White Station High School is a four-year public high school located in Memphis, Tennessee .
55-591: White Station High is a member of the Shelby County Schools system and is recognized as one of the best high schools in the state of Tennessee. U.S. News ranked White Station as #25 in Tennessee. Additionally, Tennessee has designated White Station as a Reward School for the gifted for the 2018–2019 school year. White Station High School is ranked #3 in Top Public Schools In Memphis. White Station
110-423: A baseball team (M), a softball team (F), a cheerleading team (F), and a tennis team (M/F). The Lady Spartans tennis team has won the city championship for 3 consecutive years, 2009–2011, and finished as state runner-up in 2009, 2010, and 2011. That team was led by Kayla Jones, Kasey Spillman, Maya Smith, and Lauren and London Thomas. The boys' tennis team won the 2011 district championship and advanced one player to
165-399: A distinctive identity as a full-fledged Memphis high school. The original White Station mascot was a bulldog and the school newspaper was The Bulldog Leash , with school colors of blue and white. However, these colors were already in use by Memphis Catholic High School . The first senior class of 1956–1957 chose Spartans as their mascot and green and gray as school colors. In keeping with
220-646: A major performance each fall and spring, and the senior-level play production class produces an annual one-act play festival as well. White Station has a prominent Army JROTC program. Since their inception in 1967, the Spartan Battalion teaches young people to be better citizens. Students who enroll in this class, cadets, are taught about US history, civics, and military tradition. Cadets join many different teams inside of JROTC: Knowledge Bowl, Raiders, Marksmanship, Treble Corps, Robotics, Color Guard, Armed Drill Team, and Unarmed Drill Team. The JLAB Team (a branch of
275-450: A school. The first troupe was formed by Dr. Earl Blank at Natrona County High School in Casper, Wyoming. At the end of the 1928–1929 school year there were 71 troupes across 26 states. In October, 1929, the first issue of The High School Thespian, "official organ of National Thespians" was published. The National Thespian headquarters was moved to Cincinnati during the year 1935. That same year,
330-756: A state law lifting the ban on establishment of new school districts, the six incorporated suburbs in the county each voted in July 2013 to establish six independent municipal school districts. As a result, as of the start of the 2014 school year, the six incorporated cities in Shelby County (other than Memphis) are each served by separate school districts. As of August 2014 there are six municipal school districts known as Collierville Schools , Germantown Municipal School District , Bartlett City Schools , Arlington Community Schools , Lakeland School System , and Millington Municipal Schools The Shelby County School District
385-634: Is a division of the Educational Theatre Association . Thespian troupes serve students in grades 9–12; Junior Thespian troupes serve students in grades 6 through 8. Festivals are held annually at the state and national levels. Each June the organization holds the International Thespian Festival . For 25 years it was held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. As of 2019 it is being held at Indiana University-Bloomington where
440-480: Is an optional school that offers an Optional (Honors) Diploma. Newsweek magazine ranked White Station #1027 in the United States and #8 in Tennessee in its 2009–2010 edition of America's Best High Schools. White Station High made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2007. In the lone 2011–2012 school year, White Station had 22 National Merit Semifinalists, more than any other school (public, private, or charter) in
495-410: Is generally understood that a minimum of 10 thespian points (equal to 100+ hours of work in scholastic theatre) grants a student membership to the affiliated troupe. Middle school thespians may transfer a maximum of 5 points towards earning membership in their high school’s troupe. Induction ceremonies vary from troupe to troupe, but most are run by the troupe's officers and director. They include, at
550-530: The AP Capstone program in the 2014–2015 school year. Class sizes averaged 20.7 students per teacher at the time of these achievements; however, class size averages have increased to 27 students per teacher. White Station offers several foreign language options for students, including Spanish, Latin, Japanese, French and Mandarin Chinese. In February 2022, White Station was announced to be one of 60 schools piloting
605-487: The AP African American Studies Program. White Station High School has a long tradition of athletics. They currently have basketball teams (M/F), soccer teams (M/F), track and field teams (M/F), a football team, a bowling team (M/F), lacrosse teams (F), a golf team (M/F), a volleyball team (F), rugby teams (M), cross-country teams (M/F), ultimate teams (M/F), a swim team (Co-ed), a wrestling team (M),
