Coolidge Senior High School (Washington, D.C.)

History

To relieve crowding at Roosevelt High School, Superintendent Frank W. Ballou in 1936 proposed building a new high school for students living in Manor Park and Takoma Park. Dr. Ballou suggested that the new high school should be built at Fifth and Sheridan streets NW, and across the street from Whittier School, which had been built in 1925.

Temporarily named Northern Senior High School, the building of the school was supported by many Takoma Park, Manor Park, Chillum Heights, and Sixteenth Street Heights residents and North Dakota Senator Lynn Frazier. The finance committee of the Board of Education approved the plan soon after Dr. Ballou's recommendation. The House of Representatives originally appropriated $450,000 for the building of the school, but a Senate subcommittee reduced the appropriation to $350,000, despite protests by Senator Frazier.

In 1937, the question of a permanent name for the school was raised. The Manor Park Citizens Association and the Brightwood Citizens Association wanted to name the school for Calvin Coolidge, the only former president without a school named after him.

The Board of Education planned to build a two-story brick school with a flat roof. Architect Nathan C. Wyeth changed the design to a modern Georgian style.

Jeffress-Dryer Inc. won the bid to build the school, and construction began in 1938. The original plans called for one boys' gymnasium and one girls' gymnasium. the District's Board of Commissioners agreed to appropriate an additional $16,000 in order to build the girls' gymnasium. Construction was completed in February 1940, at a cost of $1,500,000.

Coolidge opened its doors on September 23, 1940. During its first school year, Coolidge had 31 teachers,

The school has an adjacent track and football field, likely constructed around the same time as the original school building.

Admissions

Takoma is in the school's attendance boundary.

Demographics

Coolidge High School had 561 students enrolled during the 2020–2021 school year. Of these students, 65 percent were black, 33 percent were Hispanic/Latino, and 1 percent were multiple races.

Curriculum

Coolidge High School offers Advanced Placement courses in science, English, math, and history. It has an art room, a media center, a computer lab, and a science lab.

According to the 2011 District of Columbia's Comprehensive Assessment System, 32% of students met or exceeded math standards, and 42% of students met or exceeded reading standards. In 2010, the school's graduation rate was 95%, and 47% of graduating students registered at a college or university in the following fall semester.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

The school's athletic teams are named the Colts. Coolidge was the first high school in the District to require physical education classes five period per week. Because the school was so new, it could not organize any athletic teams in time for the 1939–1940 school year, but it did have teams organized for the 1940–1941 school year. In December 1940, The Colts' first basketball game was played against Woodward Prep. Because the delivery of its basketball hoops was delayed, the game was played at a local Y.M.C.A. Coached by the former head coach of Anacostia High School, Julian Colangelo, Coolidge beat Woodward Prep, 42 to 19. Coolidge also won its second-ever basketball game, winning an away game against Briarley Military Academy by a score of 25 to 17. Coolidge's third basketball game was the first game played in its own gymnasium; it was a 19-to-12 win against Anacostia High School.

The Colts first baseball team played its first game in April 1941, playing against Briarley Military Academy. Coolidge lost the game 13 to 7 after committing six errors and walking nine batters.

Coolidge's football team, coached by Sherman Rees and Gil Roberts, began playing in September 1941. Coolidge lost its first game 27 to 0 against John Handley High School. Coolidge played its second football game, and its first home game, against National Training School. Coolidge won the game 7 to 6.

The 1946–1947 school year was particularly successful at Coolidge, with the school's baseball, basketball, football, golf, rifle, and archery teams all bringing in District championships that year.

After years without a stadium, the District's Board of Education and the District's Board of Commissioners approved construction of a stadium behind the school at Third and Sheridan streets in 1945. The land was owned by the federal government. Coolidge did not want to build a stadium on federally owned land so it would not have to share ticket revenue with the federal government. President Harry Truman cut the stadium's construction from the District's 1952 budget in order to keep the District's budget balanced. The District's Board of Commissioners approved a 1955 budget that included Coolidge's stadium. Congress ended up appropriating funds for the stadium's construction in the 1955 budget.

In 2007, Coolidge opened its new football field, including a digital scoreboard, a press box, and a new public-address system.

In 2010, Coolidge hired Natalie Randolph as its football coach, making her the only female head football coach in the nation. Randolph had previously played wide receiver for the D.C. Divas women's professional football team. Randolph also teaches environmental sciences.

