Wikipedia

Thomas Jefferson High School (San Antonio)

Thomas Jefferson High School is a public high school in San Antonio, Texas, United States, and is one of ten high schools in the San Antonio Independent School District. Completed in 1932 at a cost of $1,250,000, it was the third high school built in the city.[4] For the 2021-2022 school year, the school was given a "B" by the Texas Education Agency.[5]

Thomas Jefferson High School
Address
Map
723 Donaldson Avenue

San Antonio
,
Texas
78201

United States
Coordinates29°27′55″N 98°32′17″W / 29.46528°N 98.53806°W / 29.46528; -98.53806
Information
School typePublic, High School
Motto"In Omni Uno!"
Founded1932
School districtSan Antonio ISD
NCES School ID483873004368[1]
PrincipalGregory Rivers
Grades9th – 12th
Enrollment1,686[1] (2022-23)
Student to teacher ratio14.40[1]
Color(s)Red, White and Blue
     
NicknameMustangs
NewspaperThe Declaration
Feeder schoolsWhittier, LongFellow, Fenwick, Woodlawn
Websitewww.saisd.net/schools/jefferson007/
[2]
Thomas Jefferson High School
Thomas Jefferson High School (San Antonio) is located in Texas
Thomas Jefferson High School (San Antonio)
Location in Texas
Thomas Jefferson High School (San Antonio) is located in the United States
Thomas Jefferson High School (San Antonio)
Thomas Jefferson High School (San Antonio) (the United States)
Built1932
Architectural styleMission/Spanish Revival
NRHP reference No.83003093
RTHL No.5470
Significant dates
Added to NRHPSeptember 22, 1983[3]
Designated June 29, 1983
Designated RTHL1983
Map

History

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The SAISD school board paid $94,588.75 to buy "Spanish Acres," a 32-acre (13 ha) property, to develop the third high school in San Antonio. Construction began in the fall of 1930 and ended in January 1932.[6] It was built for over $1.25 million.[7]

In 1983 it became a part of the National Register of Historic Places. It was also designated a Texas historic landmark.[7]

Campus and architecture

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The school was designed by the company Adams and Adams. The entrance has two towers of different heights and is designed in the Baroque style.[8] The towers are topped with silver. The school uses wrought-iron balconies and Spanish-tiled roofing. The school has two courtyards,[7] both landscaped, bordered by portales.[9] One courtyard has a hexagonal pond with decorative tiling.[7] Hannibal and Eugene Pianta, an Italian immigrant and his son,[6] decorated the main entrance columns and balconies with cast-stone ornamentation.[7] Jay C. Henry, the author of Architecture in Texas: 1895-1945, stated that the architecture is similar to that of Lubbock High School.[9]

In 1938 the school had an armory, a cafeteria, a drill ground, two gymnasiums, and a theater.[10]

A music facility and the East Wing, a three-story addition, were built at a later time.[7]

Its Moorish/Spanish architecture make it a visually distinct element in what was the old Woodlawn district.[11]

Recognition

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In 1983 Jefferson was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[12] In 1995, it was included in the Local Historic District by the City of San Antonio.[13] In 2010, Jefferson was selected as Grammy Signature Award Winner.[14]

Demographics

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The demographic breakdown of the 1,829 students enrolled in 2012-2013 was:

  • Male - 52.7%
  • Female - 47.3%
  • Native American/Alaskan - 0.1%
  • Asian/Pacific islanders - 0.2%
  • Black - 2.1%
  • Hispanic - 95.4%
  • White - 2.1%
  • Multiracial - 0.1%

86.6% of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.[2]

In 1938 the school had 2,394 students. At the time over 60% of the students were scheduled to matriculate to universities and colleges.[10] In addition there were 89 teachers, including 56 female teachers. The student-teacher ratio at the time was 25 to 1.[15]

Student life

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In 1938 the school had an ROTC unit, multiple school-recognized clubs including the girls' pep squad "Lassos", and fraternities and sororities unrecognized by the school.[10] As of 1938 the "Lassos" were made up of 150 female students.[16]

In 1938 the ROTC had 33 student officers, all male; each were allowed to choose a female student to accompany him.[17]

The 1940 Twentieth Century Fox film High School used exteriors and back-projection footage shot at TJHS.[18]

Athletics

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The Jefferson Mustangs compete in the following sports:[19]

Notable alumni

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Athletics

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Arts and entertainment

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Communications

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Education

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Government

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Military

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Philanthropy

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Physical science

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Search for Public Schools - Jefferson High School (483873004368)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Jefferson H S". ed.gov. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  3. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  4. ^ "History of Thomas Jefferson High School". Thomas Jefferson High School Historical Preservation Society.
  5. ^ "TEA". Texas Education Agency. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  6. ^ a b "School History Archived 2016-09-09 at the Wayback Machine." Thomas Jefferson High School. Retrieved on September 13, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Guzman, René A. (2012-06-23). "Cityscape: Thomas Jefferson High School". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  8. ^ Henry, p. 178.
  9. ^ a b Henry, p. 177.
  10. ^ a b c "One American High School: The Thomas Jefferson of San Antonio." Life. Time, Inc., March 7, 1938. Vol. 4, No. 10. ISSN 0024-3019. Start: p. 22. CITED: p. 22.
  11. ^ "TJHS HPS: Thomas Jefferson High School Historical Preservation Society - History of TJHS". tjhshps.org. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  12. ^ "National Register of Historic Places - State Listing". National Park Service.
  13. ^ "List of Local Landmarks" (PDF). City of San Antonio.
  14. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.grammy.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^ "One American High School: The Thomas Jefferson of San Antonio." Life. Time, Inc., March 7, 1938. Vol. 4, No. 10. ISSN 0024-3019. Start: p. 22. CITED: p. 26.
  16. ^ "One American High School: The Thomas Jefferson of San Antonio." Life. Time, Inc., March 7, 1938. Vol. 4, No. 10. ISSN 0024-3019. Start: p. 22. CITED: p. 25.
  17. ^ "One American High School: The Thomas Jefferson of San Antonio." Life. Time, Inc., March 7, 1938. Vol. 4, No. 10. ISSN 0024-3019. Start: p. 22. CITED: p. 23.
  18. ^ "School Film Planned." The Longview (TX) Daily News, 13 March 1938.
  19. ^ The Athletics Department
  20. ^ "TJHS HPS: Thomas Jefferson High School Historical Preservation Society - Home". tjhshps.org. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  21. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2014 - Press Release". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 2 September 2015.

General references

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