Burnsville High School
Encyclopedia
Burnsville High School is a three-year public high school located in Burnsville
Burnsville, Minnesota
Burnsville is a city south of downtown Minneapolis in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River...

, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

. The school is part of Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District
Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District
Burnsville-Eagan-Savage is Independent School District 191 in the U.S. state of Minnesota; it serves the city of Burnsville and parts of the neighboring cities of Savage and Eagan...

 191, which covers most of Burnsville, as well as parts of the surrounding cities Savage
Savage, Minnesota
Savage is a suburban city south-southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Scott County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city is situated on the south bank of the Minnesota River in a region commonly referred to as South of the River, comprising the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the...

 and Eagan
Eagan, Minnesota
Eagan is a city south of Saint Paul in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. Eagan and nearby suburbs form the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the fifteenth largest...

, and small parts of Shakopee
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee is a city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Scott County. Located on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the thirteenth largest...

 and Apple Valley
Apple Valley, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,527 people, 16,344 households, and 12,405 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,625.5 people per square mile . There were 16,536 housing units at an average density of 953.6 per square mile...

. A majority of the incoming sophomores come from Eagle Ridge Junior High, Metcalf Junior High, or Nicollet Junior High. The school mascot is Sparky, a humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...

 with a fireball for a head.

History

Burnsville High School, originally opened in 1957 as a K
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...

-12 school with an initial enrollment of about 400 students. In 1966, upon completion of the newly constructed school, students in grades seven through nine started attending Metcalf Junior High. Today, students attending Burnsville's Metcalf, Eagle Ridge and Nicollet Junior High Schools will attend Burnsville Senior High School for grades 10-12.

On April 25, 1994, the largest high school arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...

 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 began, which resulted in over $15 million in damages. The same arsonist also started fires at Edina High School
Edina High School
Edina High School is a three-year public high school located in Edina, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The school was founded in 1949 and is the main high school in the Edina School District....

 and Minnetonka High School
Minnetonka High School
Minnetonka High School is a public comprehensive high school that is located in Minnetonka, Minnesota, a western suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul. With almost 3,000 students, it is the 3rd largest high school in Minnesota behind neighboring Wayzata and Eden Prarie high schools...

. During the restoration, high school students studied at nearby Nicollet Junior High and Sky Oaks Elementary Schools. Around the time of the fire, the school's mascot was changed from the Braves to the Blaze to avoid stigmatizing and stereotyping Native Americans. The name "Blaze" was conceived because of the word "Burnsville" in the school name, and had nothing to do with the fire; it was merely a coincidence. The Braves icon is still widely accepted, and many students still have Brave apparel. Prior to The Braves, the first mascot of Burnsville High School was the Bulldogs.
In 1997, District 191 bought the Diamondhead Mall and converted the top level into the Senior Campus to handle increasing enrollment. A year later, in 1998, it was opened for use. Students can drive or take a shuttle bus to move from one campus to the other. Many classes available only to 12th grade students are offered at the Senior Campus; including many English, math and social studies classes. Most seniors at Burnsville High School spend half their day at this separate campus. The time needed to travel from one campus to the other is only about 10–15 minutes but many students structure their schedule to consolidate their lunch and travel time.

In 2006 the Beautification Committee, a group of volunteer parents, raised $50,000 from donations and proceeds from 50th anniversary blanket sales to purchase an electronic greeting sign, replacing an old stone one, as part of the school's 50th anniversary. Burnsville was one of the last not to have an electronic sign, as Lakeville, Bloomington, and Eagan already did. This group has also volunteered their time, energy, and resources to help upkeep the gardens and grounds of the school. There was some controversy among students and community members over the cost of the sign, asking if people would raise such money for books, new computers, or technology education equipment. The money for the sign, however, was raised by local businesses and private donors, and not taken from the school's budget.
The original portion of Burnsville High School was constructed in 1969, with additions in 1958, 1962, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1993, 1998 that bring the school's total square footage to 405,553.

There is a proposed renovation set to start in summer 2011. This construction would focus on improving the school's visual image, upgrading classrooms, science labs, the cafeteria, media center and toilets while renovating HVAC systems and upgrading air quality. It is estimated that the project could cost $22 million over the next three years.

The school also participates in the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...

's College in the Schools
College in the Schools
College in the Schools is an educational program for high school students run by the University of Minnesota. It allows students to take college level classes in their high school and, as a result, earn college and high school credit for free. The classes are taught by high school teachers who...

 program.

Demographics

As of the 2010-11 school year, there were 2,218 students attending Burnsville High School. In terms of race, white
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...

 students made up 69% of the student population, while black students made up the largest minority, representing 13% of the student population. Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...

 and Hispanic
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...

 students made up 10% and 8% of the student population respectively. American Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

 students made up less than 1% of the student population.

