Valley High School (West Des Moines, Iowa)

As of the 2019–20 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,900 students and 115.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 17.6:1. There were 433 students (21.3% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 140 (6.9% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

In October 1895, the first established high school in Valley Junction at 415 Seventh Street was opened. Valley Junction's first graduation was held on May 31, 1901 with just nine graduates. By 1916, the study body population had grown and a local bond was passed for a new high school. Construction on $50,000 structure at Eighth and Hillside was completed in 1917.

In 1938, when Valley Junction changed its name, the school district changed, becoming the West Des Moines Independent School District. At this time, one high school, a junior high school and three elementary schools served the needs of the community. In the same year and thanks to a grant from the Public Works Administrations, a new concrete stadium was built just north of the high school on Eighth Street.

In 1962, 38 acres (150,000 m²) of farmland near 35th and Ashworth Road were purchased by the School Board for $116,000 as a site for a new high school. Construction of Valley High School was completed in four phases from 1963 to 1970. Valley became a four-year high school during the 1971–72 school year. Costing nearly $5.5 million, Valley High School stretched almost one-quarter of a mile from end to end. Also in 1971, Valley opened the Metropolitan Conference's newest and largest gymnasium. Additional classrooms, science labs, and other student spaces have been added over the years. The first year that the new school was open, it was used for classrooms for some sixth grade students and for the 9th grade year of the class of 1970. The next year, it became a three-year high school. The graduating class of 1975 was the first class to attend 4 years in the new building.

In the fall of 1997, the construction of the Freshman High School Building, Valley Southwoods, was completed. Valley High School became a 10th through 12th grade building. Valley Southwoods school serves ninth-grade students and provides a similar style of curriculum as Valley High School.

Valley offers almost 190 academic courses, including 23 Advanced Placement Program (AP) courses. Valley also has recently started an Honors Program, which is meant to be comparable to the IB (International Baccalaureate) Program. This program allows for highly motivated and advanced students to take college-level courses sooner than normal. Valley also has a "designated scholars" program, which allows students to specialize in one specific area of academics, such as math.

Currently, the Director of Activities at Valley High School is Brad Rose, who replaced former Athletic Director, Steve Duncan, who was named the National High School Athletic Director of the year in 2006.[2]

Football

The Valley High School football team won the Iowa State 4A Championships in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2011.[3]

Wrestling

The Valley High School wrestling team won the 3A dual tournament state title in 2016.[4]

Baseball

The Valley High School baseball team won the state title in 1955, 1995, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.[5]

Softball

The Valley High School girls' softball team won state titles in 1990, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2019.[6]

Girls' swimming

The Valley High School girls' swimming and diving team won the state title in 1974, 1975, in addition to winning it four years in a row (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008).[7]

Girls' track and field

The Valley High School girls' track and field won the 4A State Track and Field Meet in 1998, 2003 and 2006.

Girls' soccer The Valley High School girls' soccer team won the 4A State title in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010.

[8]

Boys' soccer

The Valley High School boys' soccer club won the state title 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006 and 2016.

Boys' Track and Field

The Valley High School Boys' Track and Field won the State title in Outdoor Track and Field in 1942, 1955, 1998, 2003, 2006, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The Valley High School Boys' Track and Field won the State title in Indoor Track and Field in 1951 and 1952.

The Valley High School Boys' Track and Field won the State title in the Pentathlon in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2016.

Boys' Cross Country

The Valley High School Boys' Cross Country team won the 1A State title in 1955.[9]

The Valley High School Boys' Cross Country team won the 2A State title in 1962.[9]

Boys' swimming

The Valley High School Boys' Swim Team won the 4A State title in 1984 and 2010.[10]

Boys' tennis

The Valley High School Boys' Tennis Team won the State title in 1985, 1986, 1993 and 2010.[11]

Girls' golf

The Valley High School Girls' Golf Team won the state title in 1968, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 3A in 1982, 1983, and 4A in 2006.[12]

Boys' golf

The Valley High School boys' golf team won the state title in 1976, 1989, 2008, 2012 and 2017.[13]

Synchronized Swimming (No longer sanctioned by IGHSAU)

The Valley High School Girls' Synchronized Swim Team won the State title in 1979, 1980 and 1981. It is now held as a club sport during the winter and spring.

