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Amidst changes, "Westminster High" stays the same

Contributed by: John Eisel/YourHub.com on 2/5/2008

In the end, School District 50 board members just wanted to make sure the only Westminster High School was in District 50.

School board members voted to name the new high school "Westminster High School."

"There are several high schools in Westminster and we will always be Westminster High School," said Deb Haviland, director of community relations for School District 50.

Some of the other options were "Union High School," "New Century High School," "Lakeview High School" and "Lakeshore High School ."

The new school, which is set to open in fall 2010, will be situated just west of the current Westminster High School, 4276 W. 68th Ave. Cost for the project is $90 million, and will be built to accommodate 2,900 students. The currentenrollments of Ranum and Westminster High School total up to 2,500.

"We haven't had a new school in 35 years, so it's important we get it right, and we will," Haviland said.

However, the Ranum name won't be lost, as the high school will transition into a middle school in the fall of 2010.

The district will begin the merging of the two student populations next fall, as current freshmen and sophomores from Ranum will move over to Westminster High School, leaving only this year's juniors in Ranum High School's halls next year.

However, Ranum and Westminster will combine next year for all sports and extra-curricular activities as Westminster High School. The combined team will move up to Class 5A, from 4A for both schools, but will remain in the Skyline League in all but one sport. The school will play football in the South Metro League next year.

A few things haven't been decided yet, like the school's new colors or mascot. Haviland said current sixth- through 12th-graders will make that decision this spring. No one is sure at this point how senior prom will take place.

Also, the International Baccalaureate program will move over to the new Westminster High School when it opens, although it hasn't been decided unsure whether the upperclassmen and underclassmen will be split up for the next two years or in what school they will be in.

Westminster High School teacher and girls basketball head coach Melissa Garcia said she is both excited and nervous over the whirlwind of changes going on in the district.

"I think it's difficult for the new teachers," she said. "We're all kind of wondering if we'll have jobs. The bottom line is that we're here for the students, and that's what matters most. Part of me is excited because we'll have a new state-of-the-art high school. They're good changes, positive changes, but they're happening at once."

The new Westminster High School will be academically designed as if it was five schools in one. Students will choose to be in one of five "career academies" pertaining to their career interests after high school: health care, bioscience and wellness; architecture, engineering and construction trades; international business and entrepreneurship; fine and performing arts; and international academy for liberal arts, humanities and education.

"It will provide the large school pool or participants for activities and athletics, while providing that small-school feel and personal touch," Haviland said.

Students in these academies will take extraclasses and participate in extracurricular activities pertaining to the field.

Haviland said the career-focused learning will show students that what they are studying will help them after they leave high school.

"I think anytime you can show kids the relevance in what they're learning ... it impacts them," she said. "It makes them understand the importance of it."

Each of the career academies will have its own assistant principal, with one principal to oversee the entire operation. Haviland said the new principal will be announced at the Feb. 12 board meeting at the Educational Services Center at 4476 W. 68th Ave. in Westminster, adjacent to the current Westminster High School.

No matter what career academy the student is in, all will take core curriculum classes, according to Haviland.

The new Westminster High School isn't the only new building for District 50.

The new Josephine Hodgkins Elementary School will open in January 2009, with a new principal to be named at the March 11 school board meeting.

If that name sounds familiar, District 50 used to have a middle school named after Hodgkins. This new school will even be built on the middle school's old site, at 3475 W. 67th Ave., in unincorporated Adams County.


We asked staff, parents and students what they thought about keeping the name "Westminster High School":

"I think it's going to be good to be called Westminster because its being built next to the school. "
- Tina Lor, 10th grader, Westminster High School

"I think its great. Every city seems to have school with the city's name, so it's good they're keeping its history. It was Westminster, then it was Union, so I'm glad they're keeping that in their name. They're keeping the name Ranum so I think it's fitting they're keeping the name Westminster since its the city of Westminster."
- Jim Iversen, assistant girls basketball coach at Westminster High School and parent of a WHS student

I was surprised they kept it that way. I thought with the changes going on in the district, they might lean towards a new name. "
- Melissa Garcia, WHS head girls basketball coach and science teacher


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Showing 1-3 of 3 comments
Submitted By: Mary Liekhus
posted on 3/3/2008 @ 10:26:53 AM
(Not Rated)
There are good and bad reasons for such a large change. I attended Westminster high school and it is good to see that there will be more career choices in the academic programs. I like most typical students took what classes were necessary to get through high school. However, I am now in a field where I wish I took similar classes in Westy. This allows the students to make their choices early so that they can get an early start and push them to achieve more of what they want. The down fall of it all is the size of the school, there will be a lot of students, I can only hope that you plan to have the staff to accommodate them. Too many kids to one teacher is not a good idea because kids will get left out, and over looked. Make sure that it is a priority that make the classes a decent size. I am glad to see that the school will keep the Westminster name, but the mascot should not change. Westminster has been and should always be the Warriors. I know a lot of people that feel the same.
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Submitted By: Michelle Gast
posted on 2/15/2008 @ 12:40:22 AM
(Not Rated)
I think the smaller the student-teacher ratio is, the better. Personally wouldn't want my daughter attending there.
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Submitted By: Louise Benson
posted on 2/7/2008 @ 5:40:06 PM
Rated Story
Forget about the name. Talk about the monster SIZE of this school -- almost 3000 students! Lots of kids get left out of sports, theatre, and other activities when there is too much competition for limited slots. The plan for five "career academies" won't help, especially since kids take the core courses together. Who knew in 9th grade what their eventual career would be? Schools within schools failed in Denver, too early to tell in Mapleton district. Why do this to students? It has been proven that smaller schools are safer and better. The move to factory schools is a big mistake.
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Showing 1-3 of 3 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

John Eisel

Denver , COLORADO

John Eisel has posted 2865 stories and 12 comments since joining on 9/14/2005. John Eisel's average story rating is 4.39.
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