Framingham High School

The Framingham Academy was established in 1798, replacing the organization known as the Proprietors of the Brick School House which had formed in 1792. The town of Framingham gave the academy $1000, but some time later this was found to be illegal, and the academy was dissolved.

In 1852 the high school was formed, and later became the legal successor to the Academy. Thus the high school can be considered to be founded in either 1792 or 1852.[6]

In 1958, mid year, a new building on Flagg Drive replaced the original high school on Union Ave. that was built in the 1920s. The original building was eventually converted to house several facilities, including the Danforth Museum and the Callahan Senior Center.

In 1963, due to an increasing school population, the original Framingham High was split into two schools, Framingham North High School and Framingham South High School. South High was located in the Flagg Drive campus in South Framingham (now the Fuller Middle School) and North High was located at the new school building at Winch Park on A St. in Saxonville. Originally, North High shared facilities with Winch Park Middle School ("E" & "F" halls in the current building) until 1974 when the first Cameron Middle School opened on Elm St. The two high schools remained separate until 1991 when they were merged to create a unified school under the name Framingham High School.

The two high schools were distinguished by their colors and mascots: North had the Spartans in yellow and green while South had the original town mascot Flyers in blue and white. When the time for the merger of the schools came, the district held an election to determine the fate of the colors and mascots. The winning combination was to be the Spartans in blue and white, however alumni of the original Framingham High raised a protest that the town should revert to the original mascot and colors which happened to be used by Framingham South. After discussion with the student body, it was agreed that the colors and mascot would revert to the original set.

On a visit on October 20, 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA) in the school's John F. Kennedy gymnasium.[7]

In the late 1990s, Framingham High School was labeled underperforming. Through multiple school reforms in the early and mid 2000s, Framingham High dramatically increased their MCAS (Massachusetts state graduation assessment) scores and the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses increased.[8] In recent years, Framingham High has been labeled an "over-performing" school on standardized assessments, compared to other districts of similar student populations.[8][9] In 2008, Framingham High was ranked by Newsweek in the top 500 high schools in the United States.[10]

Framingham High School has received press for its success with students in the English as a Second Language Program. Noting that 69 percent of Framingham students are considered proficient in English after three or more years[11] and the school has higher graduation rates and MCAS scores than most other districts with large groups of English-learners. Only 17 percent of Framingham's English Language Learners drop out of school, half that of districts with similar demographics. Part of this successes is attributed to Framingham's use of a provision in the Massachusetts law by having parents waive their right to an all-English education. In Framingham, very few parents of high schoolers have chosen the English-only option.[12]

Framingham High School has a unique co-teaching program, where most teachers at the school co-teach a course with a colleague from the same discipline. This helps reduce the student-teacher ratio in the classroom and intends to lead to greater faculty collegiality and collaboration. It contributed to the school's earning of Commonwealth Compass School designation.[4]

Framingham High School also has several innovative programs for at-risk and struggling students, including Resiliency for Life,[13] Step Up to Excellence,[14] Mazie Mentoring Program,[15] Academic Development Center (peer-to-peer school day tutoring)[8] and the Phoenix Program,[16] as well as the Thayer Campus, an alternative high school located in south Framingham.[17]

In 2004, Framingham High School launched a "homeroom adviser" program, hoping to reduce the high rate of freshman students being forced to repeat their first year, a problem for many schools in the state. The advisers have around 25 students each, and watch the students' grades and attendance, meet with them individually, and may also consult with parents or teachers. It is hoped that the program will catch struggling students early and encourage them to feel more accountable for their studies[18]

A pie chart showing FHS enrollment by ethnicity for the 2010–2011 school year. See right for exact statistics

Framingham High School's racial/ethnic demographics for the 2011–2012 school year are as follows:[19]

As of 2009, approximately 20 percent of the school's white population (and 14 percent of the entire school population) is of Brazilian descent.[20]

Other demographics:[21]

Framingham High School is a racially, ethnically, and economically diverse school and in part this relates to the town of Framingham being historically a hub for immigrants to the United States.[22] The student body of Framingham High is made up of significant immigrant (or children of immigrant) populations from Brazil, the Caribbean, South and Central America, Russia, Asia, and Africa.

David Blatt

Lou Merloni

• Boris Bede, gridiron football player
• Blake Bellefeuille, professional ice hockey player
• Stan Benjamin (1914–2009), Major League Baseball player and scout[29]
• Andrea Berloff, screenwriter and author of World Trade Center
• David Blatt (born 1959), class of 1977, basketball player and coach, Israel and various European teams, 2012 Olympic coach, former head coach of Cleveland Cavaliers
• Royal L. Bolling, Massachusetts state senator and the school's first African-American class president
• Arthur Raymond Brooks, World War I fighter ace
• Bill Brooks, former NFL football player (1986–1996)
• Sashi Brown, Executive Vice President for the National Football League's Cleveland Browns
• Michael J. Clouse, record producer and songwriter
• Monique Curnen, actress, notable for portraying Det. Anna Ramirez in The Dark Knight
• Leila Goldkuhl, fashion model, contestant on America's Next Top Model: College Edition
• Rufus Harris, former professional basketball player
• Bill Hunnefield, former MLB player (Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Boston Braves, New York Giants)
• Mat Maneri, avant-garde violinist
• Lou Merloni, Major League Baseball player, NESN radio talk show host on WEEI 93.7 FM
• Katie Nolan, television sports personality
• Danny O'Connor, professional boxer[30]
• Cyrus Peirce, graduate of Framingham Academy circa 1806 and first head of what is now Framingham State College
• John Stagikas ("Hurricane" John Walters), professional wrestler, participated in WWE and Ring of Honor
• Peter Taglianetti, NHL hockey player
• Nancy Travis, actress
• Freedom Williams, musical performer, C+C Music Factory vocalist
• Jack Harmon, former volleyball and basketball player at Framingham High School. Known best for his extreme height yet low weight

• School website
• Framingham High School Photography Blog
• Photograph of Clinton at Framingham
• Remarks of Sen. Kennedy at Framingham High School