Meridian High School (Idaho)

Meridian High School
Location
1900 W. Pine Ave. Meridian, Idaho, U.S.
Information
Type	Public
Founded	1904, 1975 (current)
School district	Meridian
Principal	Geoff Stands
Vice principals	Kylee Bendorf Scot Montoya John Labbe
Faculty	87
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	1,881
Color(s)	Blue & Gold
Athletics	IHSAA Class 5A
Athletics conference	Southern Idaho (5A) (SIC)
Mascot	Warrior
Newspaper	Warwhoop
Yearbook	Mana Ha Sa
Information	(208) 350-4160
Website	Meridian High School

Meridian High School is a four-year public secondary school within the Meridian School District located in Meridian, Idaho, comprising grades 9-12.

History

The school began classes in the year of 1904 at the corners of Pine Street and Meridian Road, in a one-room schoolhouse. Meridian High was the first high school in the Meridian area. During most of the twentieth century, Meridian and surrounding areas were separated from Boise to the east by a significant amount of agricultural land, which later became developed.

In 1975, a larger, more modern campus (initially containing four buildings) was built at the present location, at the intersection of Pine Ave. and Linder Rd. With enrollment already exceeding capacity when the new campus opened, an addition to the classroom building was completed the following year. Growth continued into the mid-1980s, forcing the school to adopt a split-shift schedule to accommodate the 2,400 students attending a facility built for 1,800.

Until 1987, it was the only high school in the Meridian School District, and had the largest enrollment in the state. With rapid growth in the Meridian and west Boise area, four additional high schools opened in the next two decades to relieve congestion:

• Centennial (1987)
• Eagle (1995)
• Mountain View (2003)
• Rocky Mountain (2008)

In the fall of 2007, a new PTC building was constructed, housing three new shops and adding additional space for students and faculty. Additional space for the Future Farmers of America (FFA) was also established.

School Information

The school enrollment currently stands at 1755.

The school sits on a sprawling campus, with six permanent buildings, connected by an outdoor courtyard. The school has changed buildings three times since forming, all at different locations near the center of Meridian.

• The main classroom building has a designated hall for each of the four grade levels, a library, and the main office.
• The Warrior Gym contains the original gym, locker rooms, weight rooms, wrestling room, and athletic department offices;
• The Performing Arts building includes rooms for the band, choir and drama departments with an auditorium and stage;
• Beside the Performing Arts building is the Art building, that has multi purpose rooms.
• Behind is the Warrior Stadium, the home to the 2005 and 2007 5A State Football Champions.
• Where the old football practice field and softball field once stood is now the Agriculture Building, home to a prominent FFA program.

Athletics

The Warriors have won over 60 district and 25 state championships. The most recent additions were the 5A state football (fall 2007) and state and national dance championships.

• Fall sports: Soccer, Football, Cross Country, Volleyball
• Winter sports: Wrestling, Basketball, Ice hockey.
• Spring sports: Baseball, Softball, Golf, Tennis, Track, and Lacrosse.
• Year-round sports and activities: Swimming, Cheer, Dance, Competitive Speech and Debate

State titles

Boys

• Football (3): fall 1986, 2005, 2007 (official with introduction of playoffs, fall 1979)
  • (unofficial poll titles - 0) (poll introduced in 1963, through 1978)
• Cross Country (3): fall 1986, 1998, 2001 (introduced in 1964)
• Basketball (3): 1979, 1983, 1992
• Wrestling (3): 1985, 1986, 1987 (introduced in 1958)
• Baseball (2): 1985, 1987 (records not kept by IHSAA, state tourney introduced in 1971)
• Track (2): 1986, 1987
• Golf (4): 1983, 2001, 2002, 2003 (introduced in 1956)

Girls

• Cross Country (4): fall 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 (introduced in 1974)
• Volleyball (1) fall 1981 (introduced in 1976)
• Basketball (4): 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 (introduced in 1976)
• Track (1): 1986 (introduced in 1971)

Combined

• Tennis (3): 1963, 1964, 1983 (introduced in 1963, combined team until 2008)

School newspaper

The Meridian High Newspaper, the Warwhoop, has history dating back to the 1940s. The current layout design program used is Adobe InDesign CS3. The Warwhoop's historic papers are located in Meridian High School in the current newspaper room.

Yearbook

The school's yearbook is called the Mana Ha Sa which is said to be how MHS is pronounced by some unspecified Native Americans. The current layout design program used is Adobe InDesign CS3.

Bands

The band program consists of three bands: Marching, Symphonic, and concert.

Notable alumni

• Gracie Pfost (attended, '24) - state's first woman in Congress (1953–63)
• Vern Law ('48) - MLB pitcher, 162 wins
• Ron Packard ('49) - former congressman from California
• William Agee ('56) - business executive
• Max Butler - Former security consultant and online hacker arrested for the theft of over 2 million credit card numbers. Currently imprisoned at the Federal Prison Camp, Yankton, a minimum security prison in South Dakota. He is scheduled for release in 2019.

See also

Meridian School District

External links

• Official website
• MHS Class of 1979 - Reunion Website
• MHS Class of 1980 - Reunion Website | 30YR Reunion is July 23–25, 2010
• MHS Class of 80 Facebook page - MHS80 Reunion Facebook page