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#1732886735037660-540: The Education Improvement Act in 1992 to improve funding of schools as well as election of board members and school management. Until 1996, Shelby County school board members had been appointed by the Shelby County Commission . This arrangement was changed due to Tennessee's interpretation of its constitutional requirement that county officials, including school boards, be elected by all residents of
715-591: The Knowledge Bowl Team) finished first in the JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl Championship in the Army Academic Challenge in 2019. Currently, there are more than 2,569 students at White Station: 31% are Caucasian, 44% are African American, 9.1% are Asian or Pacific Islander and 11% are Hispanic. In addition to students from the surrounding neighborhood and who travel from all over the city for
770-612: The Memphis City Board of Education foresaw the need for a separate junior and senior high school in the area to accommodate the growing population. Rush W. Siler, a mathematics teacher at East High School , was appointed as principal in 1951, and White Station began to develop a junior high. In August 1954, a high school building was completed, and the school began to develop a senior high school program. As such, White Station Middle School and White Station Elementary School were formed. At this point, White Station High School needed
825-606: The Memphis International Airport Art Contest, and last year students from White Station won over 30 gold keys in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. In the performing arts, White Station has four bands and two orchestras, as well as five choirs and two a cappella pop groups. The four bands are as follows: Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band. There is a marching band that starts in July and goes on until December, depending on if
880-657: The Mid-South region as they attend various conferences such as VUMUN, WUMUNS, MUNI, WAVEMUN, and MSMUN, winning Best Large Delegation consistently. Additionally, they annually host a conference at White Station High in September, garnering attendance from various schools across the Mid-South. The Quiz Bowl team in White Station is another one of the major clubs. It is largely student-led. This club travels to surrounding areas and competes against other schools. Two tournaments are hosted by
935-613: The National Standards for Arts Education, the first set of guidelines for the arts education field, in 1994. By 2012, International Thespian Society had formed a bond with the charity organization Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and raised more than $ 1 million for it. In 2015 the EdTA launched JumpStart Theatre, which brings sustainable musical theatre programs to underserved middle schools where there currently are none, and an ITS branch in China
990-472: The Quiz Bowl Team each school year. Other activities include an elected student council, jazz ensemble, DECA, and HOSA club. Students staff the school newspaper ( The Scroll ), the yearbook ( The Shield ), and an art and literary magazine ( The Scribbler ). Also, students in the art program at White Station High School consistently perform well in art competitions. Several students from White Station have won
1045-569: The Reimagining 901 plan in his State of the District address. One part of the plan was a name change from Shelby County School District to "Memphis-Shelby County Schools" and the accompanying logo change. The rebranding was made official after a board meeting on January 25, 2022, when the doing business as was changed to Memphis-Shelby County Schools. The plan included building 5 new schools, closing 15 schools, and adding on to 13 schools; thus this plan
1100-701: The Tennessee Holocaust Day of Remembrance and the TMEA conference. In 2014, the White Station Men's Chorus was selected to perform at Southern division ACDA in Jacksonville, Florida. Each year, the choir program sends a substantial percentage of students to All-West and All-State. White Station has a theatre program, including troupe 1581 of the International Thespian Society . Students present
1155-684: The Thespian Festival, as it is still called today. The Thespian Festival also began an annual schedule for the first time. The Society offered its first set of summertime retreats for high school theatre directors in 1986, an activity that eventually grew into a professional association called the Theatre Education Association. In 1989 the ITS board established the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), meant to oversee both
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#17328867350371210-533: The Thespian Society and the Theatre Education Association, and launched Teaching Theatre, a quarterly journal for theatre educators. The Theatre Education Association was eventually absorbed into the EdTA and its title is no longer used. In 1990 the Junior Thespians branch of ITS was set up, extending the reach of the society to middle school theatre students. The EdTA helped to write the theatre section of
