Decatur High School (Georgia)
| Decatur High School | |
|---|---|
| File:Dhs front1.jpg | |
| Location | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Motto | "Carpe Diem" |
| Established | 1912 |
| School district | City Schools of Decatur |
| Principal | Lauri McKain-Fernández |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | ~800 |
| Campus | Urban |
| Color(s) | Navy Blue and Old Gold |
| Mascot | Bulldog |
| Information | 404-370-4420 |
| Accreditation | SACS |
| Region | 6B in Class AA (GHSA) |
| Website | www.dhs.cityschoolsofdecatur.com |
Decatur High School (DHS) is a high school in Decatur, Georgia, with an enrollment of approx. 800 students. It is the sole high school in the City Schools of Decatur School system. The school was established in 1912 in the heart of Decatur, at walking distance from the city square, courthouse, and MARTA station.
Administration
- Principal: Lauri McKain-Fernández
- Assistant Principal: Calvin Leaks
- Dean of Students: Arlethea Williams
- Director of Career & Technology Education: Steve Powell
- Athletic Director (System Position): Carter Wilson
Academics
The school offers General, Advanced, and Advanced Placement classes on a 4 by 4 block scheduling system. The school met Adequate Yearly Progress for the 2005-2006 school year. Typically, 85 percent of the graduating class plans for college and receives the HOPE Scholarship.
AP classes offered
- Biology
- Calculus AB
- Calculus BC (by demand)
- Chemistry
- Environmental Science
- European History
- United States Government & Politics
- Language and Composition
- Literature and Composition
- Statistics
- United States History
- World History
Alma Mater
Sung to the tune of Cayuga's Waters
In the heart of old Decatur,
With its skies of blue,
Stands our noble Alma Mater,
Glorious to view.
Lift the chorus, speed it onward,
Loud her praises cry,
Hail to thee, our Alma Mater!
Hail, Decatur High!
Walls of knowledge, hope, and courage
In tradition bound,
Reared against the arch of heaven,
Looks she proudly down,
Lift the chorus, speed it onward,
Loud her praises cry.
Hail to thee, our Alma Mater!
Hail, Decatur High!
Awards
- The Decatur Mock Trial team won the DeKalb Regional Championship of the Georgia Mock Trial Competition for the fifth consecutive year, and placed 3rd at the state level in the 2005-2006 competition.
- The Journalism department's production, Carpe Diem, has consistently won top national awards, including the Gold Crown of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the Pacemaker of the National Scholastic Press Association, and the George Gallup Award.
- The yearbook was featured in the Gallery of Excellence by its publisher, the Walsworth Publishing Company.
Athletic Accomplishments
2005-2006
- Girls Varsity Volleyball 1st in Area 4 A/AA, competed in Final Four in State AA
- Boys Cross Country 4th in State AA
- Softball 1st in Region 5-AA, competed in State AA tournament for first time in DHS history
- Varsity Football 2nd in Region 5-AA, made AA State Playoffs for third consecutive year
- JROTC Raiders win State Championship
- Boys Varsity Basketball 3rd in Region 5-AA, competed in Elite Eight for AA State Playoffs; ranked #8 in Final Poll by the GA Sportswriters
- Girls Track/Field 2nd in Region 5-AA; 1st in State
- Boys Track/Field 2nd in Region 5-AA and 3rd in State (Rodney McDowell set a school record with 5 gold medals at Region and 1st at State for 300 IH )
- Boys Varsity Soccer finished 1st in Area 5-A/AA; competed in Elite Eight of State Playoffs
- Girls Varsity Soccer finished 1st in Area 5-A/AA, competed in Final Four in State A/AA
- JV Lacrosse was extremely successful, leading to varsity boys and girls teams in the 2006-2007 school year.
- Decatur High School ranked #6 in the State of Georgia in overall Athletic Excellence
2006-2007
- Girls Varsity Volleyball competed in Final Four in State AA
- Boys Cross Country 3rd in Region 6 AA, 3rd in State
Campus
The campus has four buildings:
- A main classroom building with a protruding library above the front doors, built in 1965
- A vocational building connected to the main building via a breezeway
- A stadium with a small number of classrooms, and athletic locker room facilities. It is the oldest lighted stadium in continuous use in the United States.
- A gymnasium that held the district administration offices until a recent relocation
Current plans call for a demolition of the current gymnasium and the construction of a fine arts building with a new gym as well as auditorium. These are to be built in the old gym's blueprint as well on the field that used to hold the campus's North Building before its demolition.
Notable Alumni
- DeForest Kelley '36, Star Trek Actor
- Richard Bell '38, Georgia Supreme Court Justice (1982-1992)
- Frank Broyles '43, Men's Athletic Director, University of Arkansas
- Pierre Howard, Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
- Roy Blount, Jr. '59, Author
- Caroline (Bagby) Whitson '64, Columbia College President
- Daniel Wilcox, NFL Tight End
- Jordan Grimes, NBA Point Guard
School Publications
- Newsmagazine: Carpe Diem (Member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Georgia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll, and the High School National Ad Network and winner of multiple Quill and Scroll Gallup Awards and Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown Awards.
- Yearbook: InDecatur
- Literary Magazine: Rotating Title (Current: A Roman Exploration of Terra Incognita)