References

References

1. "2020–2021 Parent and Student Handbook". Calvin Coolidge High School.
2. [https://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:531696 GNIS entry] for Calvin Coolidge Senior High School; [[USGS]]; December 31, 1981.
3. "K–12 School Code Search". College Board.
4. "Coolidge High School". District of Columbia Public Schools.
5. (2021). "Coolidge High School". U.S. News & World Report L.P..
6. {{NRISref
7. {{NRHPweekly
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9. (June 12, 1937). "Citizens of Northwest Seek $450,000 for New School". The Washington Post.
10. (September 30, 1925). "Manor Park School Project Under Way". The Washington Post.
11. (March 15, 1936). "Houck Will Present Cup To Commander Malloy". The Washington Post.
12. Secrest, James D.. (April 5, 1936). "Traffic Action Slated as Rider On Budget Bill". The Washington Post.
13. (February 28, 1936). "2 Night Schools To Close; Low Funds Blamed". The Washington Post.
14. (March 31, 1937). "District Supply Bill Provides For 54 New School Teachers". The Washington Post.
15. Secrest, James D.. (June 9, 1937). "D.C. Heads Back Senate Supply Bill". The Washington Post.
16. (November 14, 1937). "Debate Raging Over Names of Schools-to-Be". The Washington Post.
17. (December 22, 1937). "Citizen Groups Protest Plans Of New School". The Washington Post.
18. (January 4, 1938). "Manor Citizens Urge Funds for P.U.C. Studies". The Washington Post.
19. (September 14, 1938). "Coolidge School's Low Bid Is More Than Authorized". The Washington Post.
20. (January 15, 1938). "Coolidge High Plan Approved By Arts Group: Georgian Type of Building Will Be Erected in Takoma Park". The Washington Post.
21. (September 25, 1938). "$1,326,950 High School Contract Let". The Washington Post.
22. (January 3, 1940). "Takoma Park, DC.". The Washington Post.
23. (January 24, 1940). "District's Extensive School Building Program Nears Completion".
24. (August 25, 1940). "Coolidge High Opens Sept. 23: 750 Students Will Enter New School When Term Begins". The Washington Post.
25. (September 22, 1940). "80,000 Will Return To District Schools". The Washington Post.
26. (April 3, 1941). "Recreation Board Plan Approved". The Washington Post.
27. Zafar, Nina. (2019-08-28). "D.C.'s Takoma is a neighborhood that fought for diversity and still reaps its benefits". [[Washington Post]].
28. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20211203040208/https://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/coolidge School Profile: Coolidge High School]". ''District of Columbia Public Schools''. Archived from [https://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/coolidge the original] on December 3, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
29. "Academics". Calvin Coolidge Senior High School.
30. "2011-12 School Scorecard: Coolidge High School". District of Columbia Public Schools.
31. (April 15, 1942). "Colts Boast Margin in Practice". The Washington Post.
32. (September 12, 1940). "Draft Registry Aid Mapped by D.C. Schools". The Washington Post.
33. Burnett, Bill. (December 21, 1939). "New School Opening Now Set for Fall". The Washington Post.
34. (December 17, 1940). "Schoolboys Face Eight Games Today". The Washington Post.
35. (January 3, 1941). "Schoolboy Basketball in Comeback Today". The Washington Post.
36. (September 20, 1940). "Anacostia High Post May Go To Skip Lehr". The Washington Post.
37. (January 4, 1941). "Coolidge High Wins First Game of Career". The Washington Post.
38. (January 8, 1941). "Coolidge Quint Trips Briarly By 25-17 Count". The Washington Post.
39. (January 15, 1941). "Coolidge Wins, 19-12, Over Anacostia". The Washington Post.
40. (April 16, 1941). "Briarley Nine 13-7 Winner Over Coolidge". The Washington Post.
41. (September 27, 1941). "Eastern Game at Episcopal Tops Schedule". The Washington Post.
42. (September 28, 1941). "Handley Routs Coolidge High 27-0 in Opener". The Washington Post.
43. (October 4, 1941). "Coolidge Gains First Football Victory, 7 to 6". The Washington Post.
44. Heft, Herb. (June 19, 1947). "Colts Lose But Only by Graduations". The Washington Post.
45. (October 25, 1945). "Coolidge Stadium Plans Tangled in Government Tape". The Washington Post.
46. (April 6, 1950). "Land Swap for Coolidge Stadium Urged". The Washington Post.
47. (May 4, 1950). "Recreation Cedes Land to Coolidge". The Washington Post.
48. (January 16, 1951). "1952 D.C. Budget $16 Million Above Figure for 1951". The Washington Post.
49. Bassett, Grace. (May 20, 1954). "Hill Receives $172 Million D.C. Budget". The Washington Post.
50. (May 22, 1954). "D.C. School Budget Gets Quick Study". The Washington Post.
51. McKenna, Dave. (September 28, 2007). "Outside the Lines: Coolidge Senior High Gets a New Field and New Hope". Washington City Paper.
52. (March 18, 2010). "DC High School Hires Female Football Coach". Sentinel.
53. Goldenbach, Alan. (March 11, 2010). "'Diva' Has a New Job Description: Head Coast, High School Football". The Washington Post.
54. DiPerna, Jody. (November 25, 2010). "Natalie Randolph Completes Her Inaugural Season". Washington Informer.