Sioux City East High School was founded in 1920 and its original location was on Morningside Avenue just across the street from Morningside College. In 1972, the Sioux City Community School district put in the plan to build three brand new high schools for all three public schools. East then moved to Mayhew Avenue, which is located by the Southern Hills Mall in Sioux City. East was one of three other public schools to be founded in Sioux City along with Leeds, Riverside, and Central high schools. The private school in Sioux City at that time was Trinity and Cathedral high schools which now make up Bishop Heelan High School. Trinity primarily consisted of all male and Cathedral was all female. Sioux City East is the only High School in Sioux City to remain in its original state. Riverside became what is now Sioux City West and Central became Sioux City North. East has also kept its same mascot, the Black Raider since its existence. However, because of restrictions on their logo, East had to change their logo from a native war like figure to a Raider who more resembled a Knight.
Athletics
Sioux City East has sports for both boys and girls that include football, basketball, softball, track, baseball, golf, soccer, tennis, and bowling. Both the East boy's and girl's compete in the Missouri River Activities Conference. East High has three Iowa class 4A state championships which include a football state championship in 1984 over Waterloo West and boys' state basketball championships in 1935 and 2002. The Black Raider boys’ basketball program has made 17 state tournament appearances in which they have made it to the Iowa High School Boy's State Basketball Tournament 9 out of the last 12 years. In 2012, the East boys made it to the championship game, in which they lost to Iowa City West. The previous game they defeated then undefeated Ankeny High School in overtime, which was seen as one of the most memorable games in Iowa state tournament history. Former head coach Jeff Vanderloo is first in all time coaching wins in Sioux City history with 311. Vanderloo is now the director of basketball operations at Creighton University. His brother, Ras Vanderloo is now the head coach of the Black Raider boys’ basketball team.
Performing Arts
Vocal Music
The Vocal Music Program at East High School offers ten choral ensembles, providing a variety of opportunities including modern a cappella and show choir. The Choirs at East present four concerts each year in addition to an authentic Renaissance Madrigal Dinner every December. While under the direction of Paula Keeler, East High School earned the distinction of being the first to place 28 singers in the All-State Chorus. The premier ensemble, the Chamber Choir has performed in some of our country's finest performance venues, including four appearances at New York City's Carnegie Hall. They have earned awards at competitions throughout the country, including Grand Champion, Best Choral Tone, and Best Repertoire at FAME Los Angeles, Best Repertoire and First Runner-Up at FAME Chicago, Grand Champion, Best Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass Sections at the Grand River Concert Choir Competition, First Runner-Up at FAME Chicago, and Grand Champion, Best Choral Tone, and Best Repertoire at Heart Of America-Cincinnati. In 2013, they were a featured ensemble in the University of South Dakota's Vocal Arts Festival; and in 2016, they participated in Morningside College's Choral Composition Competition Festival, where the work they performed received First Prize. Since 2013, East has collaborated with neighboring Bishop Heelan, North, and West high schools in producing an annual Men's Choir Festival entitled "Man Up & Sing." Since its inception, the festival has featured guest ensembles including the Iowa Statesmen, the Great Northern Union, and the Wartburg College Ritterchor. Each year, the festival involves roughly 120 students from the four high schools along with guest ensembles and conductors. Sioux City East is nationally recognized for its competitive Show Choir program, consisting of three ensembles: “Premiere”, “New Sound”, and “The Headliners”. Since 1989, The Headliners have garnered nearly 50 Grand Champion awards and innumerable awards for Best Vocals, Best Choreography, and Best Band. In 2010, under the direction of Heath Weber, they were recognized by Parade Magazine as one of America's Top 25 Show Choirs, eventually advancing to the Top 3, alongside Chantilly High School's “Touch of Class” and Preble High School's “Center Stage”. In 2011, they appeared in choreographer Mike Weaver's book, “Sweat, Tears, and Jazz Hands: The Official History of Show Choir from Vaudeville to Glee.”
