Chandler High School (Arizona)


Chandler High School is a high school and historical landmark located in Chandler, Arizona, United States. It is one of Arizona's largest high schools serving 4000-3000 student annually.

History

According to published records, the earliest known educational facility in the city was 1907 being described as canvas style rooms. The second facility was known as the Chandler Grammar School, later changed to the Cleveland School, was opened June 21, 1912 at the cost of $9,000. Both prior schools accepted 6-8 grade students. In September 1914, a more permanent solution was purposed requiring a 1919 bond of $121,800 and 1921 bond of $170,000 to begin planning and construction of a high school.
Breaking ground in 1921 and dedicated the subsequent year, the facility currently referred to as Old Main, was constructed along with a small gymnasium. Both structures were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007, 1 of 17 high schools in Phoenix. Several expansions and upgrades have been made to the campus which resides on the Northwest corner of Arizona Avenue/SR 87 and Chandler Blvd.
The school and subsequent city's namesake comes from founder Dr. Alexander John "A.J." Chandler a local veterinary surgeon.

Academics

Chandler abides by the standards set by the Arizona Department of Education and implements the state's Education and Career Action Plan required for all students 9-12 grade students to graduate from a public Arizona high school. CUSD high schools also implements an open enrollment policy, meaning students from outside the intended school boundaries may attend without tuition or other penalties.
Arizona requires that all high school students take 6 credit bearing courses during their freshmen through junior years, and have the option of reducing credits to 4 credit bearing courses if they are track for graduation. However, CUSD requires all students must complete 22 credits whereas the public university system controlled by the Arizona Board of Regents requires only 16 credits in the following areas:
At Chandler and all CUSD high school students may swap three semesters of Spiritline, Beginning through Advance Dance, Drill Team, Color Guard, Marching Band, Winter guard, or AFJROTC essentially waiving the required one Physical Education credit required for graduation.
Students which choose applied sciences in areas such as Applied Biology or Applied Agricultural Sciences gain equivalent Science credits. Likewise, Economics credits can be awarded like Agricultural Business Management, Business, Business Applications, Marketing, Economics Applications, Family and Consumer Sciences, and vocational courses.
Community college credits can be awarded through a partnership with Chandler-Gilbert Community College and cooperative credits for vocational courses are provided by East Valley Institute of Technology. Students must be dually enrolled for the Arizona community college or the Arizona public university system to accept the credits towards a degree. CUSD Transportation Department provides routes between Chandler, EVIT, and CGCC with after school hours transportation intended for students participating in activities.
Advanced Placement courses are available on school grounds in Mathematics, English, Social Studies, and Science which garner university credits nationwide and is 1 of 8 Arizona high schools offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Accolades

Chandler was awarded the Blue Ribbon School during 1982-83 and 1986-87 school years. It has also received 7 A+ School of Excellence from the Arizona Education Foundation, the most in the state.

Statistics

Chandler has 1,218 students enrolled in the Free Lunch Program, 197 for the Reduced-price Lunch Program, and 610 that are Directly Certified under the National School Lunch Program.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

Chandler is an Arizona Interscholastic Association member school offering boys and girls sports complying with Title IX. Student athletes can participate in varsity, junior varsity, and freshmen only teams as well as individual sports. Chandler Athletics consist of these sports:
In 2014, Chandler football won its first championship after defeating their rival Hamilton High School Division I State Championship game. Starting in 2016 Chandler won three consecutive championship in the AIA's largest division, the last being in the open bracket comprising the eight best teams in Arizona according to the MaxPreps rating system. The team has been ranked as high as 12th nationally according to the 2015 MaxPreps' Xcelent 25 Rankings and finished on the list 3 times. Aguano resigned as head football coach in 2018 for Arizona State University's running backs coach vacating the position for offensive coordinator Rick Garretson which had a 13-0 first season and a state championship.
Chandler has successfully competed against the top teams in the nation. They start with a 2013 loss to #1 St. John Bosco High School at home 52–13. The 2014 team was able to get their first out of state victory against Valor Christan High School with a final score of 22–7. Traveling into Las Vegas, Nevada during the 2015 season ranked 20th nationally played in a high-profile game against #3 Bishop Gorman High School losing 35-14 which was broadcast on ESPNU. Chandler also hosted #2 IMG Academy going into the game ranked 7th ultimately losing 27–14 in 2017. The team went on the road the next two years playing Las Vegas' Faith Lutheran High School and Capital Christian High School winning 35-21 and 56-0 respectively. Overall Chandler has a 3–3 record against out of state opponents.

Fine Arts

Chandler High School is also notable for its active and competitive music programs. Chandler High School Chorale was the first American high school to be invited to perform at the 2005 Jilin College of the Arts Summer Music Festival in Changchun, People's Republic of China, and not only once, but twice to perform at the noble Carnegie Hall for a festival, while Chandler High School's Wolf Pack Pride Marching Band competed in the 2005-2006 Fiesta Bowl National Band Championship, placing fifth. The marching band competed again in the 2008-2009 Championship. The Symphonic Band also competed April 2006 in Boston at the Boston Symphony Hall in the Heritage Festival of Gold. The band took fourth. The Symphonic Band competed again in April 2008 at the Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, taking first. In 2009, the Symphonic Band returned to the Festival of Gold in Los Angeles where it again took first place over groups from across the nation. In 2010, Chandler's Chorale visited the Festival of Gold, taking first as well. Chandler High's Varsity Jazz Ensemble has recently excelled on a local level.
In addition, Chandler's theater department has performed several well-known plays, including from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Outsiders, Miser, Rebel Without a Cause, Footloose, Still Life With Iris, and many more. The Chandler theatre has been to the Central Arizona Acting Festival and many students received Superior. A.P.A.C., the highest level acting class at Chandler, has performed numerous books for elementary students through Bookends, a program designed to promote literacy, for many years.

Rivalry

A rivalry developed between Chandler and Hamilton High School which are separated by of Arizona Avenue/SR 87. Local media has since daubed the high-profile competition as the "Battle of Arizona Avenue". The annual varsity football matchup gains the most attention where both teams are powerhouse programs, fan turnout can exceeded 20,000, and has been broadcast nationally by ESPN and the NFHS Network. Starting in 2015, the Chandler Rotary Club began giving the rivalry victor a trophy with a wooden base and a plaque with the year inscribed on it.

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