Broad Ripple Magnet High School for the Arts & Humanities, established in 1886, was a magnet school of the Indianapolis Public Schools. It was closed as a public high school in 2018, but continued to be used as both an administrative building and a host for a Purdue University charter school. [4] The building is planned to reopen again for the 2024-25 school year as the new public Broad Ripple Middle School.[5]

Broad Ripple High School
Address
Map
1115 Broad Ripple Avenue

,
46220

United States
Coordinates39°52′07″N 86°08′15″W / 39.86861°N 86.13750°W / 39.86861; -86.13750
Information
TypePublic
Established1886
School districtIndianapolis Public Schools
Grades9–12
Enrollment502[1] (2014-15)
Color(s)   
Athletics conferenceIndianapolis Public School Conference
Team nameRockets
AccreditationNorth Central Association
WebsiteArchived Website
[2][3]

History

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Originally built in 1886 in the town of Broad Ripple, the school started with seven students. The campus was destroyed by fire near the start of the 20th century but was rebuilt. In 1923, the school joined the Indianapolis Public Schools when the town of Broad Ripple was annexed into Indianapolis. Through the 1930s and 1940s, the school continued to grow. In 1961, the school became a haven for high school education in Indianapolis. Once a predominantly white, middle class school, and the last high school in the Indianapolis Public Schools to integrate, Broad Ripple gradually integrated in the 1950s and the first class to graduate African Americans was 1953.

In 1976, the Center for Performing & Visual Arts was created within the school. