Login
Login

Clearwater High School

{{Short description|Public high school in Clearwater, Florida, United States}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox school

| name = Clearwater High School

| image = Clearwater High School.jpg

| caption = Front of the school, 2010

| streetaddress = 1951 Gulf to Bay Boulevard

| city = Clearwater

| state = Florida

| country = United States

| zipcode = 33765

| type = Public secondary

| logo = Clearwater HS logo.png

| logo_size=200px

| motto = Tradition, Honor and Pride

| established = 1906

| grades = 9-12

| teaching_staff = 102

| enrollment = 1,664 (2022-23){{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=1201560&SchoolPageNum=2&ID=120156001610|title=Clearwater High School|publisher=National Center for Education Statistics|accessdate=March 19, 2024}}

| faculty = 76.00 (FTE)

| ratio = 21.89

| principal =Robert Florio{{cite web|url=https://www.pcsb.org/domain/2736|publisher=Clearwater High School|title=Administration|access-date=July 31, 2024}}

| nickname = Tornadoes

| colors = {{unbulleted list|Crimson and Gray|{{color box|#EB2F33}} {{color box|#808080}}}}

| district = Pinellas County Schools

| website = {{url|https://www.pcsb.org/clearwater-hs}}

}}

Clearwater High School (CHS) is a four-year public high school located in Clearwater, Florida, United States. It is part of the Pinellas County School System. The school mascot is a tornado, therefore students and faculty are known as the Tornadoes. Their colors are crimson and gray, which is also the name of their fight song.

History

Clearwater High School traces its lineage to 1906, when three 9th-graders were enrolled at a small schoolhouse built that year on Ft. Harrison Avenue. In 1924, Clearwater High School was built on Greenwood Avenue, where it remained until the current campus on Hercules Avenue was completed in 1954.{{cite news|author-last1=White|author-first1=D'Ann Lawrence|work=Patch|title=Old South Ward School To Reopen As Clearwater History Museum|date=June 14, 2019|url=https://patch.com/florida/clearwater/old-south-ward-school-reopen-clearwater-history-museum|access-date=February 18, 2020}} In 1999, a $12-million renovation of the facilities was completed.{{cite web|title=Clearwater High School Information|publisher=Pinellas County Public Schools|url=https://www.pcsb.org/domain/2739|access-date=February 18, 2020}}

In 2022, a new school was built. The only portion of the original school that remained after this renovation was the drama room, band room, auditorium and the gym.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Academics

Clearwater High has various academic programs, also known as Academies, centering on different aspects of life beyond high school, as well as an optional University of Cambridge AICE Diploma program alongside them. In 2017, The Washington Post ranked it as the "most challenging high school" in Pinellas County, based on the number of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate students as a percentage of graduating seniors. The school offered 18 AP courses that year, while attaining an 88% graduation rate, with 73% of graduates going on to attend a four-year college.{{cite news|author=Mathews, Jay|title=America's Most Challenging High Schools|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 5, 2017|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/local/high-school-challenge-2017/|access-date=January 23, 2020}}

Athletics

{{Panorama|image=File:Clearwater High School stadium.jpg|align=center| height=250px|caption={{center|Clearwater High School's Jack White Stadium, 2010}}}}

The school's 4,200-seat football stadium was built in 1950 and dedicated in 1951 as Central Pinellas Stadium. It 1963, it was renamed to honor Jack White, a judge on the Florida Second District Court of Appeal, who was a leading figure in the effort beginning in 1949 to build the stadium.{{cite news|title=Stadium named for Jack White|work=St. Petersburg Times|date=October 31, 1963|url=http://www.judgejackwhite.org/stadium|access-date=January 23, 2020}}

In addition to football, other boys' sports include baseball, swimming, and wrestling. The Clearwater Tornadoes compete in a variety of sports for both boys and girls, including basketball, soccer, golf, track and field, lacrosse, and tennis.{{cite web|title=Clearwater Tornadoes|publisher=MaxPreps|url=https://www.maxpreps.com/m/high-schools/clearwater-tornadoes-(clearwater,fl)/school_sports.htm|access-date=January 23, 2020}} Under head coach Jack Wilson, the Tornadoes won the boys' basketball state championship in 1981.{{cite news |title=Day to Remember - The Tornadoes Made History They'll Never Forget|work=Evening Independent |date=March 16, 1981 |author=Mike Flanagan|page=40}} The school's Jack L. Wilson Gymnasium is named in his memory.

