Bozeman High School

History

Bozeman established its high school in 1877, housing it (along with other grades) in the newly built West Side School at 300 West Babcock. Students were few, and due to dropouts, the high school did not graduate its first class until 1882. In 1937, a new county high school building, Gallatin County High School, was constructed at 404 West Main Street.

Later renamed the Willson School (after its architect, Fred Willson), GCHS was closed in 1956 when the city of Bozeman constructed a new city high school, a mile west at 205 North 11th Avenue, designed by both Willson and Oswald Berg. This building serves as the current Bozeman High School, while the 1937 building was used to house Bridger Alternative High School until 2009. Bridger Alternative now resides in the second story of the new "D Wing" of the school. Also housed in the same building until 2009 was Chief Joseph Middle School, which now has its own building in north Bozeman. The portion of the building previously used for the old middle school was remodeled slightly with a new cafeteria and main offices and library, now called north campus, or "N Wing" to students. The majority of classes today are located in "N Wing", as "B Wing", the previous largest wing, was torn-down in 2021.

Curriculum and awards

In 2002, BHS employed four administrators and 129 teachers and support staff. Most of the teaching faculty have master's degrees.

Bozeman High School offers two diplomas: the General Diploma and the Honors Diploma. More than half of the students in 2002 graduated with the College Prep Diploma. BHS offers courses in art, biomedical sciences, business education, engineering, English, foreign languages, health enhancement (health education and physical education), home economics, industrial arts, mathematics, music, science, and social studies. It also offers Advanced Placement courses in American history, art, biology, calculus, chemistry, English literature and composition, European history, French, German, human geography, government, microeconomics, music theory, physics, psychology, Spanish, statistics, and world history. In the early 2000s, Bozeman High School students scored consistently higher on the SAT than other students in Montana and nationally.

In 1989 and again in 1993, Bozeman High School was named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education. In 1994 and 1996 Redbook magazine named Bozeman High School one of the best high schools in the nation.

U.S. News & World Report ranks Bozeman High School 213 on its 2024 Best High Schools ranking. In 2010, Newsweek Magazine included Bozeman High School in its annual list of America's Best High Schools for the fifth time since 2003. The magazine ranked BHS 675 on its list of 1,600 top schools, placing it in the top 3% of high schools in the nation.

Campus and athletics

The 54 acre campus includes a 50 m swimming pool that, by a lease arrangement from the city, provides swimming opportunities for students. The campus has a 10-lane all-weather running track for use in the health enhancement curriculum as well as in extracurricular activities. The campus is also home to a football stadium used by both high schools in Bozeman, Van Winkle Stadium. The school's mascot is the hawk.

Athletics

Athletic programs include Cross country, track, softball, cheerleading, football, basketball, volleyball, swimming, wrestling, soccer, and dance. The Hawks are in division AA, the largest division in Montana.

Notable alumni

• Brock Coyle, linebacker; Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers
• Steve Daines, US Senator
• Will Dissly, Los Angeles Chargers(formerly Seattle Seahawks) tight end
• Jason R. Dunn, US Attorney for the District of Colorado (2018-2021)
• Dane Fletcher, former New England Patriots Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker
• Jesse Kelly, radio talk show host
• Karen Gibson, Former US Senate's Sergeant at Arms
• Michael McFaul, former US Ambassador to Russia
• Stephanie Quayle, musician

References

Bibliography

• Burlingame, Merrill G. The Montana Frontier. Bozeman, Mont.: Big Sky Books, 1980.
• Mulvaney, Tom. Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing, 2009.
• Smith, Phyllis. Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley: A History. Helena, Mont.: Falcon Press, 1996.

References

1. "Bozeman High School". National Center for Education Statistics.
2. "2023-24 Fall Enrollments Alphabetically". Montana High School Association.
3. "Bozeman High School".
4. Burlingame, p. 321.
5. "Enrollment Numbers". Montana High School Association.
6. [http://www.bozeman.org/gdc/Upload/Economic%20Profiles/Economic%20Profile%202002.pdf Gallatin Development Corporation. ''An Economic Profile of Gallatin County.'' 2002, p. 18.] {{webarchive. link. (2011-09-11)
7. Smith, p. 129-130.
8. Smith, p. 130.
9. Mulvaney, p. 39.
10. [http://www.bozeman.org/gdc/Upload/Economic%20Profiles/Economic%20Profile%202002.pdf Gallatin Development Corporation. ''An Economic Profile of Gallatin County.'' 2002, p. 19.] {{webarchive. link. (2011-09-11)
11. "Best High Schools". U.S. News & World Report.
12. SCHONTZLER, Gail. "Bozeman High ranked again as one of America's best schools". Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
13. SCHONTZLER, Gail. "Bozeman High ranked again as one of America’s best schools". Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
14. "Republican Daines seeks to take ambitions to D.C.".
15. "Bozeman native Will Dissly drafted by Seattle Seahawks".
16. "Montanan who became ambassador to Russia to receive MSU honorary doctorate". Montana State University.
17. "Country roots: Singer Stephanie Quayle determined to give back to community that 'grew' her".