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Revision as of 19:30, 12 January 2008 by PCHS Pirate Alumnus (talk | contribs) (Please add more references.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Charlotte High School | |
|---|---|
 Aerial image of the Charlotte High School campus | |
| Address | |
| 1250 Cooper Street Punta Gorda, Florida USA | |
| Information | |
| Type | Free public secondary |
| Established | 1926 |
| Principal | Bernard Duffy |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Number of students | 2,006 (as of 2006-07) |
| Campus size | 325,000 square feet (7.5 acres) |
| Color(s) | Blue and gold |
| Mascot | Fighting Tarpons |
| Website | chs.ccps.k12.fl.us/ |
| Charlotte High School | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
.JPG) Main building after hurricane, prior to deconstruction | |
| Architectural style | Masonry Vernacular with Neo-Classical elements |
|---|---|
| NRHP reference No. | 90001796 |
| Added to NRHP | December 12, 1990 |
Charlotte High School (also referred to as Charlotte, Charlotte High, CHS or Punta Gorda High School) is a free historic public high school in Punta Gorda, Florida, United States serving ninth through twelfth grade students. The school is part of the Charlotte County School District, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. Established in 1926, Charlotte High is located at 1250 Cooper Street. The school carries the slogan of "Charlotte County's First and Finest" since it remained the only high school in Charlotte County, Florida for many years until its top rival schools, Port Charlotte High School and Lemon Bay High School, respectively, were built.
On December 12, 1990, the main three-story building was added to the United States' National Register of Historic Places. After suffering from severe damage due to Hurricane Charley, this building along with the rest of the campus is currently being rebuilt in five phases at a cost of at least $87 million with a expected completion date in mid-2010.
History
Punta Gorda Grammar and High School opened its doors in 1907 with an enrollment of 150 students. Construction of a new school on Taylor Street began in 1911 due to overcrowding issues. However, by 1926 after the construction of the first bridge to cross Charlotte Harbor, bussing increased Punta Gorda's enrollment to 1,000 which in turn lead to the construction of Charlotte High School.
Hurricane Charley hit the Punta Gorda area at the beginning of the school year on August 13, 2004 as a Category 4 hurricane, causing major damage to the high school. After seventeen days of hiatus, the students attended Port Charlotte High School during the 12:45 - 6 p.m. afternoon shift for most of the 2004-2005 school year. Afterwards, the students were moved back on campus to portables. Charlotte High was one of the six schools in the county that were destroyed or heavily damaged however the cafeteria and auditorium still remained intact. Despite the severe damage the three-story main building sustained, it was decided to try to save this historical landmark. The plan incorporated this building to have its entire interior to be redone, but its facade will remain and the rest of the campus will be built around its neoclassical style. A ceremony took place in late May of 2007 for the groundbreaking of the aforementioned building and the new facility that will group up to 1,800 students by class and provide a courtyard inside the linked structures. Harvard Jolly is the architectural firm working on the project.
The History Channel's inaugural Save Our History Grant was awarded in 2005 to the Charlotte County Historical Society, in partnership with high school students from Charlotte High School and Port Charlotte High School. Putting aside academic and athletic rivalry, the students collaborated to preserve their community's experience through oral history.
Extracurricular activities
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Charlotte High School offers a variety of activities to students at all levels, during three athletic seasons. Basketball, baseball/softball, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track/cross country, volleyball, wrestling and boys/girls weightlifting are available.
Despite the damage done to the campus, the school continues to maintain a number of successful sports and academic teams. The Model United Nations team has won top honors at many state, regional, and national conferences. The school's United States Academic Decathlon has thrice competed at the national level as state champions.
- Student Government
SGA (Student Government Association) is very active in the school as well as on a district and state level. They travel to district and state meetings with the Florida Association of Student Councils. From 2004-2007 they were District 4 Historian and from 2007-2009 they are District President. They also compete in the FASC Medallion Council where they have won gold every year since they began in 2005. Their current advisor is George Sansone.
- Theatre
The school Thespian Troupe 0922 inaugurated the Charlotte County Performing Arts Center black-box theatre with a performance of 12 Angry Men that won critical accolades. Thespian Troupe 0922 has, on average, three performances each year. In January of 2007, Troupe 0922 performed at the District Thespian Festival, and won 4 superior awards and 9 excellent awards. In April, many of these students will be performing at the State Thespian Festival in Tampa, Florida.
Notable Alumni
- Burton Lawless — former football guard who played for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League from 1975 through 1979. Listed as as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" for Florida High School Football.
- Tommy Murphy — an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
- Matthew LaPorta — minor league left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers.
- Jeff Corsaletti — professional baseball player who currently plays for the Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
References
- ^ Dale, Kevin (2007-05-24). "A new day for Charlotte High". Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
- "2006/2007 Demographic Makeup By School of Attendance". Your Charlotte County Public Schools. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
- ^ "FLORIDA - Charlotte County". National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2006-09-25.
- "Florida's History Through Its Places - Charlotte County". Myflorida.com. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
- "About Charlotte High School". Tarpon Alumni. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
- "Our History". Your Charlotte County Public Schools. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
- Tierney, Dan (2004-08-25). "School times set". Sun-Herald. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Quinn, Carolyn (2007-05-24). "Charlotte High begins rebuilding". Sun-Herald. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
- Alain Jehlen / Dave Winans (2004). "NEA Today Storm Season". National Education Association. Retrieved 2007-02-04.
In Charlotte County, where 6 of 21 schools were destroyed or heavily damaged, students were forced to attend the remaining safe schools in shifts. Some start as early as 6 a.m. Others end as late as 7:10 p.m.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - "Historical Society Receives Save Our History Grant" (PDF). Florida Preservation News. Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources. 2005. pp. pp. 5. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
{{cite web}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - Scott, Anna (2006-01-10). "James Lawless, former schools superintendent, dies at 86". Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "5 SFWL players named to State All-Time Prep Football Top 100". MSNBC. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
- Fineran, John. "Baseball's return tops 2006 stories". Sun-Herald. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
- Miller, Glen (2007-08-12). "Minor League Notebook". News-Press. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Maffezzoli, Dennis (2007-05-25). "Corsaletti gets taste of majors with Rocket". Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
External links
- Charlotte HS official website
- Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs - Charlotte High School