Bettendorf High School
Encyclopedia
Bettendorf High School (BHS) is a four-year comprehensive high school located in Bettendorf, Iowa. Roughly 100 instructors teach more than 1500 students using a four-period block daily schedule with 85 minute blocks, BHS also offers classes as 40 minutes skinny's which meet all year for 40 minutes each day.
or Le Claire High School to receive their secondary education.
The original BHS building was completed in 1951 at a site between 21st and 23rd streets south of Central Avenue. Previously, Bettendorf students attended grades 9–12 at Davenport High School
or Le Claire High School. In its very early years, the high school housed seventh through 12th grade students, although junior high students were moved by the late 1950s.
The community of Bettendorf quickly grew during the 1950s and 1960s, and by the early 1960s, the district had outgrown the school due to increasing enrollment. Students walked to some classes in rented store fronts on State and Grant Streets, while an annex building (which later became Neil Armstrong Elementary) also helped serve students. By 1971, with enrollment still growing at a fast pace, plans were started to build a new high school along 18th Street in the northern part of the city, roughly 1½ miles north of Middle Road.
The former BHS building had a track/baseball field on the front side and a football field on the back side; both are still evident at the site. The old school's athletic facilities were used for a number of years after the opening of the new high school. The old football field was used on a varsity
level until 1980, when Touvelle Stadium was completed, while the old BHS gym
nasium was utilized by lower level teams until the mid 1980s. Today, the old BHS building is the headquarters for the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency District 9, which oversees public school education across east-central Iowa.
completed in 1980. The six-building, air-conditioned complex is highlighted by a landscaped inner courtyard, planetarium, library/media center, computer labs, a 405 seat auditorium
, and a field house with a 6-lane, 25-yard swimming pool. In 2007, an addition to the music and drama area was completed.
A new 7500 square feet (696.8 m²) facility is attached to the east side of the high school and accessible to all athletic and physical education areas. The center houses weights and exercise and cardiovascular equipment.
A group of community members organized the BHS Fitness Education Center Committee and raised $300,000 in funds for the fitness education center at Bettendorf High School. The Bettendorf School Board matched $300,000 to fund the $600,000 project. The project was completed in the summer of 2002.
The current high school is split into different sections, the main floor includes the media center, Modern Language classrooms, Business Department classrooms, Gymnasium and Athletic facilities, Attendance/Guidance/Main Offices, E Locker Bay and B Locker Bay. Upstairs includes History classrooms along with Math/Science classrooms, and Upper-D Locker Bay. Downstairs includes the cafeteria, English classrooms, Art and Industrial Tech areas, the BHS Pool, along with athletic locker rooms and Lower-D academic locker bay.
In 2010, copies of the student newspaper, The Growl, were confiscated by school administrators because of an article about inconsistent disciplinary action against students, specifically athletes.
Renovations to the current high school are currently underway.
is a community with more than 30,000 people; the median age of the residents is 34 years. More than 30 percent of adults are college graduates with 10 percent holding postgraduate degrees.
The Bettendorf School District
serves 4,500 students with a high school, middle school and six elementary schools.
, two attendance clerks, a nurse and twenty-seven support staff. The administrative team consists of the building principal, Jimmy S. Casas, and three associate principals, Mark Brooks, Matthew Degner and Joy Kelly.
, wind ensemble, jazz band, pep band, chorus, and a show choir
named 'Surround Sound'. These performing groups have been involved in athletic intermission presentations, state contests, as well as department sponsored trips to contests. The Bulldog Marching Band has won 19 consecutive division 1 ratings at the state marching band competition since 1991.
, and athletic teams are known as the Bulldogs. School colors are black
and gold
. The school fields athletic teams in 21 sports, including:
The school also has a cheerleading squad and a competitive dance team.
