Sprague High School


Charles A. Sprague High School, known as Sprague High School, is a high school in the Sunnyslope neighborhood of Salem, Oregon, United States. The school is named after Charles A. Sprague, who served as Oregon's governor from 1939 to 1943.

Academics

In the 2017–18 school year, 87.9% of Sprague's seniors received a high school diploma, compared to a statewide rate of 77%. Of 365 students, 321 graduated and 30 dropped out.
In the 2017–18 school year, Sprague's test scores were significantly higher than the state averages. In English, Sprague had 84% of students meeting state standards compared to the 70% state average, 46% in math compared to 33% statewide, and 81% in science compared to the 54% state average.
The racial makeup of Sprague currently consists of 74% white, 11% Hispanic, with all other races compiling the other 15%.

Music activities

Grammy Signature School recognition

Sprague has been recognized as a Grammy Signature School in many years. This program is designed to honor exceptional public high school music programs across the country.
Since the orchestral program was created in 1986, Sprague's Camerata Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra have won a combined 25 Oregon School Activities Association State Championships, and the program flourished under the direction of Steve A. Nelson. In addition, Sprague is the only high school in Oregon to have won state championships in all four OSAA music categories in a single year. Beginning in 1993, and every fourth year until 2005, Sprague's Orchestra Program has traveled to Austria, where the Camerata has been named the "Top High School String Orchestra in the World" on multiple occasions after winning the Vienna Youth and Music Festival in 1997 and 2005. The orchestras are currently directed by Lisa Rael.
Choir director Russ Christensen was named the 2006-2007 Oregon Music Educator of the year. The choir placed or tied for first in OSAA state choir championships in 1998, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2017. The choir is now directed by Dr. Robert David Brown.

Bands

Sprague High School Marching Band and Color Guard won the Oregon state championship in 1984, 1985, and 1986. They won the Kelso Highlander Marching band competition in 1983. The marching band competed in the California state championships in San Jose in 1984, coming in second place by only 3/4 of a point. They also took first place at the Bands of America regional championship in Moscow, Idaho in 1985. The color guard, named the Starlighters Winterguard, won the Western Dream Pageant Scholastic division with the highest score up to that point in 1986, having an undefeated season. In 2017, under the direction of Dr. Richard Greenwood, the band won the 6A OSAA state championship for the first time since 2012.
The band is a member of Northwest Association for Performing Arts and Oregon School Activities Association.
Sprague has hosted the Pacific Coast Invitational, a marching band competition, since 1982.

Concert Band

Sprague band has participated in many Heritage Festivals in Anaheim and San Francisco, California over the years. Below is list of the accomplishments by participation year:
YearEventBandRanking
2008Heritage Festivals, AnaheimWind EnsembleGold 1st
2008Heritage Festivals, AnaheimWind SymphonySilver
2001Heritage Festivals, AnaheimWind EnsembleGold 1st
2001Heritage Festivals, AnaheimSymphonic BandSilver 1st
2001Heritage Festivals, San FranciscoJazz Band IGold 1st
2000Heritage Festivals, San FranciscoJazz BandGold 1st
2000Heritage Festivals, San FranciscoJazz BandGold 2nd
2000Heritage Festivals, San FranciscoWind EnsembleGold 1st
2000Heritage Festivals, San FranciscoConcert BandGold 1st

Marching band accolades

The first two months of each school year is marching band season. To start the season off, two weeks in August are devoted to marching band camp. Members of Sprague Band assemble with the Color Guard practice drills, straighten lines and create a show for competition with other high school marching bands within Oregon, Washington, California, and Idaho. Most are members of the Northwest Association of Performing Artists.
YearEventClass rankClass captionsEvent rankEvent captions
2018U of O Festival of Bands3rd in AA-10th-
2013Pride of the Northwest1st in AHigh General Effect
High Visual
High Auxiliary		1stHigh Music
High Visual
High Auxiliary
2013McKenzie Classic2nd in AHigh General Effect8th-
2013Southridge Spectacle of Sound2nd in A-12th-
2012U of O Festival of Bands3rd in AHigh Music10th-
2012Century Showcase1st in AHigh General Effect
High Music
High Visual
High Auxiliary		10th-
2011U of O Festival of Bands3rd in A-13th-
2011Century Showcase2nd in A-5th-
2010U of O Festival of Bands 7th in A---
2010Pride of the Northwest2nd in AHigh Music
High Auxiliary		7th-
2010Pacific Coast Invitational1st in AHigh Music
High Auxiliary		5th-
2009OSU Marching Band Competition 1st in A
Note:
West Salem 1st in AA
South Salem 1st in AAA
Southridge 1st in Open		High Music
High Auxiliary		9th-
2009Pride of the Northwest1st in AHigh General Effect
High Music
High Visual
High Auxiliary		2ndHigh Auxiliary
2008U of O Festival of Bands 2nd in A
2008OSU Marching Band Competition1st in AHigh General Effect
2008McKenzie Classic2nd in AHigh Music
2007OSU Marching Band Competition 2nd in AAHigh General Effect
2007Puget Sound Festival of Bands1st in AAHigh General Effect
High Music
High Visual
High Percussion
High Auxiliary		4th
2007Sunset Classic2nd in AAHigh Music
High Auxiliary		3rdHigh Music
2006Pride of the Northwest2nd in AAHigh Music
2005U of O Festival of Bands7th
2005Sunset Classic1st in AAHigh General Effect
High Music
High Visual
High Auxiliary		3rdHigh Music
2004U of O Festival of Bands 1st in A
2004Sunset Classic1st in AHigh General Effect
High Music
High Auxiliary

Athletics

Sprague currently competes in the newly formed Mountain Valley Conference, along with Bend, Summit, Mountain View, West Salem, McNary, South Salem, and McKay.
Sprague has won ten state championships in various sports, including six Directors Cup trophies for league standings in all sports throughout a school year.
During the 2004-2005 school year, Sprague won both the football and baseball state championships, marking the first time since 1998 that a major Oregon high school was a state champion in two of the "Big 3" in the same year. Sprague has also had a very successful tennis program. Between 2006 and 2009, the boys' tennis team won the team state championship and had a player in the singles final in three out of four years.
Sprague has one of the best high school racquetball teams in the nation. They have 6 state and 6 national titles, along with numerous individual player titles. The team swept the state championship in 2018, 2019, and 2020. They have been in the top 2 high school racquetball teams for over a decade.
State Championships
National Champions
State Championship Appearances
Aj Lapray, youtuber.