1265-579: The Thespian Society reached its 25th anniversary in 1954, 1,432 Thespian troupes existed across forty-eight states and the then-territories of Alaska, Hawaii, and the Canal Zone, as well as Canada and Japan. In 1969 the organization's name was changed to the title it still holds today: The International Thespian Society. June 1982 marked a name change for the National High School Drama Conference and Play Production Festival, turning it into
1320-404: The ancient Greek theme, the White Station newspaper was dubbed The Scroll and the yearbook became The Shield . The first high school class of seventy-eight seniors graduated on May 30, 1957. The school began development on a new building in 2009, which was completed sometime in 2011. In the same year, an older building was torn down. The Freshman Academy was completed in the summer of 2011 and
1375-432: The bar for tenure and paying $ 6,000 incentives for high-quality new teachers who stayed at least four years. Due to political corruption and instability, however, very little of that grant has been seen by White Station or any other local schools. Shelby County Schools (Tennessee) Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) , previously known as Shelby County Schools (SCS) , is a public school district that serves
1430-489: The city of Memphis, Tennessee , United States, as well as most of the unincorporated areas of Shelby County . MSCS is the 23rd largest school district in the United States and the largest in Tennessee. Due to the city of Memphis dissolving its school charter in 2011, causing the end of Memphis City Schools , as of July 1, 2013, all Shelby County residents were served by SCS, including those in Memphis. Following passage of
1485-537: The city with the Shelby County School District. The city had the authority to do this under state law. The merger was to be implemented effective at the start of the 2013–14 school year. Total enrollment in the county school system, as of the 2010–2011 school year , was about 47,000 students, making the district the fourth largest in Tennessee. With the Memphis/Shelby County merger completed,
1540-504: The county system. The population of Memphis comprised more than 75% of the county's population in 1990, and would have dominated the school board with six of seven positions. (As of 2020 , Memphis has 68% of the county's population.) Plaintiffs from the county, including the mayors of the six municipalities, objected under the Equal Protection Clause to having their system dominated by county residents who would not be served by
1595-408: The county, as well as elements of the state's Education Improvement Act of 1992, which addressed election of school boards. The Shelby County Commission established seven single-member districts to elect representatives to the school board; the districts represented the entire population of the county, although the city of Memphis at the time had its own school system and its residents were not served by
1650-577: The district received an addition of more than 100,000 students, making it the largest system in the state and one of the larger systems in the country. In 2011 Sam Dillon of The New York Times said that although there was existing inequality between Shelby County Schools and Memphis City Schools, "nobody expects the demographics of schools to change much" as a result of the merger between the districts. He said that "most students in both districts are assigned to neighborhood schools and housing tends to be segregated." Some white families expressed concern that
1705-620: The first ITF was held in 1941. Notable members include Tom Hanks , Val Kilmer , James Marsters , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , and Stephen Schwartz . The International Thespian Society was founded in 1929 in Fairmont, West Virginia . Originally named National Thespians, the society was founded by Dr. Paul Opp, Earnest Bavely and Harry T. Leeper. National Thespians was an honorary organization for high school theater students who earned membership through participation in their schools' theatre programs. The organization consisted of troupes, each linked to
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1760-537: The football team makes it to the playoffs for it plays on football games. The WSHS came second in a 2014 band competition. The orchestras have gained superior ratings at concert festival and also hold many of the positions in the All-West Tennessee band, orchestra, and choir, as well as spots in the Memphis Youth Symphony and All-State ensembles. White Station's choir program has performed at events such as
1815-518: The good of the troupe; and to share my love of theatre." After induction, members can continue to earn points in order to move up through the International Thespian Society ranking system. Ranks include Honor Thespian (60 points), National Honor Thespian, (120 points), and International Honor Thespian (180+ points). Additionally, graduating active thespians may wear Thespian regalia such as Honor Thespian medals, stoles, and cords. At
