Conway High School (Arkansas)

Conway High School is a comprehensive public school in Conway, Arkansas, United States. Conway High School serves over 2,000 students and is administered by the Conway School District. The school has been nationally recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and since 1953 has won at least 33 state championships in interscholastic sports.

Conway High School
Address
2300 Prince Street

Conway
,
Arkansas
72034

United States
Coordinates35°5′35.11″N 92°27′33.04″W
Information
StatusOpen
School districtConway Public Schools
CEEB code040490
NCES School ID00184
Staff131.84 (FTE)[1]
Grades10-12
Enrollment2,136 (2017-18)[1]
 • Grade 10780[1]
 • Grade 11708[1]
 • Grade 12647[1]
Student to teacher ratio16.20[1]
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)Blue & White
   
Athletics conference7A Central
MascotWampus Cat
Team nameConway Wampus Cats
YearbookThe Wampus Cat
AffiliationArkansas Activities Association
Conway Career Center
WebsiteOfficial Website

History

Established in 1928, the original buildings of Conway High School served the surrounding community until new facilities were built in 1937. A cafeteria was added in 1948 and a gymnasium in 1949. The cafeteria was demolished in 1961. The West campus building was constructed in 1968 and was reconstructed and improved in 2012–13. The new building was completed in 2013. The West Campus has 3 floors and has 2100 students as of the 2015-16 school year.[2][3]

Academics

Conway High School is accredited by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). In 1984-85, Conway High School was honored as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

Conway High School East is one of twenty high schools to be recognized with the 2012 College Readiness Award by the Arkansas ACT Council in recognition of improving the participation rate of students taking the ACT college readiness exam.[4]

Curriculum

The school's assumed course of study is based on the Smart Core curriculum developed by the ADE. The school offers regular (core and career focus) courses and exams and students may select from 22 Advanced Placement (AP) coursework and exams that provide an opportunity for college credit.[5][6]

Conway Area Career Center

Located on the campus of Conway High School is the Conway Area Career Center, which fosters career and technical education for the following Conway area high schools:

The Conway Area Career Center offers numerous professional certification programs in welding, photography, health science technology for medical professionals, and family and consumer sciences. The Center maintains affiliations with the various schools' programs for Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), FFA, SkillsUSA, Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), and JROTC.[7]

Extracurricular activities

The Conway High School mascot is the Wampus cat, stylized as a mythical 6-legged swamp cat (4 legs to run with the speed of light and 2 legs to fight with all its might). The school colors are blue and white.

Athletics

The Conway Wampus Cats participate in numerous interscholastic sports and activities in the state's largest classification (7A) within the 7A/6A Central Conference administered by the Arkansas Activities Association including: baseball, basketball (boys/girls), bowling (boys/girls), cheer, cross country (boys/girls), dance, football, golf (boys/girls), soccer (boys/girls), softball, swimming (boys/girls), tennis (boys/girls), track (boys/girls), volleyball and wrestling.[8] Home football games are played at John McConnell Stadium, named in 1993 after the late community leader and school board president.[9]

The Conway Wampus Cats have been competitive at the district and state level for several years. For example, the Wampus Cats baseball teams have been to six state championship games (winning two) and 24 state tournaments. The girls track teams won four consecutive titles from 1986 to 1989. In all, the Conway Wampus Cats have at least 34 state championships including:[10]

  • Football state champions: 1964 (mythical)
  • Volleyball state champions: 1998 and 2018
  • Cross country state champions (4x): Boys –1964, 1965, 1987; Girls – 1986
  • Golf state champions (7x): Boys – 1978, 1982, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012
  • Basketball state champions (6x): Boys: 1973, 1974, 1976, 2010; Girls: 2008, 2014
  • Swimming & diving state champions (3x): Boys – 1988; Girls – 1988, 2011
  • Soccer state champions: Girls – 2011
  • Wrestling state champions: 2011
  • Baseball state champions (3x): 1911, 1989, 2011
  • Track & field (12x): Boys (8x) – 1953, 1954, 1957, 1960, 1963, 1981, 1989, 1992; Girls (4x) – 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989

In 2002, head coach Noel Boucher, for his work on Wampus Cat Field, was selected as the District 6 Groundkeeper/Field of the Year by the National High School Baseball Coaches of America.[11]

Clubs and traditions

Conway students are provided opportunities to participate in programs such as National Honor Society, National Beta Club, Arkansas Governor's School, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Teachers of Tomorrow, Key Club, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), SkillsUSA, Mu Alpha Theta, Health Occupations Students of America, Model United Nations, Speech and Debate, Mock Trial, and Student Council.

Conway High School also has a dominant quiz bowl program. The team has made it to 7A division state finals from 2015 to 2019, winning in 2015, 2017, and 2018, and finishing as runners-up in 2016 and 2019.

In 2019, Conway High School’s Mock Trial team won the state championship and advanced to the national competition, where they placed 30th.

Notable alumni

The following are notable people associated with Conway High School. If the person was a Conway High School student, the number in parentheses indicates the year of graduation; if the person was a faculty or staff member, that person's title and years of association are listed.

References
  1. "CONWAY HIGH WEST". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  2. "Faulkner County School History Collection". University of Central Arkansas. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  3. "Public Education". Conway Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  4. "Arkansas High Schools Receive College Readiness Award". Arkansas Department of Education. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  5. "Civil Rights Data Collection, Conway High School - West Campus". U.S. Department of Education (ED). Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  6. "Civil Rights Data Collection, Conway High School - East Campus". U.S. Department of Education (ED). Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  7. "Conway Area Career Center". Conway Area Career Center. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  8. "AAA School Directory, Conway High School". Arkansas Activities Association. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  9. "Conway stadium named for prominent community figure". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. June 26, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  10. "2012-13 Arkansas Activities Association Record Book" (PDF). Arkansas Activities Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 31, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  11. "BCA National Groundskeeper/Field of the Year Award" (PDF). National High School Baseball Coaches of America. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
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