Bettendorf is classified as a 4A school (Iowa's largest 48 schools), according to the Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union; in sports where there are fewer divisions, the Bulldogs are always in the largest class (e.g., Class 3A for wrestling, boys soccer, and Class 2A for golf, tennis and girls soccer). The school is a member of the 10-team Mississippi Athletic Conference
(known to locals as the MAC), which comprises schools from the Iowa Quad Cities
, along with Burlington, Clinton and Muscatine high schools.
One notable sport in which Bettendorf has been very successful is football where the Bulldogs have won seven state championships in 1981, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 2004, and 2007. As well, prior to a playoff system in Iowa, the Bulldogs were named the "Mythical State Champions" by the U.P.I. in 1960. Bettendorf has also finished as the Runner-up three times (1980, 2000, 2002) and currently own a 58-17 (77%) playoff record. The Bulldogs frequently make it to the semi-finals at the Uni-Dome on the University of Northern Iowa's campus each fall. The campus hosts the top 4 teams in the playoffs each year. The Bulldogs have had four notable winning streaks: 25-games from 1958–60, 36-games from 1987–89, 30-games from 1991–1993, and 24-games from 2007-2008. Bettendorf has also been ranked nationally on five different occasions by entities such as the L.A. Times, USA Today, and Prep Nation 101.
Three of the Bulldogs' coaches, Merrit Parsons, Mervin Habenicht and Randy Scott are members of the Iowa High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame and Bettendorf has had two players play in the NFL: running back Tavian Banks (Jacksonville Jaguars, 1998–99; New Orleans Saints, 2002–03) and linebacker Pat Angerer (Indianopolis Colts, 2010-current); both Banks and Angerer played for the University of Iowa where they were All-Americans for the Hawkeyes.
Early history
Prior to its opening in 1951, there was no high school in Bettendorf. High school-age students living in the city had to go to Davenport High SchoolDavenport Central High School
Davenport Central High School is a four-year comprehensive high school located in Davenport, Iowa. Opened in 1907 as "Davenport High School," Central is one of three public high schools part of the Davenport Community School District. The school, whose western side is located along U.S...
or Le Claire High School to receive their secondary education.
The original BHS building was completed in 1951 at a site between 21st and 23rd streets south of Central Avenue. Previously, Bettendorf students attended grades 9–12 at Davenport High School
Davenport Central High School
Davenport Central High School is a four-year comprehensive high school located in Davenport, Iowa. Opened in 1907 as "Davenport High School," Central is one of three public high schools part of the Davenport Community School District. The school, whose western side is located along U.S...
or Le Claire High School. In its very early years, the high school housed seventh through 12th grade students, although junior high students were moved by the late 1950s.
The community of Bettendorf quickly grew during the 1950s and 1960s, and by the early 1960s, the district had outgrown the school due to increasing enrollment. Students walked to some classes in rented store fronts on State and Grant Streets, while an annex building (which later became Neil Armstrong Elementary) also helped serve students. By 1971, with enrollment still growing at a fast pace, plans were started to build a new high school along 18th Street in the northern part of the city, roughly 1½ miles north of Middle Road.
The former BHS building had a track/baseball field on the front side and a football field on the back side; both are still evident at the site. The old school's athletic facilities were used for a number of years after the opening of the new high school. The old football field was used on a varsity
Varsity
Varsity, a term originally derived from university, may refer to:In geography:*Varsity, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta, Canada*Varsity Lakes, Queensland, a suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia...
level until 1980, when Touvelle Stadium was completed, while the old BHS gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium was utilized by lower level teams until the mid 1980s. Today, the old BHS building is the headquarters for the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency District 9, which oversees public school education across east-central Iowa.
Current high school
The current high school building was completed in 1973, at a cost of roughly $3 million. (The old high school currently sees use as the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency headquarters, which oversees academic instruction at high schools in eastern Iowa.) At the time of its opening, BHS was on the edge of town, surrounded by mostly undeveloped land. A subsequent addition added a new industrial arts/locker room and an athletic stadiumStadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
completed in 1980. The six-building, air-conditioned complex is highlighted by a landscaped inner courtyard, planetarium, library/media center, computer labs, a 405 seat auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
, and a field house with a 6-lane, 25-yard swimming pool. In 2007, an addition to the music and drama area was completed.