Girls' tennis

The Valley High School girls' tennis team won the state title in 1993, 2A in 1994 and 2001.[14]

Boys' basketball

The Valley High School boys' basketball team won the 4A state title in 1993 and 2016.[15]

Girls' basketball

The Valley High School girls' basketball Team won the 5A state title in 2017 and 2019.[16]

The Valley Music Department was honored with the first GRAMMY Signature School award in 1999.[17][18][19] The 240-member Valley Marchmasters were selected to perform in the 2004 Tournament of Roses Parade.[18] In March 2007, the band traveled to Dublin, Ireland to march in the Saint Patrick's Day Parade.

In addition to the strong band program, Valley's orchestra has completed concert tours in Austria and Italy. In June 2007, the orchestra traveled to New York City, New York to play at Carnegie Hall as part of NYBOF'07.[20]

The choral show, jazz, and core ensembles have performed in several national and international festivals from Carnegie Hall to Disney World, and received top honors at competitions throughout the country.[21] Valley High School features two Show Choirs, Choralation (4A Intermediate), Ignition (Prep Division), and formerly Vertigo (Intermediate Women's Division).[22] These choirs perform at various competitions throughout the Midwest, with Choralation featured best in show at Keokuk Power City Classic, and Cedar Rapids Jefferson Show Choir Invitational in 2020.[22] Valley High School also provides students the opportunity to perform in multiple Vocal Jazz Choirs, including Vocalese (4A Intermediate), Vox (Women's Intermediate), Vocal Point (Prep Division), and a freshmen-exclusive group called Syncopation.[23] In 2004, Valley High School saw a large display of public outcry during a showing of The Laramie Project,[24] causing huge controversy in the community, as the main premise of the production was same-sex marriage. Valley High School participates yearly in IHSSA (Iowa High School Speech Association), with over 100 student participants, and over 20 large group ensembles performing in each of the respective competitions. In 2016, the construction of the multi-million dollar theater was completed. The Bakers Dozen is the school's Mime and Improv Troupe. The troupe started in 1969 and has been performing around the Des Moines area for over 40 years. The Baker's Dozen, or "BD" as it is more commonly known, is a student-run organization, and currently consists of 13 members. They perform two official shows a year, along with various smaller shows around the community. The two annual shows are the Fall Nite o' Mime, and Spring Nite o' Mime. One notable former member is Peter Hedges, a Film director and screenwriter.[25][26]

The school also has a high school radio station, KWDM, which broadcasts from 6am to 6pm, Monday through Friday. It is one of only two high school radio programs in Iowa and the only high school program in the state to have a fully digital production and on-air studio.[27]

Mimes Performing at Valley's 2005 Winter Assembly

Valley High School won the 2006 National High School Mock Trial Championship, held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and more recently won the state competition in 2011.[28] Valley has a large selection of clubs for students to participate in.

The Valley High School debate team has won the Lincoln-Douglas division of the Tournament of Champions (debate), the debate national championship,[29] more times than any other high school in the United States.[30] In the 2015–16 debate season, they were in the top five programs in the country by number of Tournament of Champions bids and hosted a tournament with an octafinals bid to the Tournament of Champions in Lincoln-Douglas, the highest level, one of only eight high schools in the country to do so.[31]

• Cindy Axne (born 1965), U.S. Representative[32]
• Matt Bullard (born 1967), retired NBA player and NBA champion 1993–94[33]
• Jake Campos (born 1994), XFL player[34]
• Jared Clauss (born 1981), retired professional football player, who played for the Tennessee Titans after being drafted in the 7th round from the University of Iowa[35]
• Dominique Dafney (born 1997), professional football player for the Green Bay Packers
• Katelyn Epperly (born 1990), American Idol Season 9
• Broc Everett, 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Individual Champion [36]
• Rodney Faraon (born 1970), former CIA officer and film/television producer[37]
• Justin Hartwig (born 1978), Super Bowl XLIII Champion center for the Pittsburgh Steelers[38]
• Peter Hedges (born 1962), film director and screenwriter[39]
• Dan Jennings (born 1987), pitcher for the Chicago White Sox[40]
• Peter Jok (born 1994), professional basketball player[41]
• Shawn Johnson (born 1992), retired artistic gymnast, Olympic gold and silver medalist, Dancing with the Stars Season Eight winner and Dancing with the Stars Season Fifteen runner-up[42]
• Karlos Kirby (born 1968), Olympic bobsledder[43]
• Carl Pohlad (1915–2009), businessman and owner of the Minnesota Twins[44]
• Major General Roger W. Sandler, US Army Retired (born 1934), Chief, United States Army Reserve, 1991–1994.[45]

• List of high schools in Iowa

• Valley High School
• West Des Moines School District Website