Decatur High School (Federal Way, Washington)


Decatur High School is an American secondary school teaching grades nine through twelve. A part of the Federal Way School District, it was founded in 1971 in Federal Way, Washington.The graduating classes of 1973-1976 were schooled in the Illahee Middle School building. The school was built in 1976, renovated in 1987, then again remodeled in 2002.
Although sometimes assumed to have been named after Commodore Stephen Decatur, a War of 1812 and the First Barbary War and the Second Barbary War naval hero, the school is in fact named after the USS Decatur, a ship named for Stephen Decatur that assisted settlers during the 1856 Battle of Seattle.
Decatur was originally built as an "open concept" high school, where students were encouraged to study at their own pace in an open environment. Within the framework of this concept, there were few permanent walls built in the school's original structure. However, this experimental approach was scrapped after the 1976-77 school year when it was discovered that not all high school students were self-motivated enough to meet the district's education standards.

Student life

Approximately 1,650 students attend the school.

Academic and Student Programs

Athletics

Decatur is part of the Olympic Division of the 4A North Puget Sound League in Washington's West Central District.
From 2008-09 to 2015-16, Decatur was part of the South Division of the 3A South Puget Sound League.
Recent team finishes in State Championships include:
Other sports are Football, Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Gymnastics, Fastpitch Softball, Volleyball, Soccer, Wrestling and Golf.
Decatur's main rivals are the Federal Way Eagles and the Thomas Jefferson Raiders

Notable alumni