State College Area High School "State High" | |
Location: | Westerly Parkway |
Postalcode: | 16801 |
Country: | United States |
Superintendent: | Curtis Johnson |
Principal: | Laura Tobias |
Teaching Staff: | 203.31 (FTE) |
Ceeb: | 394685 |
Ratio: | 11.85 |
Sat: | Writing: 530, Math: 563, Reading: 549[1] |
Graduates: | 622 |
Graduates Year: | 2023 |
Houses: | South Building North Building |
Grades: | 9–12 |
Conference: | PIAA District 6 |
Motto: | We are the Future! |
Mascot: | Little Lion |
Colors: | Maroon and gray |
Established: | 1894 |
Enrollment: | 2,410 (2022–23)[2] |
State College Area High School, often referred to locally as "State High," is a public high school in State College, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the only public high school in the State College Area School District and is within walking distance of Penn State University. It is 5 minutes away from Mount Nittany Middle School, and 10 minutes away from Park Forest Middle School.[3]
The high school, which includes north and south campus facilities totaling 680000square feet, is on the fringe of downtown State College, and spans Westerly Parkway.
A state-of-the-art 520000square feet south campus facility was constructed in 2018 on the site of the original South Building. This building serves as State High’s main campus.
The original South Building was built in 1962 and had undergone numerous renovations. This original part of the building was single story and included classrooms along with the auditorium, gymnasium, cafeteria and main office area. In 1965, a single story addition was built, but due to grade changes on the site it operates as a second level. This addition included classrooms, the Library and the fitness center. Another classroom wing was built in 1999. Some aspects of the Career and Technical Center program were also included in the South High School. The building, which had also been a junior high school and then an intermediate high school, was demolished to make room for the new state-of-the-art 520000square feet main campus facility.
A 160000square feet north campus facility was constructed in 2019 on the site of the original Senior High School North Building. The buildout renovated the school building and added additional turf athletic fields where the North Building once stood.
The original North Building was built in 1955 and had undergone numerous renovations. The building's original portion, centered around the Logan Avenue entrance, was two-story and included classrooms along with the auditorium, two gymnasia, one cafeteria, library and main office area. In 1965, a two-story classroom addition was built parallel to Westerly Parkway. In 1989, the natatorium and a new gymnasium were added to the building. An additional classroom wing was constructed in 1999. Some aspects of the Career and Technology Center program were also included in the North High School. The building was demolished in 2018–19 to make room for a new 160000square feet facility.
The Delta Program is a democratic school of choice associated with State High. Students are encouraged to use community resources and can take classes from the high school, Delta, and Penn State. Delta Students enjoy small class sizes, mixed grade levels, and a set of freedoms which are typically restricted to college-age learning. To encourage a unity between teachers and students, teachers are referred to on a first name basis. The program also opened a middle level program, which proved to be quite popular.
In 1932, Amos Neyhart, assistant professor at Penn State University, began the country's first driver's education in-car course at State College Area High School.[4] The program was altered after the 2010–2011 school year due to budget cuts from the new school board, which removed the course's behind-the-wheel component.[5]