MPHS is a combination of two local schools. The first high school in Marysville was called Marysville High School. Pilchuck High School was built in 1971. Later the two student populations were combined and additions made to create one large high school called Marysville-Pilchuck High School. In 2007 the student population peaked at over 2,500. As of 2018 the school served 1,274 students in grades 9-12. Four academies previously at the high school: Academy of Construction and Engineering, Bio-Med Academy, International School of Communications, and School for the Entrepreneur, were relocated to the newly constructed Marysville Getchell High School, which opened in 2010. The original high school building was adapted for use as the city's junior high school and now operates as Totem Middle School.
2008 cyber-bullying controversy
On March 21, 2008, The Herald in Everett ran a story about the effects of students posting material on a gossip website on the community of Marysville-Pilchuck High School. The site is run by a private company in North Carolina. The story reported that "students have used the site to bully, post compromising photos of their rivals and spread rumors about other kids' supposed sexual experiences, abortions, eating disorders, diseases and drug use." They also had posted comments about people's families. The site's founder, Elizabeth Bloch, 25, was reported as saying, " no legal or ethical responsibility to protect kids by censoring gossip." Bloch also said that if enough users complain about certain gossip it will be taken down, but that site staff would not remove gossip just because it may be a lie or may be hurtful. The high school administration posted material on its website warning students and families about the site. The Everett Herald published an editorial on the issue on March 23, 2008, expressing concern about cyberbullying and urging parental care.
On October 24, 2014, the high school was the location of a school shooting. Four students were killed and a fifth was seriously injured. The gunman, a freshman at the school, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Programs
Since September 2010, the school has a central program called Pathways of Choice. MPHS still offers specialized classes, some of which have been cancelled at other schools, such as auto shop. MPHS also offers:
Four band programs.
Multiple art programs.
Music Programs.
Language courses, including Lushootseed, French, Japanese, and Spanish.
The school offers "College in the High School" programs, which enable students to earn college credits by completing college-level classes taken at the high school. Such classes include Pre-Calculus, College Algebra, Chemistry, Physics, Japanese III, Child development, Advanced Child Development, MOS I,II; Horticulture II, Advanced marketing, and almost every AP class. NJROTC, Culinary Arts, Running Start, and Sno-Isle Skill Center are also offered.
Arts programs
The drama club won an award for "Best Pit Orchestra" by Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theatre for its production of Stephen Sondheim'sInto The Woods as the 2008 spring musical. The drama club was also nominated for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Group" by Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theatre for the urchins in their production of "Little Shop of Horrors" in 2014 and received an Honorable Mention for "Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Featured Ensemble Role" in 2015 for an actress in their production of Disney's "Mary Poppins." In the 2012 Jazz Unlimited festival at Columbia Basin College, MP won 1st in its division and a gold medal for Wind Ensemble out of 33 bands, 2nd for its Jazz I, the Don Paul "Excellence" award for best overall band in its division, best trombone section, best tuba section, outstanding soloist awards for Calvin White on alto sax and Brandon Pangalinan on tenor sax, and a bronze medal for its Symphonic band. During 2012 MPMEA Solo and Ensemble seven students received superior ratings. The Sax Quartet was declared 1st runner up for state and the Flute Trio received 2nd runner up for state. Art students at MP entered 30 pieces of work into the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards contest. They received 28 prizes.
