Cleveland High School (Cleveland, Mississippi)

Cleveland High School is a public high school serving 630 students in grades 9-12, located in Cleveland, Mississippi.[1]

Cleveland High School
Information
Motto Ever to Excel
Established 1906
Color(s) Black, Old Gold         
Mascot Wildcats

History

Cleveland High School opened its doors October 15, 1906, with A. K. Eckles as principal. The original building, a two-story colonial design with four classrooms, was located where the present building now stands. The school’s first athletic event was a baseball game in April 1907. The CHS band was first organized in 1909 [there is strong evidence that suggests CHS had the first high school band in Mississippi]. The first graduation was held in June 1910; there were four graduates. An addition with an auditorium was added to the original structure in 1916. Fire destroyed this building in 1918.

A new, three-story brick building, designed to be the “largest and handsomest” school in Mississippi, was completed at the same location in 1921. On this campus in 1922, the movement that led to the creation of Delta State University began. CHS was the sponsor of Cleveland’s first Boy Scout troop, and, at various times, served as the meeting place of the First Methodist Church, the local Jewish community, the Rotary Club, the Exchange Club, and the Delta Medical Association. Also in 1922, CHS was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The school’s first of 30 state championships was won in 1935 in Debate. During World War II, some 600 CHS alumni and students served in the U.S. military; sixteen made the ultimate sacrifice. The epicenter of patriotic activity in Cleveland during World War II, Cleveland High School’s second building was destroyed by fire Christmas Eve, 1945.

The present high school building and cafeteria were completed in 1950, the band hall in 1963. Integrated in 1965, CHS was the first public school in the Mississippi Delta to admit black students. In 2000, hundreds of alumni, students, and parents volunteered thousands of man-hours giving the school a much-needed makeover. Cleveland High School celebrated its 100th birthday in October 2006 with a three-day Centennial Celebration that was attended by more than 700 alumni and guests. In October 2008, a Mississippi Historical Marker honoring Margaret Wade (‘29) was placed on the school’s front lawn. The school’s 100th graduating class celebrated its commencement in May 2010.

In January 2016, test scores for Cleveland High School grade 10 students who had participated in the PARCC assessment of English skills were 18 points above the state average and 28 points above the 267,000-student PARCC average. Principal Steven Craddock commented: "this proves what we have known for some time...that our students are just as sharp as teens in other, more affluent parts of our state...it also shows that CHS is striving to live up to our motto, ‘Ever to Excel’."[2]

Athletics

Currently, Cleveland High School competes in the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) 4A athletics in 12 different sports. Cleveland High maintains programs in Soccer, Cross Country, Track and Field, Football, Basketball, Swimming, Baseball, Softball, Cheerleading, Dance, Volleyball, and Powerlifting, as well as a competitive marching and concert band program. The band program was the first of its kind in the state of Mississippi and remains the only competitive corp style marching band in the Mississippi Delta region.

Demographics

48% of the school's pupils are white, while 50% are black, 1% are Asian and 1% are Hispanic.[3]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ Great Schools
  2. ↑ Robinette, Aimee (January 4, 2016). "CHS Scores High". Bolivar Bullet.
  3. ↑ Public School Review

Coordinates: 33°44′55″N 90°43′30″W / 33.74861°N 90.72500°W / 33.74861; -90.72500


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