Ballard High School (Seattle)
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A part of the Seattle Public Schools, Ballard High School was established in 1901, and was named for Captain William Rankin Ballard. It has served the historically Scandinavian community of Ballard, Seattle, USA ever since. The original building was torn down and a modern facility was built during the 1997-1999 school years. During this time, students attended Ballard High School at Abraham Lincoln High School (Seattle). In 2003 their football team managed second in state, and in 2005 their track team also took second in state - making Ballard a powerhouse in Seattle high school athletics. The principal at Ballard is alumnus (1976) Phil Brockman.
The mission statement of Ballard High School is: "Ballard High School is a nurturing community of learners, where rigorous engagement with knowledge and technology is balanced with respect for personal development, for our common humanity, and for the health of our planet."
BHS offers AP courses after the ninth grade level. It also provides or has provided special university prep curricula, including the Maritime Academy, Academy of Finance, and Project-Lead-The-Way (a pre-engineering curriculum), and the Biotech Academy.
[edit] Statistics
As of 2005 Ballard High school had an enrollment of 1675 students with a graduating class of 357. Of the 2005 graduates, 82% continued in some sort of higher education. For the 2005 class, Ballard High School had a dropout rate of 7.4%, compared to 21.6% for Seattle Public Schools. During the 2004-2005 school year students taking the SAT averaged a score of 1075
[edit] Trivia
- The school theater is named in honor of alumnus and long-time teacher (now retired) Earl Kelly.
- American actress Jean Smart (Designing Women) is a 1969 Ballard graduate.
- Filmmaker Jesse Harris is a 2004 graduate, and filmed part of his award-winning (Audience Choice, Orinda Film Festival 2004) feature length motion picture Living Life at the school in the summer before his senior year (2003).
- In 1995, an episode of the television show Under One Roof was filmed, in part, at Ballard High school. They had no choice. The show was later cancelled.
- Mixed Martial Arts fighter Kyle Regan went to Ballard.
- 1977 graduate Gale Hansen starred (playing an 18 year old high school senior at age 30) in the 1989 film Dead Poets Society with Robin Williams and as a Navy SEAL in the 1991 film Finest Hour with Rob Lowe.
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