De Pere High School (DPHS) is a public high school located in De Pere, Wisconsin. Founded in 1870, it serves students in grades 9 through 12. It is the only high school in the Unified School District of De Pere.

De Pere High School
DPHS in 2020
Address
Map
1700 Chicago Street

,
54115

United States
Coordinates44°26′26″N 88°02′34″W / 44.44052°N 88.04282°W / 44.44052; -88.04282
Information
TypePublic secondary
Motto"It's A Great Day to be a Redbird!"
Established1870; 154 years ago (1870)
OversightUnified School District of De Pere
PrincipalRoger Allen
Teaching staff91.30 (FTE)[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,470 (2022-23)[1]
Student to teacher ratio16.10[1]
Color(s)Cardinal and white
Athletics conferenceFox River Classic Conference
MascotRowdy Redbird
RivalWest De Pere
NewspaperCrimson Aviator
YearbookThe Fox
Feeder schoolsDe Pere Middle School
WebsiteDe Pere High School

History edit

 
De Pere High School, 2004

Until 1870, schooling for all grades in De Pere, Wisconsin was held in one building; starting in 1870, a high school was located in a stone building on the corner of James Street and Wisconsin Street.[2] During the back half of the 1890s, plans were made for a new high school at the corner of Chicago Street and Broadway. A fire ravaged the stone school on February 20, 1900; it was demolished in 1906 after sitting dormant.[2] After spending the rest of the term at the local German Benevolent Society Hall, the school located at Chicago and Broadway opened in fall 1900. It was quickly nicknamed the "Castle School" or "Castle on the Hill" due to its architecture and topographic situation.[3] In 1978, the current high school was built at 1700 Chicago Street. It underwent major expansion in 2001, with the addition of a gymnasium and several classrooms. In January 2007, more classrooms were added. In 2017, De Pere High School underwent another small expansion. De Pere High School's mascot is the Redbird.

In 2005, the school received a cease-and-desist order on the grounds that its mascot was copyrighted material of Illinois State University. The school eventually redesigned the logo so as to not violate the copyright.[4]

In 2016, Newsweek included DPHS on its list of best high schools for low-income students.[5]

Demographics edit

The school is 90 percent white, three percent Hispanic, two percent black, two percent Asian, and one percent American Indian.[6]

Extracurricular activities edit

FIRST Robotics edit

De Pere High school is home to FIRST robotics Team 1716. The team, which has been in existence since 2006, offers students the opportunity to gain hands-on knowledge in STEM fields.[7]

During the 2006 season Team 1716 had a win-lose-tie record of 6-7-1.[8] In the 2007–09 seasons, Team 1716 had records of 3-6-0,[9] 1-6-1[10] and 1-7-0.[11] In the 2010 season, Team 1716 had a 7-4-1 record in Breakaway.[12] The team had a 7-5-1 record[13] in the 2011 season. The 2012 Season (Rebound Rumble) was the best in Team 1716 history, with a record of 6-5-0. They finished as the #4 seed, but were eliminated in the quarterfinals. Team 1716 also received the Judge's Award in 2012 and Creativity award in 2017.[14][15] In the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Redbird Robotics did not make it to the elimination rounds. In 2014, the team participated in more than one regional for the first time since the team's inception.

Athletics edit

De Pere High School is a member of the Fox River Classic Conference, and its athletic teams are nicknamed the Redbirds. Redbird athletic teams had been a member of the Bay Conference. De Pere's last season in the Bay was 2006-2007.[16] The girls swimming team absorbs swimmers from the smaller, crosstown West De Pere High School while still competing under the De Pere Redbirds banner.[17] The school contributes to the ten-school cooperative Bay Area Ice Bears girls hockey team, which plays in the Eastern Shores Conference.[18]

In 2014, the school announced a new synthetic turf football field, a new baseball diamond and soccer field, and upgrades to the existing softball diamond.[19] In late 2019, the school revealed plans for a $3 million renovation of its football stadium, which would add 600 seats to the home grandstand and establish a permanent 500-seat visitors grandstand.[20]

State Championships[21]
Year Division/Class Sport
2023 Division 1 Boys basketball[22]
2023 Girls hockey*
2014 Girls hockey*
2012 Division 1 Girls basketball
2005 Division 1 Girls basketball
1993 Division 2 Boys soccer
1992 Division 3 Football
1990 Class B Gymnastics
1989 Class B Gymnastics
1988 Class B Gymnastics
1987 Class B Gymnastics
1986 Class B Gymnastics
1983 Class A Girls basketball
1934 Class B Boys basketball
* denotes championship was part of a cooperative team

Performing arts edit

The school fields two show choirs, Chicago Street Singers and Jam Session.[23] In 2020, the school hosted a show choir competition, "Destination De Pere: Let's Jam!", and while event organizers claimed it was the first one hosted at De Pere,[24] the school hosted a competition named "Big Jam" from 1996 to 1999.[25] The school also offers a musical and plays through its Drama Club.

Notable alumni edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "De Pere High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Milquet, Dan; Milquet, Mary Kay (2006). De Pere of Yesteryear. Brillion, WI: Zander Press. pp. 97–98. ISBN 978-0-9789530-1-0.
  3. ^ "Postcards from the Past". De Pere Historical Society Newsletter. De Pere, WI: De Pere Historical Society. Fall 2019.
  4. ^ Sarah Kloepping and Ashley Kaster. "Lego my logo," Crimson Aviator, September 2005.
  5. ^ "Beating the Odds 2016: Top High Schools for Low-Income Students". Newsweek. August 11, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  6. ^ "Student Body". U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report L. P. 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  7. ^ "Team information". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09.
  8. ^ "1716 2006 win/lose record".
  9. ^ "1716 2007 win/lose record".
  10. ^ "1716 2008 win/lose record".
  11. ^ "1716 2009 win/lose record".
  12. ^ "1716 2010 win/lose record".
  13. ^ "1716 2011 win/lose record".
  14. ^ "Redbird Robotics - Team 1716 (2012)". The Blue Alliance. 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  15. ^ "Redbird Robotics - Team 1716 (2017)". The Blue Alliance. 2017-03-22. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  16. ^ Venci, Scott (May 9, 2006). "Goodbye, FRVC: Schools vote for new league name". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved September 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "De Pere hires new girls swimming coach". The Press Times. April 28, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  18. ^ "Bay Area Ice Bears". Wisconsin Prep Hockey. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  19. ^ Pekarek, Andrew (July 26, 2014). "De Pere athletic fields getting a facelift". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Gannett. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  20. ^ Reinsch, Lee (December 16, 2019). "New stadium in the works for De Pere High School". Press Times. Multi Media Channels. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  21. ^ "State Team Championships". Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  22. ^ "Boys Basketball Championships Earned in Five Divisions Saturday". Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  23. ^ "SCC: Viewing School - De Pere High School". showchoir.com. Retrieved 2018-03-31.
  24. ^ "De Pere High School to Host 1st Ever Show Choir Competition". Green Bay News Network. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  25. ^ "SCC: De Pere Big Jam 1998". Show Choir Community. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  26. ^ "Deb Baker". Book Series In Order. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  27. ^ Walter, Tony (September 17, 1971). "Cut Surprises Daanen". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  28. ^ "STATE OF WISCONSIN Senate Journal Eighty-First Regular Session" (PDF). docs.legis.wisconsin.gov. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  29. ^ "Drew Nowak". Seattle Seahawks. Seattle Seahawks. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2016.

External links edit