| David W. Carter High School | |
| Type: | public, secondary |
| Address: | 1819 West Wheatland Road |
| City: | Dallas |
| State: | Texas |
| Zipcode: | 75232 |
| Country: | United States |
| Coordinates: | 32.6483°N -96.8482°W |
| Opened: | 1966 |
| District: | Dallas Independent School District |
| Grades: | 9-12 |
| Principal: | Troy A. Tyson |
| Faculty: | 185[1] |
| Students: | 1,082 (2022-23)[2] |
| Ratio: | 15.57 |
| Teaching Staff: | 69.48 (FTE) |
| Colors: | Columbia Blue White Red |
| Mascot: | Cowboys |
| Free Label: | Trustee dist. |
| Free Label2: | Learning Community |
| Free Text: | 6, Joyce Foreman[3] |
| Free Text2: | Central Network, Deardra Hayes-Whigham [4] |
| Website: | dallasisd.org/carter |
David Wendel Carter High School (commonly referred to as Dallas Carter) is a public high school located in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas, United States. The school is a part of the Dallas Independent School District and is classified as a 4A school by the UIL.[5] In 2015, the school was rated "Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agency.[6]
The school was built in 1965 and is named after David Wendel Carter, a doctor and member of the DISD school board. He served on the school board for 25 years, from 1925 to 1950, longer than any other member. Carter also served as the school board's president for 16 years.[1] The school graduated its first class of seniors in 1968.[7]
The school initially drew students from Justin F. Kimball High School; the two schools maintain a highly competitive rivalry to this day. The two schools face each other annually in football as "The Oak Cliff Super Bowl."[8]
In 2005, after the closure of the Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District, Carter absorbed some WHISD high school students.[9]
In 2011 the district re-opened Wilmer Hutchins High School.[10] Some former WHISD zones covered by Carter were rezoned to Wilmer-Hutchins.[11] [12]
The David W. Carter Cowboys compete in the following sports:[13] The exploits of the football team, specifically the 1988 football team that won the 5A state title, was the subject of two films and they are mentioned at the end of the novel , which was a chronicle of Permian High School that lost to Carter in the semifinals that year.[14] The Cowboys won 31-14 in the championship game over the Judson Rockets of Converse, before academic violations stripped the title from Carter and gave it to Judson. In addition to finishing as state semifinalist in 1971, 1974, 1982, and 1990, the team reached the playoffs in every year from 1990 to 2010.[15]
As of 2006, William H. Atwell and D. A. Hulcy Middle School feed into David W. Carter High School.[16]
Adelle Turner, Mark Twain Vanguard, and T. G. Terry Elementary Schools feed into William H. Atwell Middle School, and Birdie Alexander, Umphrey Lee, Ronald E. McNair, and Martin Weiss Elementary Schools feed into D. A. Hulcy Middle School, all of which ultimately feed into David W. Carter High School.[16]
American football cornerback at Kansas State and later the St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills, and New Orleans Saints. [17]