W. F. West High School

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Coordinates: 46°38′59″N 122°56′57″W / 46.64972°N 122.94917°W / 46.64972; -122.94917
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W. F. West High School
Address
Map
342 SW 16th St.

Chehalis, Washington
98532
Coordinates46°38′59″N 122°56′57″W / 46.64972°N 122.94917°W / 46.64972; -122.94917
Information
School typePublic high school
Established1892 (renamed W. F. West High School 1951)
School districtChehalis School District
PrincipalBob Walters
Teaching staff46.66 (FTE)[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,031 (2019–20)[1]
Student to teacher ratio22.10[1]
Color(s)Crimson & Gray
   
MascotBearcats
NewspaperThe Crimson and Gray
Websitechehalisschools.org/wfw/

William F. West High School, commonly referred to as W. F. West, is a public high school in Chehalis, Washington, United States. It is the only high school in the Chehalis School District. It was named for local businessman William F. West, who donated money and land to the school district. The school prides itself in the amount of scholarships given out yearly. Many students travel out of district to attend. The school added a brand new science wing in 2018.

History[edit]

The school opened a combination gymnasium-music room in February 1954. Considered one of the largest in the state, it was constructed at a cost of $450,000. The addition to the campus officially held an open house with a ceremony and a basketball game between the Chehalis and Centralia boy's basketball teams. The gym, days later, held an AAU tournament, with a game played that helped to raise funds for a local cerebral palsy charity. The music space, which contained a 1,800 square feet (170 m2) rehearsal room that accommodated up to 110 practice seats, was soundproofed and offered smaller areas for choir practice.[2]

The W.F. West Tennis Courts were renamed in February 2024 to Coach Jack State Tennis Courts in honor of Jack State. The process began under the district's Facility Naming Committee, with a recommendation passed to the Chehalis School Board which approved the name change unanimously. State, who died in January 2024, was both a teacher and coach at the high school, serving 50 years as the tennis coach. In an additional remembrance, a sign measuring 6 ft × 8 ft (1.8 m × 2.4 m) is to be installed at the courts, mirroring State's nickname that was based on his height, "Six-Eight Jack State".[3][4]

Academics and graduation rates[edit]

Academics[edit]

Students receive free access to the PSAT due to funding provided by a local organization, the Chehalis Foundation. With help from school officials, each senior is required to submit an application for acceptance to Centralia College, a program started by the school district to achieve high rates of graduation, college admission, and career opportunities for the students.[5]

The high school has been host to a University of Washington STEM camp since the early 2010s . A weeklong summer day-camp, the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classes are held at W.F. West's STEM wing and are open to all students of high school age, regardless of school district. The educational opportunity is based on a partnership between the university and the Chehalis Foundation.[6][7] To bolster the STEM program further, the school purchased an electron microscope in the mid-2010s.[8]

Beginning in early 2023, students can participate in the "Crimson & Gray", a coffee shop in the school. The shop, part of a business and marketing class supported through the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), is run in-full by the students.[9]

Graduation rates[edit]

The graduation rate in 2010 was 77% and 1/3rd of those students achieved admission into a university or training school.[5] In 2018, 73% of seniors who graduated went on to further higher education.[10] That rate increased to 100% in 2019, beginning a four year stretch in which the entire graduating senior classes were accepted into college.[11] In 2019, the four-year graduation rate was 95%, bettering the state average by 14 points.[10]

Extracurricular activities[edit]

The school sponsors the following sports and extracurricular activities:

Sports and sporting achievements[edit]

The school's athletic teams compete as the Bearcats as a member of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association in the 2A Evergreen Conference.

The high school's gymnasium hosted the first-ever meeting between the rival Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics in an NBA pre-season exhibition game on September 30, 1970.[12]

The school has been home to state hall of fame coaches, including Mike Keen, who was elected into the Washington Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame; Keen won 333 games and three championships under his W.F. West tenure in the early 21st century.[13]

State titles[edit]

  • The Bearcats softball team won their first state championship in 1999[14] and followed it up with a back-to-back title in 2000.[15] The team had an undefeated stretch in conference play between 2012 and 2017, winning state titles in 2012, 2015, and 2017.[13]
  • The Bearcats were baseball state champions in 2010 and 2013.[16]
  • The women's basketball team was awarded the Class 2A state basketball title in 2014 and 2018, the latter championship achieved by overcoming Archbishop Murphy High School by the score of 64-52.[17]

Traditions[edit]

The graduating class of W.F. West High School holds a local parade that traverses through several neighborhood and business districts in Chehalis, ending at Stan Hedwall Park. It is customary for seniors to receive various physical or monetary gifts during the senior year and at graduation, paid for by a fund raised by parents.[10]

Notable alumni[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "W F West High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  2. ^ "Chehalis Opens New School Plant To Open Wednesday". The Daily Chronicle (Centralia, Washington). February 16, 1954. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  3. ^ Fitzgerald, Emily (February 21, 2024). "Chehalis School Board votes to rename W.F. West tennis courts after Jack State". The Chronicle. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  4. ^ Mittge, Brian (January 12, 2024). "Remembering tennis coach Jack State, a true ace". The Chronicle. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Zylstra, Matthew (September 29, 2022). "'This Doesn't Just Happen by Chance': How the Chehalis School District Became a Jewel in Public Education". The Chronicle. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  6. ^ The Chronicle staff (July 28, 2023). "Chehalis, Aberdeen schools to co-host University of Washington for STEM camp". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  7. ^ Heldring, Thatcher (August 12, 2018). "Lewis County students see biomedical research firsthand". UW Medicine Newsroom. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  8. ^ Long, Katherine (June 2, 2017). "Just 20% of kids got 4-year degrees, so Chehalis schools changed everything". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  9. ^ Fitzgerald, Emily (September 29, 2023). "Crimson & Gray: W.F. West High School students learn business skills in school-based coffee shop". The Chronicle. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c Long, Katherine (June 6, 2020). "Small towns find new ways to celebrate high-school graduation amid coronavirus restrictions". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  11. ^ "Every Graduating W.F. West Senior Has Been Accepted Into College, District Announces". The Chronicle. June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  12. ^ "Chehalis NBA Contest Viewed Historic Event". The Daily Chronicle. September 26, 1970. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  13. ^ a b The Chronicle staff (February 26, 2020). "Former Bearcats Softball Coach Enters Hall of Fame". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  14. ^ "Camas 5, Chehalis 1 in Class 3A fastpitch final". The Seattle Post-Intellingencer. Associated Press. May 24, 2002. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  15. ^ VanTuyl, Aaron (June 7, 2017). "W.F. West Softball Coach Mike Keen Retires". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  16. ^ VanTuyl, Aaron (December 31, 2019). "A Decade in Review: Looking Back at the Best of the 2010s". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  17. ^ Ringer, Sandy (March 3, 2018). "Archbishop Murphy girls come close, but late run ends state-title dreams". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  18. ^ VanTuyl, Aaron (January 28, 2010). "Breaking Down the Past With the 1960 Bearcats". The Chronicle. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  19. ^ Zylstra, Matthew (April 26, 2023). "Nazi Germany Refugee, Famous Ad Campaign Executive, W.F. West Grad Speaks About Life". The Chronicle. Retrieved June 13, 2023.

External links[edit]

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