Lake Highlands High School

Lake Highlands High School
Location
9449 Church Road
Dallas, Texas 75238
USA
Information
Type Public, Secondary
School district Richardson Independent School District
Grades 10-12
Number of students 1,712 [1] (as of 2013–14)
Color(s) Red and White          
Mascot Wildcats
Rival Lloyd V. Berkner High School
Website Official school website

Lake Highlands High School is a secondary school serving grades 10-12 located in the Lake Highlands area of northeastern Dallas, Texas, United States, primarily serving the Lake Highlands community. The school is part of the Richardson Independent School District and is located centrally within Lake Highlands near the DART Blue Line. Additionally, the Lake Highlands Freshman Center (which sits on the same property as LHHS) houses the 9th grade students. The first graduating class of Lake Highlands High School was in 1964.

History

A man named Billy Conn Gardner shot and killed Thelma Catherine Row, the school's cafeteria supervisor, during a May 16, 1983 robbery of the cafeteria office. Gardner was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to death by Texas authorities.[2] Gardner was killed with lethal injection on February 16, 1995.[3]

Feeder schools

Feeder Schools:

Academics

In 2002, the school received a Blue Ribbon award from the U.S. Department of Education.[4] It was also named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best high schools in America in 2001.

Extracurricular activities

Band

The school is the home of the Wildcat Band. It has accumulated many state and national honors. Under the direction of Eddie Green, the Symphonic Band made its first trip to the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in December 1971 and performed at the Honor Concert. Later that school year, the band was selected as the Texas Music Educators Association Honor Band leading to an Honor Concert performance at the TMEA convention in February 1973. There have been repeat appearances at both venues. The band is now directed by Philip Alvarado, Rowlett High School's former director, assisted by James Rees and Amanda Johnson. The band has received "Sweepstakes", which is the highest rating possible, for both marching band and concert band for several years in a row.

Dance team

The school is home of the "Wildcat Wranglers", one of the few high school Country/Western dance teams existing in the United States. The group performed for the 1997, 2001, 2005, and 2009 presidential inaugurations, including at the Black Tie and Boots Balls and in the Inaugural Parades associated with the aforementioned inaugurations; in the 2005 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; and performed in the 2008, 2012, and 2015 New Year's Day Parade in London. The school is also the home of the "Highlandettes", a Texas style Dance squad. They have performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade numerous times, as well as at many Dallas Cowboys football games, Dallas Stars games, and Dallas Mavericks games. They have also danced in Dublin, Ireland for the St. Patrick's Day parade, in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii, and this year, will travel to and perform in Italy.

Athletics

The school mascot is the Wildcat. The Wildcat is also the mascot of several of the high school's feeder schools including Lake Highlands Elementary, Northlake Elementary, Lake Highlands Junior High, and the above-mentioned Freshman Center.

The school's football team has been in the UIL regional and state playoffs numerous times and won the 5A state championship in 1981. The school has won district championships in baseball over 20 times since 1964.

The school has also won several district titles in boys Basketball including winning the 1967 State Championship.

The school also shares a football stadium with L.V. Berkner High School. Currently it is called "Wildcat-Ram Stadium," a collaboration of mascots. Lake Highlands students also unofficially refer to this stadium as "The Boneyard". Lake Highlands and Berkner have long been rivals in football and other sports. For the annual football rivalry, both schools are playing "at home" in Wildcat-Ram Stadium. The 2005 and 2006 rivalry games were won by the Berkner Rams in the final minute, either by a touchdown or a field goal. Lake Highlands won the 2007 rivalry game by a score of 31-24. Lake Highlands has won every game since then. The most recent being in 2015 with a score of 59-28.

Movie

Large portions of Ron Howard's 1978 TV movie Cotton Candy were filmed at the school. The movie was about a group of friends who started a band.

'Muffin Man' Prank

On May 16, 2006, near the conclusion of the school year, muffins containing cannabis were delivered to the faculty. At least 18 school employees were sent to Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas after experiencing dizziness and lightheadedness.[5] The muffins were delivered by a senior from Bishop Lynch High School named Ian Walker, who planned the prank with Lake Highlands' senior and former student of Bishop Lynch, Joey Tellini. Roughly two weeks after the event, the two turned themselves in to the police. No teachers suffered lasting harm and the school's 81-year-old receptionist was the only person hospitalized overnight. This incident was reported nationally by CNN, and mentioned in skits such as "school bake sale" by late-night television personalities such as Conan O'Brien. Coincidentally, a transformer near the school blew up the day after the incident, leading to speculation that the events were somehow connected. Tellini received five years of community supervision. He must work a total of 180 hours in a homeless shelter and pay restitution of $13,094 to five of the victims, to be split with his co-defendant. Walker pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor assault charges. He received two years of community supervision, 80 hours of service in a homeless shelter, and was ordered to pay his share of the restitution.[6]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ "2014 Accountability Summary: Lake Highlands HS" (PDF). Texas Education Agency. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "Billy Conn Gardner." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on November 21, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Last Statement Billy C. Gardner #751." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on November 21, 2016.
  4. ↑ Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002 (PDF)
  5. ↑ Dallas Morning News "18 fall ill from tainted muffins"
  6. ↑ Dallas Observer "The Marijuana "Muffin Boys" Received Their Punishment Today"

External links

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