A new 7500 square feet (696.8 m²) facility is attached to the east side of the high school and accessible to all athletic and physical education areas. The center houses weights and exercise and cardiovascular equipment.
A group of community members organized the BHS Fitness Education Center Committee and raised $300,000 in funds for the fitness education center at Bettendorf High School. The Bettendorf School Board matched $300,000 to fund the $600,000 project. The project was completed in the summer of 2002.
The current high school is split into different sections, the main floor includes the media center, Modern Language classrooms, Business Department classrooms, Gymnasium and Athletic facilities, Attendance/Guidance/Main Offices, E Locker Bay and B Locker Bay. Upstairs includes History classrooms along with Math/Science classrooms, and Upper-D Locker Bay. Downstairs includes the cafeteria, English classrooms, Art and Industrial Tech areas, the BHS Pool, along with athletic locker rooms and Lower-D academic locker bay.
In 2010, copies of the student newspaper, The Growl, were confiscated by school administrators because of an article about inconsistent disciplinary action against students, specifically athletes.
Renovations to the current high school are currently underway.
Community
BettendorfBettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Bettendorf is the fifteenth largest city in the U.S. state of Iowa and the fourth largest city in the "Quad Cities". As of the 2010 United States Census the population grew to 33,217. Bettendorf is one of the Quad Cities, along with...
is a community with more than 30,000 people; the median age of the residents is 34 years. More than 30 percent of adults are college graduates with 10 percent holding postgraduate degrees.
The Bettendorf School District
Bettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Bettendorf is the fifteenth largest city in the U.S. state of Iowa and the fourth largest city in the "Quad Cities". As of the 2010 United States Census the population grew to 33,217. Bettendorf is one of the Quad Cities, along with...
serves 4,500 students with a high school, middle school and six elementary schools.
4x4 block schedule
Students attend four - 85 minute classes each day. Courses are 9 weeks or 18 weeks in length. Students with a block schedule may earn 8 credits per year. Mid-term reports are issued to students each quarter and final grades are given each 9 weeks. BHS also offers year long courses in a 40-minute skinny, students with skinny classes have 2 classes in each block (40 minutes each) with 5 minute passing between. The school serves 2 lunches, A and B lunches take place during 3rd block, students attend a lunch which is determined by 3rd block classes.Staff
The Bettendorf High School instructional staff consists of 100 teachers and two media specialists. The staff is supported by five counselorsSchool counselor
A school counselor is a counselor and an educator who works in elementary, middle, and high schools to provide academic, career, college access, and personal/social competencies to K-12 students...
, two attendance clerks, a nurse and twenty-seven support staff. The administrative team consists of the building principal, Jimmy S. Casas, and three associate principals, Mark Brooks, Matthew Degner and Joy Kelly.
Music
The music department has offerings for students interested in furthering their interest and talents. Opportunities include the Bulldog Marching Band, symphonic band, orchestraOrchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, wind ensemble, jazz band, pep band, chorus, and a show choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
named 'Surround Sound'. These performing groups have been involved in athletic intermission presentations, state contests, as well as department sponsored trips to contests. The Bulldog Marching Band has won 19 consecutive division 1 ratings at the state marching band competition since 1991.
Athletics
Bettendorf participates in the Mississippi Athletic ConferenceMississippi Athletic Conference
The Mississippi Athletic Conference is a high school athletic conference whose members are located in the Iowa Quad-Cities, plus three other schools in eastern and southeastern Iowa.-Member schools:...
, and athletic teams are known as the Bulldogs. School colors are black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
. The school fields athletic teams in 21 sports, including:
- Summer: Baseball, softball.
- Fall: Football, volleyball, cheerleading, girls' swimming, boys' cross country, girls' cross country and boys' golf.
