Highlands High School (Kentucky)
Encyclopedia
Fort Thomas Highlands High School, also known as Fort Thomas Highlands, is a public secondary school located in Fort Thomas, Kentucky
. Operated by Fort Thomas Independent Schools, Highlands was founded in 1888. The school took its name from the original name of Fort Thomas, "The Highlands". It currently has around 800 students in grades 9-12.
, and in the top 550 high schools by U.S.News & World Report. They boast ACT
and SAT
scores well above both state and national averages. Approximately 90% of the school's graduates go to college, and it is the only public high school in the state with a chapter of the Cum Laude Society
. Highlands also has chapters of the National Honor Society
, National English Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta
. Twenty Advanced Placement classes are offered and the school is consistently a local leader in National Merit
Finalists. Until 2009, Highlands won the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
State Championships in six out of seven years, and placed in the top 25 at the National Finals in 2007.
The school was named a 2007 No Child Left Behind
Blue Ribbon School
, the highest award that can be given to a school by the US Department of Education
and received a national "High Schools That Work" Gold Achievement Award in 2008.
With the exception of football, Highlands plays in the AA division. The football team currently plays in 5A. Prior to the realignment effected in the fall of 2007 that expanded the sport from four divisions to six, the football team played 3A. The football team plays two classes above the school's enrollment-assigned class.
Highlands' biggest rivalries are with Covington Catholic High School
and Ryle High School, in Union, Kentucky.
The Bluebirds football
team won their 20th state title in 2010, tying with Louisville Trinity
for the state record. This is one of six state records that Highlands holds. Highlands is also ranked third nationally, and second in the state, in all-time wins with 772, and have finished the football season nationally ranked on nine occasions.
team won three consecutive state championships in 2002-2004 and in 1978-1980. and the girls' track team also won state in 2009. Highlands has 49 state titles across all sports.
Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Fort Thomas is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, on the southern bank of the Ohio River and the site of an 1890 US Army post. The population was 16,325 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Campbell County and it is officially part of the Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky metropolitan...
. Operated by Fort Thomas Independent Schools, Highlands was founded in 1888. The school took its name from the original name of Fort Thomas, "The Highlands". It currently has around 800 students in grades 9-12.
History
Highlands High School was built in 1888. In 1937 the school added the north building, which is still in use today. However, the original south wing of the building was destroyed by fire in 1962, and was replaced by a new junior high school building. In 2001, a new middle school building was built just north of the original site, and the high school took over the space previously occupied by the middle school. The gymnasium was added in 1956. The library, along with a separate addition, was built in 1971. In 2006, a renovation project started on the entire high school. Phase 1, which included renovating the north building, started in 2006 and was completed in 2009. Then phase 2 started in the summer of 2011 which included replacing the roof and the facade on the south building. The facade was replaced once before in 1978.Academics
In 2007, Highlands was ranked 832nd in the nation by NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, and in the top 550 high schools by U.S.News & World Report. They boast ACT
ACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
and SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
scores well above both state and national averages. Approximately 90% of the school's graduates go to college, and it is the only public high school in the state with a chapter of the Cum Laude Society
Cum Laude Society
The Cum Laude Society is an organization that honors scholastic achievement at secondary institutions, similar to the Phi Beta Kappa Society, which honors scholastic achievements at the university level. It was founded in 1906 as the Alpha Delta Tau fraternity and changed its name in the 1950s...
. Highlands also has chapters of the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
, National English Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta is a United States mathematics honor society for high schools and two-year colleges. It has over 89,000 student members in more than 1,800 schools worldwide. Its main goals are to inspire keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the...
. Twenty Advanced Placement classes are offered and the school is consistently a local leader in National Merit
National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships administered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation , a privately funded, not-for-profit organization. The program began in 1955...
Finalists. Until 2009, Highlands won the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, sponsored by the Center for Civic Education, is a yearly competition for American high school students held in Washington D.C. The competition is styled as a congressional hearing. Each team is divided up into six units, each composed of three or...
State Championships in six out of seven years, and placed in the top 25 at the National Finals in 2007.
The school was named a 2007 No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...
Blue Ribbon School
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
, the highest award that can be given to a school by the US Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
and received a national "High Schools That Work" Gold Achievement Award in 2008.
Athletics
The school's nickname was "the Blue Devils" until the 1920s, when the sports teams were renamed "the Bluebirds" due to public outrage from local churches concerning the use of "Devils." The school currently competes in the following sports:- Baseball (Boys)
- Basketball(Boys and Girls)
- Cheerleading (Girls)
- Cross Country (Boys and Girls)
- Football (Boys)
- Golf (Boys and Girls)
- Marching Band (Girls and Boys)
- Swimming (Boys and Girls)
- Soccer (Boys and Girls)
- Softball (fast pitch)(Girls)
- Track and Field (Boys and Girls)
- Volleyball (Girls)
With the exception of football, Highlands plays in the AA division. The football team currently plays in 5A. Prior to the realignment effected in the fall of 2007 that expanded the sport from four divisions to six, the football team played 3A. The football team plays two classes above the school's enrollment-assigned class.
Highlands' biggest rivalries are with Covington Catholic High School
Covington Catholic High School
Covington Catholic High School is a private, all-male high school in Park Hills, Kentucky. It was founded in 1925 by Bishop Francis William Howard and Brother George Sauer. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington.-History:CovCath traces its roots to St...
and Ryle High School, in Union, Kentucky.
The Bluebirds 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...
team won their 20th state title in 2010, tying with Louisville Trinity
Trinity High School (Louisville)
Trinity High School is a Catholic, all-boys, college preparatory high school located in St. Matthews, Kentucky, a city within the Louisville Metro governmental area. Trinity first opened its doors in 1953, when Archbishop John Floersh anticipated the growth of Louisville's eastern suburbs by...
for the state record. This is one of six state records that Highlands holds. Highlands is also ranked third nationally, and second in the state, in all-time wins with 772, and have finished the football season nationally ranked on nine occasions.
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...
team won three consecutive state championships in 2002-2004 and in 1978-1980. and the girls' track team also won state in 2009. Highlands has 49 state titles across all sports.
Notable alumni
- Jared LorenzenJared LorenzenJared Raymond Lorenzen is a former professional football quarterback, who is currently the commissioner of the Ultimate Indoor Football League. He most recently played for the Northern Kentucky River Monsters. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2004...
, NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player - Marty MooreMarty MooreMarty Moore and raised in Fort Thomas, Kentucky is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for eight seasons for the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns. Moore also holds the distinction of being the first Mr. Irrelevant ever to play in a Super Bowl...
, NFL player - Gino GuidugliGino GuidugliGino Guidugli is an arena football quarterback, for the Milwaukee Mustangs of Arena Football League. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Cincinnati.He is also a former professional Canadian football quarterback...
, AFL player - Homer RiceHomer RiceHomer Rice was a college athletic director and football coach. From 1967 to 1968, he served as the head football coach at Cincinnati, where he compiled an 8-10-1 record. From 1976 to 1977, he coached at Rice, where he compiled a 4-18 record...
, NFL Coach - Derek SmithDerek Smith (tight end)Derek Smith is an athlete who has played American football and basketball. He played for the Highlands Bluebirds under head coach Dale Mueller. Smith, a tight end, and quarterback Jared Lorenzen, formerly of the New York Giants, led Highlands to two Kentucky class 3A state championships...
, NFL Player - Michael Mitchell, NFL Player