Butler Senior High School


Butler Area Senior High School is a coeducational public senior high school in Butler, Pennsylvania, United States, serving grades 10–12. It is the senior high school for the Butler Area School District. The school was founded in 1908, moved to a larger building on an adjacent site in 1917, and moved again to its current site in 1960.

History

Butler Senior High School was originally opened in a yellow-brick building on a site bounded by McKean, East North, Cliff, and New Castle Streets in central Butler. In 1917 it moved to a three-story red-brick building across Cliff Street, the original building becoming the junior high school. In 1937 it was named John A. Gibson High School, in honor of the district superintendent who retired that year. In 1960 it moved again, to a new building on Campus Lane. The 1917 building is now the junior high school, with an annex built in 1994–95 occupying the site of the 1908 building.

Academics

In 2009, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked Butler High School 37th out of 123 Western Pennsylvania high schools for academic achievement in the subjects of math, reading, writing, and science.

Graduation rate

2009 - 92%
2008 - 91%
2007 - 91%

PSSA results

11th Grade Reading

2009 - 70% on grade level. State - 65% of 11th graders on grade level.
2008 - 68%, State - 65%
2007 - 74%, State - 65%

11th Grade Math

2009 - 70% on grade level. State - 56% of 11th graders on grade level.
2008 - 70%, State - 56%
2007 - 72%, State - 53%

11th Grade Science

2009 - 46% on grade level. State - 40% of 11th graders on grade level.
2008 - 40%

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 27% of Butler Senior High School graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college-level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, one in three recent high school graduates who attend Pennsylvania's public universities and community colleges take at least one remedial course in math, reading or English.

Extracurricular programs

The Senior High is home to the Butler Golden Tornado athletics teams and offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports.
By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, or charter school and those homeschooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.

Marching band

The Butler Golden Tornado Marching Band marches 203 students, who audition for their places.

Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps

Butler High School has an Army J.R.O.T.C. program battalion, the Tornado Battalion.

Notable alumni

Sports
Major League Baseball
National Football League
Sports, other
Film, Stage & Television
Music
Public Office and Military
Technology
Pageants
Other