The school has also won state championships in the following sports:

  • Boys Golf (1968){{cite web|title=Boys Golf Records|publisher=Florida High School Athletic Association|url=https://fhsaa.com/documents/2024/8/2//Golf_Boys_2023_24.pdf?id=5622|access-date=August 10, 2024}}
  • Girls Cross Country (1976){{cite web|title=Girls Cross Country Records|publisher=Florida High School Athletic Association|url=https://fhsaa.com/documents/2024/8/2//Cross_Country_Girls_2023_2024.pdf?id=5621|access-date=August 10, 2024}}
  • Girls Track (1977){{cite web|title=Girls Track & Field Records|publisher=Florida High School Athletic Association|url=https://fhsaa.com/documents/2024/7/30//Track_Field_Girls_2024.pdf?id=5613|access-date=August 10, 2024}}
  • Boys Swimming (1978){{cite web|title=Boys Swimming & Diving Records|publisher=Florida High School Athletic Association|url=https://fhsaa.com/documents/2023/11/1//Swimming_Diving_Boys_2022_2023.pdf?id=4579|access-date=August 10, 2024}}
  • Girls Volleyball (1997 and 2000){{cite web|title=Girls Volleyball Records|publisher=Florida High School Athletic Association|url=https://fhsaa.com/documents/2024/8/2//Volleyball_Girls_2024.pdf?id=5624|access-date=August 10, 2024}}
  • Boys Soccer (2001){{cite web|title=Boys Soccer Records|publisher=Florida High School Athletic Association|url=https://fhsaa.com/documents/2024/2/13//Soccer_Boys_2024.pdf?id=5035|access-date=August 10, 2024}}