Students with limited English proficiency made up 5% of the student body. Students with special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...

 needs made up 9% of the student body. Students eligible for free or reduced price lunch made up just over one-quarter (26%) of the student body.

Athletics

Burnsville High School is affiliated with the Minnesota State High School League
Minnesota State High School League
The Minnesota State High School League is a voluntary, non-profit association for the support and governance of interscholastic activities at high schools in Minnesota, United States. The association supports interscholastic athletics and fine arts programs for member schools...

 (MSHSL) and was a member of the Lake Conference until 2010-11 when they left to join the South Suburban Conference
South Suburban Conference (Minnesota)
The South Suburban Conference is a Minnesota State High School League conference in Minnesota that began on July 1 , 2010. The conference officially started on July 1, 2010....

.
State Championships
Season Sport Number of Championships Year
Fall
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....

 
Soccer, Boys 4 1980, 1982, 1990, 1993
Soccer, Girls 2 1992, 1993
Cross Country Running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

, Boys
5 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986
Cross Country Running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

, Girls
1 2007
Football
American football
American 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...

 
5 1972, 1980, 1985, 1989, 1991
Swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...

, Girls
5 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 2002
Cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...

 
4 1986, 1987, 1998, 1992, 2011
Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...

 
15 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...

 
Dance Team
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....

, Girls
10 1982, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008
Gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...

, Girls
4 1975, 1977, 1978, 1982
Gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...

, Boys
1 1988
Hockey, Boys
Minnesota high school boys hockey
The Minnesota High School Boys Hockey program is a high school ice hockey program in the State of Minnesota. Based on tournament attendance, ice hockey is the most popular high school sport in the state...

 
2 1985, 1986
Swimming, Boys 2 1985, 2007
Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, Girls
3 1977, 1991, 1992
Drumline
Drumline
A drumline is a section of percussion instruments usually played as part of a musical marching ensemble. High school and college marching bands, drill and drum corps, drum and bugle corps, indoor percussion ensembles, and pipe bands usually incorporate drumlines; however, drumlines can exist...

 
6 1997, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010
Nordic Skiing
Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....

, Girls
1 2009
Spring
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...

 
Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

, Girls
3 1990, 2000, 2007
Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

, Boys
1 2011
Badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...

, Girls
4 1996, 1997,1998,1999
Track and Field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

, Boys
1 1978
Softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...

, Girls
3 2004, 2005, 2010
Total 82

Notable alumni

  • Greg Baker
    Greg Baker
    Gregory Baker is an American television and film, actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his recurring roles as Elliott, a producer on the show Sports Night, Mr...

     -- BHS Class of 1986, Appeared as "Elliott" in Sports Night, "Mr Corelli" in Hannah Montana, "Burger Pitt" in "I'm With The Band"
  • Gary Barta
    Gary Barta
    Gary Barta, born September 4, 1963, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the current athletic director at the University of Iowa. He succeeded Bob Bowlsby on August 1, 2006, when Bowlsby stepped down after 15 years as Iowa's athletic director to take the same position at Stanford University...

     -- BHS Class of 1982, Athletic Director at the University of Iowa
    University of Iowa
    The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

  • Cameron Beckman
    Cameron Beckman
    Cameron Reid Beckman is an American professional golfer.Beckman was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was raised in the Twin Cities' suburb of Burnsville. He graduated from Burnsville Senior High School in 1988. He attended Texas Lutheran University, where he majored in Art and was a member of...

     -- BHS Class of 1988, Winner of three events on the PGA Tour
    PGA Tour
    The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...

  • Dan Beckmann -- BHS Class of 2007, Actor, most notably for his role in the 2009/2010 International Tour of "Footloose
    Footloose
    Footloose is a 1984 American musical-drama film directed by Herbert Ross. It tells the story of Ren McCormack , an upbeat Chicago teen who moves to a small town in which, as a result of the efforts of a local minister , dancing and rock music have been banned.The film is loosely based on events...

    ".
  • Pat Brown
    Pat Brown (disambiguation)
    Pat Brown may refer to:* Pat Brown , American politician, Governor of the State of California* Pat Brown * Pat Crawford Brown , American television and film actress...

     -- BHS Class of 2005, Lead singer and guitarist for Sing It Loud
    Sing it Loud
    -History:Sing it Loud grew out of a friendship between cousins vocalist Pat Brown and guitarist Kieren Smith, who founded the group together and added members whom they met locally in the Minneapolis music scene. Brown officially brought the group together after his previous band called it quits....

    , which is a local band now signed to Epitaph Records
    Epitaph Records
    Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...