- Winter: Boys' basketball, girls' basketball, cheerleading, wrestling, boys' swimming and boys' and girls' bowling.
- Spring: Boys' track and field, girls' track and field, boys' soccer, girls' soccer, girls' golf, boys' tennis and girls' tennis.
The school also has a cheerleading squad and a competitive dance team.
Bettendorf is classified as a 4A school (Iowa's largest 48 schools), according to the Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union; in sports where there are fewer divisions, the Bulldogs are always in the largest class (e.g., Class 3A for wrestling, boys soccer, and Class 2A for golf, tennis and girls soccer). The school is a member of the 10-team Mississippi Athletic Conference
Mississippi Athletic Conference
The Mississippi Athletic Conference is a high school athletic conference whose members are located in the Iowa Quad-Cities, plus three other schools in eastern and southeastern Iowa.-Member schools:...
(known to locals as the MAC), which comprises schools from the Iowa Quad Cities
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities is a group of five cities straddling the Mississippi River on the Iowa–Illinois boundary. These cities, Davenport and Bettendorf and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline , are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which, as of 2010, had an estimated population of...
, along with Burlington, Clinton and Muscatine high schools.
One notable sport in which Bettendorf has been very successful is football where the Bulldogs have won seven state championships in 1981, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 2004, and 2007. As well, prior to a playoff system in Iowa, the Bulldogs were named the "Mythical State Champions" by the U.P.I. in 1960. Bettendorf has also finished as the Runner-up three times (1980, 2000, 2002) and currently own a 58-17 (77%) playoff record. The Bulldogs frequently make it to the semi-finals at the Uni-Dome on the University of Northern Iowa's campus each fall. The campus hosts the top 4 teams in the playoffs each year. The Bulldogs have had four notable winning streaks: 25-games from 1958–60, 36-games from 1987–89, 30-games from 1991–1993, and 24-games from 2007-2008. Bettendorf has also been ranked nationally on five different occasions by entities such as the L.A. Times, USA Today, and Prep Nation 101.
Three of the Bulldogs' coaches, Merrit Parsons, Mervin Habenicht and Randy Scott are members of the Iowa High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame and Bettendorf has had two players play in the NFL: running back Tavian Banks (Jacksonville Jaguars, 1998–99; New Orleans Saints, 2002–03) and linebacker Pat Angerer (Indianopolis Colts, 2010-current); both Banks and Angerer played for the University of Iowa where they were All-Americans for the Hawkeyes.
Notable alumni
- Pat AngererPat AngererPatrick Aaron "Pat" Angerer is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League...
(class of 2005), American FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker with the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League .... - Tavian BanksTavian BanksTavian Remond Banks is a retired running back in the National Football League. He played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1998 and 1999.-College and high school careers:...
(class of 1993), former NFL player for the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville JaguarsThe Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... - Mark Kerr, MMA Fighter (Transferred to Toledo, Ohio After Freshman Year)
- Robbie LawlerRobbie LawlerRobert Glen "Robbie" Lawler is an American mixed martial artist Lawler was the EliteXC middleweight champion before EliteXC filed for bankruptcy. Lawler has recently signed with Strikeforce. He is a member of Team Hughes fighting out of H.I.T...
, MMA fighter - Drew McFedries, UFC Fighter
- Pat MiletichPat MiletichPatrick Jay Miletich is a retired American mixed martial artist and a current sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UFC 16 tournament champion....
, UFC Guru - Eric Christian OlsenEric Christian OlsenEric Christian Olsen is an American actor. He currently portrays Detective Marty Deeks on the CBS television series NCIS: Los Angeles.-Early life:...
, actor - Linnea QuigleyLinnea QuigleyLinnea Barbara Quigley is an American scream queen, B movie actress, and film producer.-Early life:Quigley was born in Davenport, Iowa, the daughter of Dorothy and W. Heath Quigley, a chiropractor and psychologist. She moved to Los Angeles in the late 1970s to pursue her dreams of acting...
, actress