Clarke Central High School

Summary

Clarke Central High School (CCHS) is located in Athens, Georgia, United States. In 1970, Clarke County schools were desegregated, and the high school for black children, Burney-Harris High School (formerly Athens High and Industrial School), and the high school for white children, Athens High, merged to establish Clarke Central. Classes in the newly formed school began in 1971.[4][5]

Clarke Central High School
Location
Map
350 S. Milledge Avenue
Athens, Georgia, 30605

United States
Coordinates33°57′04″N 83°23′24″W / 33.950985°N 83.389921°W / 33.950985; -83.389921
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1971[1]
School districtClarke County School District
PrincipalSwade Huff
Faculty98
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,800 (2018–19)[2]
Student to teacher ratio16.33
Campus typeDay school
Color(s)Red and gold    
Athletics13 sports
Athletics conferenceGeorgia High School Association, class AAAAA, Region 8
NicknameGladiators
PublicationOdyssey Newsmagazine[3]
YearbookGladius
Websitehttps://www.clarke.k12.ga.us/clarkecentral

CCHS is in the Clarke County School District and is one of two traditional high schools in the county; the other is Cedar Shoals High School. The two schools have a rivalry known as the Classic City Championship. The Clarke County School District is also home to a third, non-traditional high school, Classic City High.

Located in the heart of the city, CCHS's original building opened in 1952. Since then, the school has seen several renovations and additions. A modern three-story classroom and lab addition opened in 2006. Other improvements include a new gymnasium, theater, and food court.

As of 2022, the school is on a four-period block schedule with students completing eight credits per year and four per semester.

Academics edit

Clarke Central High School's success in improving students' SAT scores earned the school the regional Governor's Cup in 2006 and 2007. The governor's office presents the award each year to Georgia schools that achieve the greatest gains in average SAT scores.

In 2010, U.S. News & World Report awarded Clarke Central the Silver Medal and ranked the school in the top 3% of high schools nationwide and in the top 11 in the state of Georgia. Newsweek named CCHS one of America's Best Schools and placed it in the 96th percentile of high schools nationwide.[6]

In 2012, Clarke Central was named an AP Science, Technology, Electronics, and Mathematics Honor School by the Georgia Department of Education. It was ranked in the top 11% of high schools nationwide by the Washington Post's High School Challenge.

In 2013, Clarke Central Principal Dr. Robbie P. Hooker was named the Georgia Principal of the Year by the NSSPC.

Athletics edit

Athletics teams at Clarke Central High School are known as the Gladiators.

Sports offered include cheerleading, cross country, football, fast-pitch softball, volleyball, basketball, swimming and diving, wrestling, baseball, golf, soccer, tennis, and track. Most of Clarke Central's sports are represented by men's and women's teams.

Coach Billy Henderson, one of the most successful coaches in Georgia High School history, coached the Gladiators from the 1970's through 1995. Henderson's final record with Clarke Central was 222-65-1 and he had an overall record of 285-107-15 .Henderson received the Atlanta Falcons Lifetime Achievement Award.[9] He made eighteen straight play-off appearances and ended his head coaching career with three state football championships, three baseball championships, and one swimming championship.[1]: 121  The former head football coach, Ahren Self, played defensive back for the Citadel from 1991 the 1994. There he was voted "Most Outstanding Defensive Back" following his senior year. In 1992, he was selected as Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week, as well as South Carolina Defensive Player of the Week. Coach Self was also a member of the team that upset Division I-A Arkansas and won the Southern Conference Championship in 1992.

In 2010, the Gladiators captured the Region 8-AAAA Championship and finished the regular season 10-0.[7] In 2009, the team finished 8-2 in the regular season, appeared in the final round of the state football tournament, and finished #2 in the AP poll.

In 2018, The CCHS women's cross country won their first Region Championships in school history led by sophomore Samantha Brodrick who broke her mother's 24-year-old school record in the 5k.[citation needed]

In 2021, The Gladiator men's cross country team won the Region 8-AAAAA Championship led by sophomore Beck Wolf-Hardy and junior Max Carlson.

Clarke Central's football team is currently coached by former University of Georgia baseball coach David Perno.

State championship titles edit

Year Sport Notes
1971 Cross country (men)
1971 Golf (men)
1976 Cross country (men)
1977 Football
1979 Football
1984 Tennis (men)
1984 Track (men)
1985 Football
1987 Tennis (men) tied with Riverwood
1988 Tennis tied with Dunwoody
1999 Soccer (men)
2011 Track (men)

Student life edit

Fine arts organizations edit

The school has award-winning band, orchestra, drama, and chorus programs.

Literary organizations edit

The school's yearbook, the Gladius, is an all-color annual, published by Lifetouch.

The school's literary-art magazine, the iliad, and the school's newsmagazine, the ODYSSEY, have won gold medals from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and top honors from the University of Georgia's Georgia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, the Southern Interscholastic Press Association, and the Quill and Scroll Honor Society.

Demographics edit

  • American Indian/Alaskan Native - 0%
  • Asian - 2%
  • Black or African American - 44%
  • Hispanic - 24%
  • Multi-Racial - 4%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander - 0%
  • White/Caucasian - 26%

Student body population - 1,833

These statistics were current as of January 9, 2023.[8]

Notable alumni edit

References edit

  1. ^ Clarke Central High School Archived 2009-02-21 at the Wayback Machine. (2010). Clarke County School District. Accessed 9-24-2010.
  2. ^ "2018-2020 School Growth Plan". Clarke County School District. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  3. ^ Odyssey Newsmagazine
  4. ^ http://www.clarke.k12.ga.us/ClarkeHigh.cfm Archived 2009-02-21 at the Wayback Machine. "Clarke Central High School". Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  5. ^ http://onlineathens.com/stories/062811/new_849675910.shtml#.VXMkVf3D-M8 . "Group slowly collecting artifacts from Burney-Harris High". Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  6. ^ "Clarke Central High School: Celebrating Excellence" (PDF). Clarke County School District. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  7. ^ Jeff Cochran, Gladiators claim first region title since 2003 Clarke Central 21, Flowery Branch 0 Athens Banner-Herald, November 6, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  8. ^ "Clarke Central High School (2023-24 Ranking) - Athens, GA". 25 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Paul Broun".
  10. ^ Frank Bush Archived 2008-03-11 at the Wayback Machine, database Football. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
  11. ^ The Maroon. Athens, Georgia: Athens High School. 1944. p. 11.
  12. ^ Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp Archived 2010-09-23 at the Wayback Machine. (2010). "Georgia Secretary of State". Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  13. ^ "Todd Grant Kimsey obituary". Athens Banner-Herald. 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  14. ^ "Housewives" Kandi Burruss, Phaedra Parks, Sheree Whitfield hit the gym - Atlanta Journal-Constitution Archived 2012-01-03 at the Wayback Machine

External links edit

  • Clarke Central High School
  • Clarke Central High School Gladiators
  • Odyssey Newsmagazine
  • Athens High and Industrial School historical marker