    .
  • Janell Cannon -- BHS Class of 1975, Author and Illustrator, most notably of Stellaluna
    Stellaluna
    Stellaluna is a fictional female fruit bat in a children's book of the same name by author Janell Cannon, written in 1993. In fact, this book aired on the PBS series Reading Rainbow in 1994. On that episode, Anne Jackson narrated the story. It is featured in the 2001 movie I am Sam and is a very...

    .
  • Lester "Bubba" Carpenter
    Lester Carpenter
    Lester E. "Bubba" Carpenter, born September 1, 1970, is a Republican member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, representing the First District of Mississippi since 2008...

    , member of the Mississippi House of Representatives for the First District of Mississippi
  • Nate Dicasmirro -- BHS Class of 1997, Phoenix Coyotes AHL team.
  • Kevin Gorg -- FSN TV personality
  • David Knutson -- BHS Class of 1978, Federal Judge and former State Senator for the Burnsville area.
  • Todd Okerlund
    Todd Okerlund
    Todd E. Okerlund is an American former professional ice hockey right wing.Okerlund was drafted 168th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft and then spent four seasons playing for the University of Minnesota. However his career was cut short due to a chronic knee injury...

     -- BHS Class of 1983, Member of the 1988 U.S.A. Olympic Hockey Team.
  • Kirsten Olson
    Kirsten Olson
    Kirsten Olson is an American figure skater and actress. As an actress, Olson played the role of Nikki Fletcher, the 'Jumping Shrimp,' in the Disney movie Ice Princess . As a figure skater, Olson placed fifth on the novice level at the 2005 United States Figure Skating Championships and came in...

     -- BHS Class of 2010, figure skater and actor in Ice Princess
    Ice Princess
    Ice Princess is a 2005 American figure-skating film directed by Tim Fywell, Starring Michelle Trachtenberg, Joan Cusack, Kim Cattrall, Hayden Panettiere, Trevor Blumas, and Kirsten Olson...

    .
  • Mark Osiecki
    Mark Osiecki
    Mark Anthony Osiecki is an American ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. Osiecki is currently the head coach of the Ohio State University ice hockey team. Osiecki played 93 games in the NHL for the Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota North Stars...

     -- BHS Class of 1987, Former NHL player 1990-1993. Currently the Head Men's Hockey Coach at Ohio State University
    Ohio State University
    The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...

    .
  • Melissa Peterman
    Melissa Peterman
    Melissa Margaret Peterman is an American actress and comedienne who is best known for her role as Barbara Jean in the television comedy series Reba...

     -- BHS Class of 1989. Played Barbra Jean on the show Reba
  • James Ruffin -- BHS Class of 2005, NFL Football Player with the Cincinnati Bengals
    Cincinnati Bengals
    The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...

    .
  • Randy Scheunemann
    Randy Scheunemann
    Randall J Scheunemann is an American neoconservative lobbyist. He is the President of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, which was created by the Project for the New American Century , of which he is a board member. He was Trent Lott's National Security Aide and was an advisor to Defense...

     -- BHS Class of 1978. Lobbyist and Foreign Policy advisor to John McCain
    John McCain
    John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

    .
  • Ryan Solovjovs -- BHS Class of 1999, Author of the German novel Gekränkt.
  • Jason Suttle
    Jason Suttle
    Jason Suttle is a former defensive back in the National Football League. He played two seasons with the Denver Broncos before being a member of the San Francisco 49ers during his final season.-References:...

     -- BHS Class of 1993, NFL Football Player for the Denver Broncos.
  • Pradeep Venkatasetty -- BHS Class of 1977, CIO of Varel, Intl.
  • Cedric Yarbrough
    Cedric Yarbrough
    Cedric Yarbrough is an American comedian and actor.Yarbrough was born in Burnsville, Minnesota. Yarbrough attended Burnsville Senior High School and later Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is also an alumnus of Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis.Yarbrough starred on the Comedy...

     -- BHS Class of 1991, Actor, most notably of T.V. shows Reno 911!
    Reno 911!
    Reno 911! is an American comedy television series on Comedy Central that ran from 2003 to 2009. It is a mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically COPS, with comic actors playing the police officers. Most of the material is improvised, using a broad outline, and...

     and The Boondocks (TV series)
    The Boondocks (TV series)
    The Boondocks is an American animated series created by Aaron McGruder on Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim, based on McGruder's comic strip of the same name...

    .
  • Weasel -- 93x
    KXXR
    KXXR is an active rock radio station broadcasting to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It is owned by Cumulus Media, which also owns KQRS-FM and the three station trimulcast known as "Love 105"...

    Half Assed Morning Show disc jockey.
  • Dual 6 -- BHS Class of 2006/2007, The infamous birthplace of.
  • Ryan Fitcher -- BHS class of 2007, U.S.A. Rugby team.

External links

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