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Temple High School (Texas)

Coordinates: 31°06′25″N 97°21′12″W / 31.10698°N 97.35347°W / 31.10698; -97.35347
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Temple High School
Address
Map
415 North 31st Street

,
76504-2498

United States
Coordinates31°06′25″N 97°21′12″W / 31.10698°N 97.35347°W / 31.10698; -97.35347
Information
School typePublic high school
Established1883
School districtTemple Independent School District
PrincipalJason Mayo
Staff183.53 (FTE)[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment2,305 (2022–23)[1]
Student to teacher ratio12.56[1]
Color(s)  Royal Blue
  White
Athletics conferenceUIL Class AAAAAA
MascotWildcat
NewspaperCatalyst
YearbookCotton Blossom
WebsiteTemple High School

Temple High School is a public high school located in Temple, Texas, United States. As of the 2024–2026 biennial realignment, it is classified as a 6A school by the UIL. It is part of the Temple Independent School District located in central Bell County. For the 2021–2022 school year, the school was given a "C" by the Texas Education Agency.[2]

As of 2024, Temple High School has a student population of 2,490. The student body is 79% minority. [1]

Temple High School became an International Baccalaureate authorized school in 1992 and is currently one of 46 IB authorized high schools in Texas. To date, Temple High School has awarded over 100 IB diplomas.

History of racial segregation in Temple education system

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The "Temple Colored School" was established in 1885, and in 1912 a two-story building was erected with eleven classrooms, a science lab, and a principal's office. The first high school was organized in 1915, and in 1925 was renamed Dunbar High School. In 1952, the Dunbar High School campus was opened and served as a high school until 1968, when mandatory desegregation was implemented and the school was merged with Temple High School. The former Dunbar High School campus was renamed to Meridith Junior High in memory of G. C. Meridith who served as principal for more than 2 decades, and in 1970 Meridith-Dunbar became an elementary school.[3][4]

In a 2014 article from the Killeen Daily Herald,[5] a former Dunbar High School student recalled the inequalities that existed in resources between the two schools. She remembered receiving second-hand textbooks from Temple High School and being shocked by how black senators were depicted in the social studies books. “The sad thing is that our teachers, who were very capable, were not picked up by the system," she remarked about the transition to desegregation.

The Dunbar Panthers football team was coached by Curtis B. Elliott, and they won the state championship in 1939. Coach Elliott coached at Dunbar High School for 36 years.[3]

Arts

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The Temple High School theater department is a program with a 30-year streak as district UIL One-Act Play champions.[6] The department has advanced to the UIL 5A State One-Act Play competition 7 times,[7] winning in 2007 and 2016.

Athletics

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The 11,500-capacity Wildcat Stadium is the main stadium. The Temple Wildcats compete in the following sports:[8]

State titles

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Temple (UIL)

  • Football[9]
    • 1979 (4A), 1992 (5A/D2)
  • Boys' basketball[10]
    • 1932 (All)
  • One-act play[11]
    • 2007 (5A), 2016 (5A)

Temple Dunbar (PVIL)

  • Boys' basketball[10]
    • 1958 (PVIL-3A)
  • Boys' track[12]
    • 1953 (PVIL-2A)

Football history

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The Temple Wildcats have a history in football. As of the end of the 2017 football season, the school is ranked fourth behind Highland Park, Amarillo, and Plano in the state of Texas for total games won with 753.[13]

State Championships (2): 1979 (4A), 1992 (5A Div. 2)[14]

State Championship Game Appearances (9): 1940 (2A), 1941 (2A), 1951 (3A), 1952 (3A), 1976 (4A), 1979 (4A), 1992 (5A Div. 2), 2014 (5A Div. 1), 2016 (5A Div. 1)[15]

Additional Football Statistics[16]

  • State Quarterfinalists (10)
  • Regional Champions (13)
  • Area Champions (13)
  • Bi-District Champions (23)
  • District Champions (34)
  • Playoff appearances (41)

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "TEMPLE H S". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "TEA". Texas Education Agency. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b "History of Dunbar-Meridith".
  4. ^ "Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy". meridith-dunbar.tisd.org. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  5. ^ Service, Jeff Osborne | FME News (17 May 2014). "Temple board member recalls segregation". The Killeen Daily Herald. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  6. ^ STAFF, JOEL VALLEY | TELEGRAM (11 March 2022). "Temple High theater win 30th district title with UIL One-Act Play". The Killeen Daily Herald. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  7. ^ "Temple High School are the 2016 UIL 5A One-Act Play State Champions!". ths.tisd.org. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  8. ^ The Athletics Department
  9. ^ Lone Star Football Network
  10. ^ a b UIL Boys Basketball Archives Archived 2012-03-06 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ UIL One Act Play Archives Archived 2015-06-01 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ PVIL Boys Track Archives
  13. ^ All-Time Wins
  14. ^ State Championships
  15. ^ State Championshipship Appearances
  16. ^ Texas State Football Records
  17. ^ "Mean Joe Greene". January 1998.
  18. ^ "Mayor Danny Dunn presides". 17 May 2013.
  19. ^ "J! Archive - Jennifer Hopens".
  20. ^ "Four-year Wildcats: York, Harrison-Pilot stay committed to craft in pursuit of success". Temple Daily Telegram. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
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