Tupelo High School

{{for|the high school in Oklahoma|Tupelo High School (Oklahoma)}}

{{Infobox school

| name = Tupelo High School

| location = 4125 Golden Wave Drive
Tupelo, Mississippi 38801

| image_name =

| district = Tupelo Public School District

| country = United States

| coordinates = {{coord|34.232|N|88.764|W|region: US_type:edu}}

| principal = Melissa Thomas

| teaching_staff = 133.33 (on FTE basis){{cite web |url=http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=280432000819&ID=280432000819 |title=Tupelo High School |publisher=National Center for Education Statistics |accessdate=April 4, 2025}}

| ratio = 15.76

| type = Public

| grades = 9 to 12

| gender = Co-ed

| accreditation = Southern Association of Colleges and Schools{{cite web |url=http://www.sacscasi.org/schools/Proceedings_Accredited_SACS_CASI_MS.html |title=SACS CASI Accredited Schools |publisher=Southern Association of Colleges and Schools |date=January 15, 2008 |accessdate=2008-02-06 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080127074055/http://www.sacscasi.org/schools/Proceedings_Accredited_SACS_CASI_MS.html |archivedate = 2008-01-27}}

| conference =

| mascot = Golden Wave

| colors = Blue and Gold {{color box|blue}}{{color box|gold}}

| rival =

| yearbook = The Album

| newspaper =The Hi-Times{{cite web |title=About – THS Current | url=https://thscurrent.org/about/ |accessdate=22 June 2019}}

| established = 1914

| enrollment = 2,101

| enrollment_as_of = 2023{{ndash}}2024

| homepage = {{url|https://www.tupeloschools.com/tupelo-high-school}}

}}

Tupelo High School is the only public high school in Tupelo, Mississippi. The campus consists of fourteen buildings, including a Performing Arts Center, separate buildings for social studies, English, math, sciences, fine arts, and a self-contained grade-9 building.

The current student population of the school is around 2,000 students. As of 2014–2015, it is the largest enrolled public high school in the state of Mississippi. The class of 2015 consisted of 438 graduates. The school offers a curriculum containing 160 Carnegie units, 24 of which are Advanced Placement.

Tupelo High School is a two-time National Blue Ribbon School award winner, having won the award in 1983-1984 and another in 1999–2000.{{cite web|url=http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf|title=Blue Ribbon Schools|publisher= United States Department of Education Program- Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 199-2002 }}

The school's boundary includes the vast majority of Tupelo and a portion of Saltillo.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28081_lee/DC20SD_C28081.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lee County, MS|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=2022-07-31}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28081_lee/DC20SD_C28081_SD2MS.txt Text list]

History

Until 1971 and desegregation, Black students in Tupelo attended Lee County Training School and then Carver High School. The segregated schools alternated nights using Robins Field for football games.{{cite news |title=Dozens celeberate [sic] George Washington Carver school reunion |url=https://www.wtva.com/content/news/Dozens-celeberate-George-Washington-Carver-school-reunion-487579241.html |accessdate=4 November 2018 |date=7 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813140337/https://www.wtva.com/content/news/dozens-celeberate-george-washington-carver-school-reunion-487579241.html|archive-date=August 13, 2018}}

Demographics

In 2023, the student body was about 49 percent Black, 36 percent White, and 8 percent Hispanic. {{Cite web | url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/mississippi/districts/tupelo-public-school-district/tupelo-high-school-11438 | title=Tupelo High School | website=www.usnews.com}}

Student life

As of 2022- 2023, Tupelo High School offers extracurricular activities, including football, slowpitch and fastpitch softball, cross country, volleyball, swimming, basketball, soccer, bowling, archery, baseball, wrestling, golf, tennis, cheer, and track and field. In addition to athletics, the school offers other clubs, such as theatre, a school newspaper, arts, and mock trials.

Notable alumni

Chad Bumphis, professional football player{{cite web |title=Chad Bumphis |url=http://www.nfl.com/player/chadbumphis/2539952/profile |accessdate=21 February 2014 |publisher=National Football League}}
Alex Carrington, professional football player {{cite web |title=Alex Carrington |url=http://www.nfl.com/player/alexcarrington/496766/profile |accessdate=21 February 2014 |publisher=National Football League}}
Russell Copeland, professional football player {{cite web |title=Russell Copeland |url=https://www.nfl.com/players/russell-copeland/ |accessdate=3 June 2023 |publisher=National Football League}}
Frank Dowsing, first black football player at both THS and Mississippi State{{cite news |last1=Maraniss |first1=Andrew |title=Frank Dowsing, Mississippi State's first black football player, is almost unknown today |url=https://andscape.com/features/frank-dowsing-mississippi-states-first-black-football-player-is-almost-unknown-today/ |accessdate=24 July 2018 |date=31 August 2017}}
John Dye, actor{{cite news| url=http://movies.nytimes.com/person/20886/John-Dye/biography | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526044004/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/20886/John-Dye/biography | url-status=dead | archive-date=2009-05-26 | department=Movies & TV Dept. | work=The New York Times | date=2009 | title=Movies: Biography for John Dye | accessdate=2010-05-26}}
Deandre' Eiland, professional football player {{cite web |title=Deandre' Eiland |url=https://www.nfl.com/players/deandre-eiland/ |accessdate=3 June 2023 |publisher=National Football League}}
Mikky Ekko, singer-songwriter
Adam Grace, musician
Jarious Jackson, professional football player{{cite web |title=Jarious Jackson |url=https://www.nfl.com/players/jarious-jackson/ |accessdate=3 June 2023 |publisher=National Football League}}
Jett Johnson, college football linebacker for the Mississippi State Bulldogs{{cite web |last1=Costabile |first1=Annie |title=Family divided for Tupelo star linebacker Jett Johnson |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/03/22/family-divided-tupelo-star-linebacker/99504022/ |website=The Clarion-Ledger |date=22 March 2017 |access-date=11 April 2024}}
Todd Jordan, professional football player and Tupelo mayor
Ken Kirk, professional football player {{cite web |title=Ken Kirk |url=https://www.nfl.com/players/ken-kirk/ |accessdate=3 June 2023 |publisher=National Football League}}
Rae Sremmurd, hip-hop duo
Chris Stratton, professional baseball player
Tan White, professional basketball player{{cite web|title=Tan White|url=http://www.wnba.com/playerfile/tan_white/|publisher=Women's National Basketball Association|accessdate=21 February 2014}}
Tamika Whitmore, retired professional basketball player{{cite web |title=Tupelo… Birthplace of Elvis Presley and Home of Our Tamika Whitmore |url=http://www.wnba.com/sparks/news/whit_interview.html |accessdate=21 February 2014 |publisher=Women's National Basketball Association}}

References

External links

[http://www.tupeloschools.com/Tupelo_High/high_school.asp Tupelo High School home page]. Tupelo High School on 2008–02–06.

Category:Public high schools in Mississippi

Category:Buildings and structures in Tupelo, Mississippi

Category:Schools in Lee County, Mississippi