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Southaven High School
Location
Southaven, Mississippi 38671 United States
Information
Type	Public secondary
Established	1971
School district	DeSoto County School District
CEEB code	252823
Principal	Shane Jones
Grades	9-12
Number of students	1429
Color(s)	Orange and Blue
Team name	Chargers
Accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Publication	Ittog oy (Literary Magazine)
Newspaper	Charger Thunder
Yearbook	Charger Yearbook
Website	http://www.desotocountyschools.org/shs/

Southaven High School is a public secondary school located in Southaven, Mississippi. It began in the fall of 1971, when construction was completed enough so that students could start the first classes. The original school taught 6th through 12th grade. The student parking lot had not been finished, so students parked in the street and the dirt in front of the school. Students from Southaven could now attend a High School of their own, as most were forced to attend Horn Lake High several miles away. The first graduating class of Southaven voted for the school's mascot, and various other decisions were also made at this time. 1972 was the year of the first graduating class. Sadly, Southaven High and Horn Lake High could not hold all of the new students as both towns continued to grow. So, in 2004 the citizens of DeSoto County voted to pass a school bond proposal worth $115 million to help expand and replace some of the county's aging schools. Southaven High and Horn Lake High were to be replaced with the new Desoto County High facility. Ground was broken during the summer of 2005 on a plot of land directly east of the original High School. The facility was completed fall of 2006. It did not open until January 2007, to allow for a smoother student transition. The former Southaven High was transformed into Southaven Middle School, serving 6th through 8th grades. The former middle school building now houses Southaven Intermediate School, serving 3rd through 5th grades.

Fast-forward to present day and we find Desoto County High School serving students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the DeSoto County School District. It currently has an enrollment of 1,429 students and staffs 87 faculty. Mrs. Shannon Fusco is the current principal.

New Campus

Athletics

Males and females have their own teams for basketball, soccer, track, cross country, and golf. Only males can play football and baseball. Volleyball, softball, and color guard are restricted to females. Tennis and cheerleading are the only co-ed sports offered at Southaven.

Performing and Visual Arts

• The Southaven High School Band Program, directed by Andy Sanders, consistently receives superior ratings at marching and concert assessments. The Pride of Southaven is a two-time consecutive winner in the largest divisions of the MBA-MHSAA State Marching Championships (5A in 2008 & 6A in 2009).
• The Southaven High School Theatre program is guided by Mary Anderson. They perform a play during the fall and a musical during the spring. Over the years, the productions have received numerous nominations for and were winners of the "Allie Awards" presented by the North Mississippi Theatre Alliance.
• The Southaven High School Choral Program is directed by Jabarie Glass and Claire Taylor. All choral ensembles consistently receive superior ratings at district, state, and national choral festivals. The Southaven Concert Singers were named Grand Sweepstakes Champions at the Ole Miss Choral Festival in 2007 and 2008 and the Women's Choir was named Grand Sweepstakes Champions of the 2010 festival. The Southaven Chamber Singers were also selected to perform at the 2011 MMEA/MS-ACDA State Conference in Jackson, MS.

• On January 2013 Southaven High established the first student council in the school's 41 year history. The council has six positions, including president, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, fundraising officer, and Reporter. Within a week of the council's creation Southaven High elected students from grades 9-12 to fill all positions. The current position holders are Michael Carroll, President, Chase Keeney, Vice President, Dalton Free, Secretary, Brandon Salmon, Reporter, and Dylan Vanvolkenburg, fundraising officer.

The other performing and visual arts courses offered are Class Piano, Music Appreciation, AP Studio Art, AP Art History, Ceramics, Photography, and General Art.

Notable alumni

• John Grisham - author
• Marcus "Joey" Higgins - All star lacrosse player at University of Memphis.
• Zach Conner - University of Arkansas rugby player. Full back for the USA Rugby League team Jacksonville Axemen

Administration

• Mrs. Shannon Fusco, Principal
• Mrs. Karen Pella, Assistant Principal

References

1. State Superintendent of Education's Weekly Column
2. "The John Grisham Room - The Writer". Mississippi State University Libraries. Retrieved 2006-07-06.

External links

• Official School Website

34°58′35″N 90°00′21″W / 34.97639°N 90.00583°W / 34.97639; -90.00583

• Public high schools in Mississippi
• Educational institutions established in 1972
• Schools in DeSoto County, Mississippi