1870-592: The merger would provoke white flight from Shelby County, which has lost white population in the last decade. Following the merger, the state legislature passed a law that lifted the statewide ban on forming new school districts; this was effectively for Shelby County only, as it limited new special school districts to only counties with populations over 900,000. Shelby County is the only one to meet that criterion. The six incorporated municipalities had elections in which voters chose to establish their own independent school districts. These elections were overturned in 2012 as
1925-708: The mission of the International Thespian Society. They are led by a chapter director who is supported and assisted by a chapter board. As of 2024, there are 48 active chapters: Chapters are located in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Delaware, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, Hawaii,
1980-479: The old South Annex was torn down in response. A new parking lot was created. As of 2014, a grant was received to update the cafeteria and the picnic tables in the courtyard. In November 2009, the school system in which White Station is included, won a grant of $ 90 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation . The gift of more than $ 90 million from Gates to fund plans and improve teacher effectiveness, including raising
2035-469: The other 56 are charter schools . The Optional Schools program is a set of 45 theme-based magnet schools . Entrance requirements vary between each Optional school, but are generally based on conduct, attendance, report cards, and standardized test scores. The administration of Shelby County Schools is headquartered in Memphis. It is in the Francis E. Coe Administration Building. The headquarters facility
2090-506: The past years, winning the first Knowledge Bowl ever in 1987–1988, and in 2014 – beating Houston in the final round. Its Mock Trial team won the Tennessee State Championship in 2009, 2010, and 2011. White Station's Science Olympiad team consistently places well in the state, placing 2nd in 2014, 2015, and 2018 while going to Nationals in 2017 and 2019. Their Model United Nations team is a completely student-run, ranked team in
2145-417: The previous headquarters. In 2018, the district acquired a former Bayer office building, in the northeastern part of the city, for $ 6.6 million to be the new headquarters, with the former headquarters and ten other buildings consolidated into it. International Thespian Society The International Thespian Society (ITS) is an honor society for high school and middle school theatre students. It
2200-573: The school district are accredited . These particular schools meet the standards of the Tennessee Department of Education and the accreditation standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The legacy Shelby County School District was the first large district in Tennessee to be accredited in its entirety by SACS. MSCS contains 214 schools in Shelby County. Of these schools, 158 are directly operated by MSCS, while
2255-587: The school's college preparatory program, White Station serves the family housing units of the University of Memphis at the Park Avenue Campus. White Station can trace its origins to a school organized just prior to the Civil War that initially shared a building with a Masonic Lodge. By 1897, the school, then known as Albert Pike High School, occupied the entire building and, with an enrollment of eighty students,
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2310-471: The society was renamed The National Thespian Dramatic Honor Society. The society held its first National High School Drama Conference and Play Production Festival in 1941 at Indiana University, which later became a bi-annual event. The High School Thespian became Dramatics in 1944. In October 1945, The National Thespian Dramatic Honor Society was again renamed the National Thespian Society. As
2365-700: The state championship. The Bowling Team won the city championship in 2014 and advanced to state. In 2009, the Spartans won the Division 6A State Title, the highest football division in the state. In 2013 the Spartan football team made it to 6A state semifinals, a game they lost 49–41 to Hendersonville High School. White Station has many active clubs in areas including foreign language, mathematics, science, business, government, music, art, film and community service. Its Knowledge Bowl team has won four Knowledge Bowl championships in
2420-626: The state championships. White Station's Lady Spartans volleyball team won the Memphis city championships in 2006, 2007, and 2008. The boys and girls Cross Country teams have won the Memphis city championship for 5 consecutive years. Additionally, the White Station High School cross-country teams sent 3 runners to the Tennessee Cross Country State Championships this year; they were Jarryn Lowe, Russell Wolfe, and Gabrielle Shirley. Jarryn Lowe finished 30th overall at
2475-533: The state law was held to be unconstitutional by the state court, as being written for a particular group of people and not the whole state. In 2013, the Tennessee General Assembly lifted the ban statewide. In July 2013, the six incorporated suburbs in Shelby County overwhelmingly voted again in favor of their own municipal schools and withdrew from the county system. On April 16, 2021, then-superintendent Dr. Joris Ray (later fired for misconduct) revealed
