Wichita North High School, known locally as North, is a public secondary schoolinWichita, Kansas, United States. It is operated by Wichita USD 259 school district and serves students in grades 9 to 12. The school was founded in 1929 on the site where the United States government previously sent Company 'A' of the 10th Division to the forks of the Arkansas River to oversee incoming cattle drivers and separate them from Native Americans.[7]
Wichita North is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 6A division and are known as the "Redhawks" (original name of "Redskins" retired in February 2021).[8]
Wichita North High School was the second high school in the city of Wichita, completed in 1929. Wichita East High School was the first high school.[7]
In February 2021, the Wichita Board of Education voted unanimously to retire the school’s mascot. A committee created by Wichita Public Schools to study the mascot determined: “the term is offensive to Native Americans and the Native American Culture. The committee will not create a new mascot, but will adhere to BOE policy 1216, which states a school building principal is responsible for the development of school themes, songs, flags, etc. At this time, the North High administration has no plans to create a new mascot. The school will be referred to Wichita North High School and the school will continue to use their shield, drum and feather logo. The school will have a 2-year phase-in plan starting in the 21-22 school year to remove the mascot name on athletic and fine arts uniforms, school apparel and signs. [9]
In November, 2022, the Kansas Board of Education voted for schools kindergarten through 12th grade to “retire Indian-themed mascots and branding." Following the vote, Wichita North High School students were allowed to vote on a new mascot. They had the following four choices to vote for: Wolfpack, Redhawks, North Stars and Red Storm. On December 14, 2022, the school changed its mascot name to the Redhawks.[10]
The Bio-Med Program is a four-year program that offers a core science curriculum as well as Project Lead the Way Biomedical Sciences elective courses. Students in the program are able to receive health industry certifications in areas such as EMT, EKG tech, Phlebotomy tech, CNA, CMA, and HHA.[11]
The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program has been at North High for over a decade, helping students gain college and career readiness skills. In 2017 North High earned National Demonstration/Site of Distinction status.[12]
The Redhawks compete in the Greater Wichita Athletic League and are classified as a 6A school, the largest classification in Kansas according to the KSHSAA. Throughout its history, Wichita North has won 22 state championships in various sports. Many graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics.[citation needed]
