Waxahachie Global High School is a high school in Waxahachie, Texas, founded in 2007 on the historic T.C. Wilemon campus. It is one of only 91 STEM academies in the state of Texas. It was additionally granted Early College High School status in 2009 through a partnership with Navarro College, allowing students to earn an associate degree along with their high school diploma. Recently, as of the start of the 2013-2014 school year, Global High made a partnership with UT Tyler for all the STEM-based college courses offered at Global. As a public charter school, students from Ellis County and surrounding areas can attend regardless of zoning. Many students commute from surrounding cities such as Waxahachie, Red Oak, Ennis, Maypearl, Midlothian, Palmer, Italy, Cedar Hill, and Desoto. Waxahachie Global was named a 2014 "Best High School" by U.S. News & World Report. Starting in the 2018-19 school year, the Global campus is located in the Billy R. Hancock Building.
Campus
First housed in the T.C. Wilemon campus built in 1917, Global High consists of three levels. A postcard preserved by the McGovern Library hints that the building was originally designed in 1913 to become a sanitarium, a plan that fell through. The original 1920s wooden flooring is preserved on the second floor and in the auditorium, and the exterior still boasts the original stonework, including an engraved pediment and entrance columns. The architectural aspects of Global's exterior have been richly debated by students and staff alike, and it has been concluded that the building is primarily Federal style, with trace elements of Greek Revival and Split Level stylings. Two additions have been made to the building since its construction. In the mid-1930s, a wing extension in Art Deco style and a gym were built as part of the "recovery" portion of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal in an effort to create jobs during the Great Depression. Though the floor has been replaced, original wooden bench bleachers remain from the early construction. In the 1960s, the science wing was added through generous private donations. Laminate flooring, a low and long shape, and glass curtain walls and windows set this wing apart from the main building. Over the years, the building has served as the town's primary high school, an alternative school, a primary school, and an administrative center interspersed with several years of abandonment before becoming Global. With the opening of a new Waxahachie High School campus in 2018, Global moved to the Billy R. Hancock Building.
Grounds
Global's front and rear flower beds are tended by the Ellis County Master Gardener Association, and use in part a rainwater tank designed by the students as part of their engineering education to irrigate the soil. Global also boasts the start of a community garden in its rear grounds, as well as a courtyard built by the class of 2011, where students are able to eat lunch. On the front lawn are 6 oak trees, planted after the end of World War II in 1945. Many of the men from the then Waxahachie High School had fought in the war between 1941 and 1945. Five oaks were planted to commemorate the bravery of the soldiers who returned, while one live oak was planted to memorialize alumni who never returned. A stone plaque next to the front walkway explains the significance of the oaks.
School structure and graduation requirements
As both a T-STEM academy and Early College High School, Global has a unique structure. Upon passing the Accuplacer tests or earning sufficient TAKS scores, students are fully enrolled in Navarro College. Tuition is paid by the college with no cost to Global families, and as such, qualifying students are encouraged to fully utilize Navarro's resources. In addition to dual credit classes offered during the school day, students may take zero and ninth hour courses on Global's campus, and select evening and summer courses on Navarro's Midlothian or Waxahachie campus. To graduate with an associate degree, students must earn 63 credit hours in select fields mandated by Navarro College. Global students who complete all the required courses in good standing are eligible to receive an Associate's of Science or an Associate's of Art degree. Any credit hours earned, regardless of degree completion status, may be transferred to participating four-year universities. This enables even non-degree earning students to transfer a minimum amount of credits to their continuing education without having to pay for the courses. Global offers a variety of upper level science classes, engineering electives, mathematics from Geometry through college Calculus II, and a wide assortment of technical computer courses to fulfill its STEM standing. To fill unique graduation requirements, all students are required to take an engineering course in addition to two technology courses. Other graduation requirements follow the Texas standards. The third pillar of Global's structure is project-based learning. This method teaches teamwork, responsibility, presentation skills, time management and more. Each teacher assigns around 5 projects per school year; often more in the case of engineering and technology courses. Popular projects have included designing math board games in Algebra II, building cardboard furniture in Engineering, creating an island society in World Geography, and filming skits, plays, and music videos for a variety of classes using school provided cameras.
Unique courses
Global's STEM Department hosts a variety of advanced classes: Science- Astronomy, Scientific Research & Design Technology- Computer Applications, Digital & Interactive Media, Animation, Graphic Design, Web Technologies Engineering- Introduction to Engineering & Design, Principles of Engineering, Civil Engineering & Architecture, Aerospace Engineering, Engineering Development and Design and Digital Engineering. Several dual credit courses offer advanced study opportunities as well. Many students take 2 semesters of college chemistry instead of high school chemistry, and these courses are known as some of the most difficult at the school. Other dual credit science opportunities include Astronomy, Physical Science, and Biology. Mathematics extends to Calculus, but instead of the usual AP classes, Global Calculus is dual credit. In some cases, these courses may not be taken during the regular school day, but only during additional class slots.
Global has produced National Merit Finalists, National Merit Commended Scholars, multiple Technology Student Association National Finalists and qualifiers, Singleton Scholarship awardees, Jack Kilby Prize recipients, over 500 degree-earning early college graduates, a President's Volunteer Service awardee, multiple teams of Destination Imagination National and Global Finalists, camp RYLA attendees, a FIRST Robotics Innovation in Control award, and numerous other state-level competition awards.
