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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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
^ abc"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.
^"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)
^"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.
^"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.
^"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.
^"School Film Planned." The Longview (TX) Daily News, 13 March 1938.
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