| Louis E. Dieruff High School | |
| Type: | Public high school |
| District: | Allentown School District |
| County: | Lehigh County |
| Superintendent: | Carol D. Birks |
| Location: | 815 North Irving Street |
| State: | Pennsylvania |
| Country: | United States |
| Zipcode: | 18109 |
| Grades: | 9th–12th |
| Enrollment: | 1,915 |
| Enrollment As Of: | 2022–23 |
| Faculty: | 106.5 |
| Ratio: | 17.98 |
| Coordinates: | 40.6217°N -75.44°W |
| Pushpin Map: | Pennsylvania#USA |
| Campus Type: | Midsize city |
| Conference: | Eastern Pennsylvania Conference |
| Mascot: | The Husky |
| Colors: | Blue and Gray |
| Principal: | Michael G. Makhoul |
| Rival: | Allen High School[1] |
Louis E. Dieruff High School, typically referred to as Dieruff High School, is a large, urban public high school in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is located at 815 North Irving Street in Allentown. The school serves students in grades nine through 12 from the eastern and southern parts of the city and is part of the Allentown School District.
As of 2022-23, the school had 1,915 students, according to National Center for Education Statistics data. Dieruff High School students may choose to attend Lehigh Career and Technical Institute for vocational training in the trades. The Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit IU21 provides the district with various specialized education services, including education for disabled students and hearing, speech and visual disability services, and professional development for staff and faculty.
The school is named after Louis E. Dieruff, a noted educator in the Allentown School District. The school mascot is an Alaskan husky named "Kiska" in honor of ten men and women captured by the Japanese on the island of Kiska in 1942 during World War II, some of whom were Allentown servicemen.
Construction on Louis E. Dieruff High School began in 1958. The building was initially intended to serve as an Allentown School District junior high schooltown's growing population. It opened in 1959. In 1965, the Allentown School District planetarium was added to the building. Additional classrooms and the East Branch of the Allentown Public Library (later closed and converted to classrooms) were built and added in 1970.
On September 7, 2008, just before 3pm, an EF1 about 50 yards in width touched down near the school, causing minor damage.[2]
In 2009, under the Allentown School District's Comprehensive Facilities Plan,[3] the school launched a $28 million renovation that included the addition of the Michael P. Meilinger wing in 2009, used mostly for freshman classes.
The school's class size is 19.28 students per teacher as of 2021-22 versus a Pennsylvania high school average of 15 students per teacher. The student ethnicity is 60% Hispanic, 22% White, 15% Black, 2% Asian & Pacific Islander, and less than 2% Native American & Native Alaskan. 79% of students are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch, with the state average of 33%.[4]
Dieruff is one of two public high schools in Allentown and primarily serves students from the city's eastern part. Allentown's other public high school, William Allen High School, was founded in 1858 as Allentown High School and serves students from the western and central parts of the city. Dieruff is the smaller of the two schools.
Dieruff High School has had many students who have won various individual awards and competitions, including:
Amidst Cold War fears of American inadequacy in science education increased interest in astronomy before Apollo 11 Moon landing, Allentown School District erected a planetarium inside Dieruff High School in 1965.[5]
Following an acrimonious budget debate in 1991, all programs that were deemed nonessential were to be removed from the Allentown School District's budget, and public funding for the planetarium ended with its continued operation and upkeep left to private funding sources. In 2010, the planetarium was closed.[6] Allentown School District's board approved a 2016-17 spending plan that added a number of teacher positions, including a planetarium director to reopen the shuttered planetarium at Dieruff High School. However, the position was never filled, and the planetarium was never reopened. After an evaluation in September, the district administration determined it would be too costly to reopen it.
See also: Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. Dieruff High School competes athletically in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (EPC) in the District XI division of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, one of the premier high school athletic divisions in the nation.
The school plays its home football, soccer, and field hockey games at J. Birney Crum Stadium, a 15,000-capacity stadium in Allentown that is the largest high school football stadium in the Mid-Atlantic U.S..
The school's mascot, an Alaskan husky, is an actual husky dog named "Kiska VI", the sixth dog mascot so named by the school since 1959. The husky is named in honor of the ten men and women captured by the Japanese on Kiska Island in 1942 during World War II, some of whom were Allentown servicemen. Dieruff's teams are known as "Huskies."
Dieruff High School, be our stay, wearing proudly Blue and Gray! May we for thy spirit yearn; Help us e’er to seek and learn. Now, hail our Alma Mater strong And may we proudly say: To you we ever will belong! We salute you, Blue and Gray!Though our days we'll ne'er forget, standards you have firmly set! Hon'ring you we'll always try to live alright o Dieruff high. Now, hail our Alma Mater strong And may we proudly say: To you we ever will belong! We salut you, Blue and Gray!