Thoreau High School
Communities in its boundary include Thoreau, Continental Divide, Prewitt, and Smith Lake.
History
In 1964 the Navajo Tribal Council's advisory committee voted to allow for fewer than 80 acres (32 hectares) of land in Thoreau for the school district so it could establish Thoreau High School there; the tribe would get the land back the moment the land is not used for education purposes. The land was to include apartment buildings for faculty.
The high school began in 1965 with grade 9, with other years added later. While an elementary school existed in the area previously, the number of students made the community decide it wanted a local high school. Previously area Native Americans attended boarding schools elsewhere. By 1969, enrollment exceeded 400, and the teaching staff numbered 21. Over 75% of the students were Native Americans. The proposal was for 28,000 square feet (2,600 m) of building area.
The GMCS board of trustees began to quarrel with the architectural form, Kruger, Lake, and Henderson, because the federal government had delayed approving the architectural plans for the school on the basis of ensuring the school had enough sources of water. Construction ended in the 1967–1968 school year.
Campus
The field used for American football games was spearheaded by the school's booster club, and members of the local community built it.
References
- ^ "GMCS Address Lookup". Gallup-McKinley County Schools. Retrieved 2022-01-15. - KML files: locations, and High boundaries and locations.
- ^ "Navajos Approve Land Donation for High School". Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, New Mexico. United Press International. 1964-12-01. p. A-11. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
- ^ "New Mexico Briefs". Clovis News-Journal. Clovis, New Mexico. United Press International. 1964-12-01. p. 6. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
- ^ "At Thoreau High School, Reading Stressed". The Gallup Independent. Vol. 80, no. 274. Gallup, New Mexico. 1969-11-20. pp. 1, 4. - Clipping of first and of second page at Newspapers.com.
- ^ "School Board Takes Stand on Thoreau School". The Gallup Independent. Vol. 77, no. 219. Gallup, New Mexico. 1966-09-20. p. 1. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hoffman, J.R. (1971-02-03). "Football Field at Thoreau High Is a Monument to Dedication". The Gallup Independent. Gallup, New Mexico. p. 5. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.