Homestead High School (Mequon, Wisconsin)
History
The area on which Homestead High School now stands originally belonged to the Potawatomi and Menominee Indians. In 1838, the land was taken by the United States government. Sales of the land occurred in 1835. In 1841 and Peter and Anna Frank received a land grant for the area, and in the following years, the 80-acre land area was owned by their children.
Homestead High School opened in 1959 with just Freshmen and Sophomores. Dr. Merton Campbell served as the first superintendent, and Lauren Dixon served as the first principal. Originally the school consisted of four wings, two music rooms, a small theater, cafeteria, and a gymnasium. Homestead has undergone four renovations/additions. In 1962, another wing was added. Three additional wings, the library, a swimming area, another gymnasium, a lecture hall, and an auditorium were added in 1968. In 1978, the school added an orchestra room. In 1998, the biggest renovation added a wing, a new heating and cooling system, fine arts rooms, another cafeteria with a food court, an academic support center, a field house for athletics, and a conference room for the district.
Enrollment
Of the 1262 students enrolled in 2021–2022, 72.9% were White, 8.7% were Black, 6.7% were Asian, 6.7% were Hispanic, and 5.1% were two or more races.
Academics
Homestead High School teaches courses in business, computer science, cooperative education, engineering and technology, English, family and consumer education, fine arts, foreign language, mathematics, physical education, science, and social studies.
Honors Courses include Advanced Creative Writing and Reading Seminar, Advanced Mass Media and Communications, Advanced Programming, Business Organization and Management, French 4, Algebra 1, Algebra 2/ Trigonometry, American Literature, Biology, Chemistry, English 9, Geometry, Precalculus BC, Independent Studies, Introduction to Business, Latin 4, Latin 5, Mandarin Chinese 4, Multimedia 3, Multivariable Calculus, Personal Finance, Product Development Projects, PLTW: Civil Engineering and Architecture, PLTW: Digital Electronics, PLTW: Computer Integrated Manufacturing, PLTW: Introduction to Engineering Design, PLTW: Principles of Engineering, and Spanish 4
Homestead offers A.P. classes in French, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Physics 1, Spanish, Statistics, United States History, American Government, Biology, Chemistry, Macroeconomics, Music Theory, Computer Science, Microeconomics, Psychology, English Language/Composition, Seminar, Research, Environmental Science, English Literature/Composition Human Geography, Physics C, Physics 2, Studio Art, and English Literature.
Recognition
In 2004 Homestead High School was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor a school can receive from the U.S. Department of Education. It was one of 33 public high schools in the United States to receive the honor that year. In 2009, BusinessWeek magazine ranked Homestead as the top high school in Wisconsin. The magazine noted that Homestead offered the "Best Overall Academic Performance". In 2011, Homestead was named one of the top 500 schools in the nation by Newsweek.
Athletics
Homestead won a state championship in boys cross country in 1967.
Homestead's football team has won six state titles (1999, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2018)
Athletic Accomplishments at a Glance:
- 28 Varsity sport programs
- 700+ Individual student athletes
- 3.53 Cumulative GPA over the last 3 trimesters
- 280+ Conference championships
- 111 Individual state champions
- 45 Team state champions
Fine Arts
The Homestead Fine Arts Department comprises five areas: Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater, and Visual Arts. Artists can select from courses in acting, directing, technical theatre, concert band, string orchestra, Highlander Choir, metals, ceramics, digital art, painting, photography, AP Music Theory, AP Research, and other stuff.
References
- ^ "Homestead High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ "Academics". Mequon-Thiensville School District. Archived from the original on 22 October 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
- ^ "Courses with Weighted Grades". Homestead High School. Mequon-Thiensville School District. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ "2004 No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon Schools All Public High Schools" (PDF). United States Department of Education. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
- ^ "America's Best High Schools: Wisconsin*". BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on January 18, 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ "America's Best High Schools". Newsweek. 16 September 2011. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ 2019 State Cross Country Meet Souvenir Program. Wisconsin Rapids, WI: Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. November 2, 2019. p. 27.
- ^ Stewart, Mark. "Homestead football will use coordinators Matt Wolf and Drake Zortman as co-head coaches this season". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ "Athletics at a Glance - Mequon-Thiensville School District". www.mtsd.k12.wi.us. Retrieved 2021-04-12.