2530-407: The state of Tennessee. In the 2012–2013 school year, White Station announced 23 National Merit Semifinalists. White Station High School has also had the most National Merit Scholarship semifinalists of any school in the state of Tennessee in many previous years. White Station has 7 National Board Certified teachers. In January 2014, White Station High School announced that they would be offering
2585-845: The student membership. They suggested policy and service changes to the Educational Theatre Association Board, and took an active role in training, chapter conferences, and the annual International Thespian Festival. The International Thespian Officer program ended with the ITO Class of 2024. State Thespian Officers (STOs) and Junior State Thespian Officers (JSTOs) are elected to manage such events as State Thespian Festivals and local Junior Thespian Festivals, respectively. These student leaders advocate for arts education, fundraise for their chapter, and collaborate with state and national charity organizations, such as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Chapters are created in order to support
2640-648: The system. The US District Court, in a 1997 decision affirmed by the Appeals Court, ruled that the Constitution did not require all county residents to be included in a district that served only part of the county. As a result, the special election districts were redrawn to represent the area of Shelby County outside the city of Memphis, as this was the area served by the county school district. On March 8, 2011, Memphis city residents voted to dissolve their school charter and disband Memphis City Schools , effectively merging
2695-438: The troupe and junior troupe level there are various offices offered, including, but not limited to, President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Historian. There are also state, provincial, and international student leaders elected annually by their respective student bodies, and in many chapters, adorned with blue or yellow officer sashes. The International Thespian Officers (ITOs) were student members elected to represent
2750-564: The very least, a brief summation of the Society's history, followed by a listing of the names and achievements of each new inductee, and then a reciting of the Society's pledge by all new and existing members. The pledge is as follows: " I promise to uphold the aims and ideals of the International Thespian Society. I am a student of theatre and excellence is my ideal. I promise to perform my part as well as I can; to accept praise and criticism with grace; to cooperate with my fellow thespians and work for
2805-470: Was developed in the late 19th century, after public schools were established in the county. Until July 1, 2013, it served residents of Shelby County except for the city of Memphis (which established its own public school system in 1867). Over decades of development and change, the city of Memphis and Shelby County differed in their ability to support their school systems. By the 1990s, the state ranked as 45th in funding of public schools. The legislature passed
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#17328867350372860-608: Was one of the largest schools in Shelby County . After World War I, the school was renamed White Station to honor Mr. Eppie White, who had donated three acres of land for the construction of a school building. The school served first through eighth grades during this time. After the White Station area was annexed to Memphis, the school became part of the Memphis City Schools during the 1950–1951 academic year. At that time,
2915-524: Was shared between the pre-merger Shelby County Schools and Memphis City Schools. The building has two wings, and one had been used by each pre-merger district. As of 2013 the corridor linking the wings had double-locked doors, and the glass panels had been covered by particle boards. Irving Hamer, the deputy superintendent of Memphis City Schools, described the barrier as "our Berlin Wall ." In 2018, SCS had 10 other buildings it used for office purposes in addition to
2970-419: Was started. The International Thespian Society allows for the induction of high school and middle school students attending ITS affiliated schools, based on the quality and quantity of work in all realms of theatre. Points can be earned from participation in productions (either on stage or backstage), Thespian Festivals, seeing other theatre's productions, and holding an officer position in a Thespian troupe. It
3025-412: Was to be completed in 2031. The county district is governed by a nine-member board of education . Board members represent nine special election districts in the Shelby County school district, which includes the city of Memphis but not the six suburban municipalities. These members are elected to four-year terms. The current superintendent is Dr. Marie N. Feagins. All of the "legacy" SCS schools in
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