guidance center facilities, adding a secondary hallway to connect four academic wings, changing building materials to improve acoustics in the auditorium, and adding nine new classrooms with almost 15,000 square feet of additional space.

The former Sims Elementary School building was added to South High beginning the 1988-89 school year. The extra classroom space was needed with the ninth grade added to high school. The enrollment has leveled to an average of 1,300 students.

Four wings reach westward from the 450-foot north and south main corridor. The cafeteria fronts the main hall and seats 500 persons at one time. The physical education wing includes a boys gym which can seat 1,300 spectators at varsity contests, a girls gym, a rhythm floor, four classrooms, a 60-by-25-foot swimming pool and three locker rooms.

As enrollment increased, portables were added and by 1969-70, 15 electrically heated and cooled units were necessary to accommodate the 2,567 students. This was an increase of 1,067 above the number enrolled in 1959, the first year of operation.

In 1976, the courtyard was enclosed for a new library, and adjacent classrooms made windowless by the construction were renovated. Hall lockers were replaced in 1995.

From A History of Wichita Public School Buildings, c 1997

The school district passed a comprehensive bond issue in April 2000 for $284.5 million of improvements. The South High construction began on our site in November 2003 and concluded in 2007. South High's $10.1 million dollars of renovations included: 27 new classrooms, expansion of a major hallway intersection and relocation of support administration/staff to a common area. All of the portable classroom buildings were removed and all classroom spaces are now air-conditioned. With the passing of another bond issue in the fall of 2008, Wichita South will also have approximately $11 million dollars worth of improvements to the athletic and fine arts facilities.