Notable alumni

  • Sara Blakely (class of 1989), founder and part owner of Spanx, minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks{{cite web|title=Sara Blakely|website=Forbes|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/sara-blakely|url-status=live|access-date=April 30, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428214607/https://www.forbes.com/profile/sara-blakely|archive-date=April 28, 2024}}
  • Alan Boss (class of 1969), theoretical astrophysicist and astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/AquaClara1968/page/n97/mode/2up | title=Aqua Clara 1968 | date=1968 }}
  • Mike Brittain (class of 1981), NBA center for the San Antonio Spurs{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1995/10/24/clearwater-grad-nba-vet-mike-brittain-found-dead/|website=Tampa Bay Times|title=Clearwater grad, NBA vet Mike Brittain found dead|date=24 October 1995|author-last1=Ginn|author-first1=Sharon|url-status=live|access-date=18 April 2025}}
  • Gene Chizik (class of 1980), head football coach at Auburn University{{cite news|last1=John|first1=Romano|title=Auburn Tigers coach Gene Chizik achieves thanks to the gifts of his father|url=http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/auburn-tigers-coach-gene-chizik-achieves-thanks-to-the-gifts-of-his-father/1144568|accessdate=June 10, 2014|publisher=Tampa Bay Times|date=January 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714225820/http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/auburn-tigers-coach-gene-chizik-achieves-thanks-to-the-gifts-of-his-father/1144568|archive-date=July 14, 2014|url-status=dead}}
  • Rich Fields (class of 1979), The Price Is Right announcer{{cite web | title=Rich Fields | website=Facebook | url=https://www.facebook.com/RichFieldsTPIR/about_work_and_education | access-date=March 7, 2025 }}
  • Jeremiah George (class of 2010), NFL linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts{{cite web|url=https://www.on3.com/db/jeremiah-george-60111/|website=On3|publisher=On3 Media, Inc.|title=Jeremiah George|access-date=21 April 2025|url-status=live|archive-date=21 April 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421220939/https://www.on3.com/db/jeremiah-george-60111/}}
  • Randall Goodgame (class of 1992), Christian singer/songwriter{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1995/12/06/clearwater-s-own-has-a-cd-in-release/|author-last1=Henderson|author-first1=Bob|date=6 December 1995|access-date=17 April 2025|website=Tampa Bay Times|title=Clearwater's own has a CD in release|url-access=limited}}
  • Howard Johnson (class of 1978), MLB third baseman for the New York Mets{{cite web|url=https://www.tbnweekly.com/clearwater_beacon/article_3f6bb9aa-5639-11ec-a411-e74d266cbac3.html|title=Clearwater’s 'HoJo' forsakes the mound, slugs his way into big-league success|website=TBNweekly|author-first1=Dan|author-last1=Hirshberg|date=5 December 2021|archive-date=19 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119020455/https://www.tbnweekly.com/clearwater_beacon/article_3f6bb9aa-5639-11ec-a411-e74d266cbac3.html|url-status=live|access-date=21 April 2025}}
  • Hassan Jones (class of 1982), NFL wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings{{cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/stu-s-hunt-down-ex-vikings-wr-hassan-jones/102556129|website=The Minnesota Star Tribune|title=Stu's Hunt Down: Ex-Vikings WR Hassan Jones|author-first1=Michael|author-last1=Rand|date=9 September 2010|access-date=19 April 2025}}
  • Luke Loucks (class of 2008), assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors
  • Robert Margalis (class of 1999), Olympic team trials swimmer and Pan American Games gold medalist{{cite web |title=Robert Margalis |url=https://www.usaswimming.org/meet-the-team/national-team/bio/robert-margalis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213846/https://www.usaswimming.org/meet-the-team/national-team/bio/robert-margalis |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |website=USA Swimming}}
  • Nancy McEldowney (class of 1977), academic{{Cite web|title=Director of the Foreign Service Institute: Who Is Nancy McEldowney?|url=http://www.allgov.com/news?news=860111|access-date=2019-05-08|website=AllGov|author-first1=Steve|author-last1=Straehley|date=8 March 2017}}
  • Bruce Melnick (class of 1967), NASA astronaut{{cite web|url=https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/clearwater-high-grad-is-headed-for-space-and-shes-not-the-first/67-391044858|first1=Grayson|last1=Kamm|title=Clearwater High grad is headed for space -- and she's not the first|website=10 Tampa Bay|publisher=TEGNA Inc.|date=August 14, 2009|access-date=June 23, 2024|quote=That's because Clearwater High has produced not one -- but two astronauts. Bruce Melnick flew on two shuttles in the early '90's.}}
  • Scott Nicolas (class of 1978), NFL linebacker for the Cleveland Browns{{cite web|url=https://www.umsportshalloffame.com/scott-nicolas.html|title=Scott Nicolas|website=Football|publisher=University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame & Museum|location=Coral Gables, Florida|year=2019|access-date=11 October 2024}}
  • Joel Parker (class of 1970), NFL wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints{{cite press release|url=https://www.pcsb.org/cms/lib/FL01903687/Centricity/Domain/13217/TORNADO%20HALL%20OF%20FAME%20INDUCTION%20INFORMATION.pdf|publisher=Pinellas County Schools|title=Tornado Hall of Fame Induction Information|access-date=21 April 2025|url-status=live}}
  • Steve Mokate (class of 1978), actor, best known for his projects, The Hunt (2020 film), and Better Call Saul {{cite web|title=IMDb Profile: steve-mokate|website=IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3153753/|url-status=live|access-date=April 1, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250217050944/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3153753/|archive-date=February 17, 2025}}
  • Nicole Passonno Stott (class of 1980), NASA astronaut{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32462494|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205021426/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32462494|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 5, 2022|title=Clearwater High grad to join space station|first1=Jeff|last1=Houck|date=August 18, 2009|access-date=June 23, 2024|website=NBC News|publisher=NBC Universal|quote=After graduating from Clearwater High School, Stott studied aviation administration at the Clearwater and Tarpon Springs campuses of what later became St. Petersburg College.}}
  • Okaro White (class of 2010), NBA power forward for the Miami Heat{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/high-schools/2018/05/31/former-clearwater-teammates-on-opposing-sidelines-for-nba-finals/|title=Former Clearwater teammates on opposing sidelines for NBA Finals|first1=Bob|last1=Putnam|website=Tampa Bay Times|publisher=Times Publishing Company|date=May 31, 2018|access-date=June 20, 2024}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{Official|https://www.pcsb.org/clearwater-hs}}

{{Coord|27.959343|-82.754585|type:edu_region:US|display=title}}

{{authority control}}

Category:High schools in Pinellas County, Florida

Category:Public high schools in Florida

Category:Educational institutions established in 1906

Category:1906 establishments in Florida