Forrest City High School
In addition to Forrest City it serves other areas in central St. Francis County, including Caldwell, Colt, Madison, and Widener.
History
Serving students in grades nine through twelve since 1892, an earlier building on Rosser Street built in 1915, known as Old Central, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1992.
Forrest City High School | |
Location in Arkansas | |
Nearest city | Forrest City, Arkansas |
---|---|
Coordinates | 35°00′59″N 90°47′21″W / 35.01639°N 90.78917°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1915 |
Architect | W.C. Lester |
Architectural style | Classical Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 92001341 |
Added to NRHP | October 8, 1992 |
Black students attended a "Colored" high school where Wallace Leon Purifoy served as principal. He founded the Imperial Council of Jugamos that was headquartered in Forrest City and served as Deputy County Examiner.
Academics
Forrest City High School is accredited as a 1924 charter member of AdvancED (formerly North Central Association). The assumed course of study follows the Smart Core curriculum established by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE).
Students engage in regular and Advanced Placement (AP) coursework and exams. FCHS is a member of the Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science (AAIMS) designed to improve scores on AP exams.
Extracurricular activities
The Forrest City High School mascot is the Mustang horse with the school colors as Royal blue and white. The Forrest City Mustangs compete in the 5A East Conference administered by the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA).
The Mustangs have won several state championships including:
- Golf: The boys golf team are 2-time state golf champions (1969, 1973).
- Basketball: The Mustangs boys basketball team won its first state championship in 2014 and another in 2016.
- Track and field: The boys track teams are 6-time state track and field champions; winning three consecutive state titles in 1975, 1976 and 1977, followed by two consecutive track banners in 2006 and 2007 again in 2016.
Notable alumni
- Don Kessinger (1960) - 6x Major League Baseball All-Star player; manager of Chicago White Sox in 1979; high school All-American and NFHS National High School Hall of Fame inductee
- Stan Winfrey (1971) - former professional football player
- Jimmy Rogers (1973) - former professional football player
- Jason Jones (2003) - former professional football player
- Barrett Astin (2009) - former professional baseball player
- Cara McCollum (2010) - Miss New Jersey 2013; Miss America Contestant in 2014; news anchor
- Leo Fong (c.1946) - Actor and martial artist
References
- ^ "Search for Public Schools - Forrest City High School (050627000344)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Forrest City School District". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ "FORREST CITY HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): St. Francis County, AR" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Richardson, Clement (1919). "The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race".
- ^ "Accreditation Profile, Forrest City High School". AdvancED. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
- ^ "FCSD Designated as AAIMS School" (PDF). Mustang Times, Volume 12, Issue 2, September 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2012.