East High School (Des Moines, Iowa)


East High School, usually referred to simply as East, is a secondary school located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. East is the largest high school in the state in population with over 2,400 students. East is the oldest high school in the Des Moines metro and is part of the Des Moines Public Schools district.

History

East was established in 1861, but the current school building was not built until 1911. A new student center was added in 1955, with a new gymnasium, band and tech rooms, and a new cafeteria. The South Wing, which houses the school's library, was built in 1968, and the North Wing addition followed in 1973. A renovation of this building was completed on January 4, 2006.

Campus

East High is located on East 14th Street in Des Moines, close to Interstate 235. There is ample grass-covered recreation space, as well as parking, to the west and north of the main building. There is an annex a block away from the main campus.
While the East High building is one large building, it is divided into six areas:
As of the 2005-2006 school year, there are 2,115 students enrolled at East, which makes the school one of the largest in Iowa. 65.8% of the student body is White descent. The leading ethnic group by enrollment is that of African-American descent, and they are followed by Latino, Asian, and Indian.

Enrollment

Curriculum

The school day is split into four periods of course instruction on an alternating A day/B day schedule. There are four lunches, over the period of two and one half hours. Students can earn an extra half of an hour of lunch for demonstrating proficiency on the Iowa Assessments. The school district requires that students take a number of core academic courses, if they wish to graduate and receive a diploma. This includes Social Studies, English, Mathematics, Science, Art, and Physical Education. The amount of academic credit needed to satisfy graduation requirements is determined by the school district.
All students are required by the district to enroll in four subject courses and a Physical Education course. However, the school compels Freshman and Sophomore students to schedule a full day of classes, to ensure satisfaction with district graduation requirements. Seniors have the option of having an "open period" during the first or last period of the school day. However, Juniors require parental permission to have an open period.
The district requires 2 semesters of Physical Education. Freshmen and Sophomores usually take their P.E. courses at the school. Juniors and Seniors have the option of taking alternative P.E. programs.

Achievements

Athletic Championships and Runners-Up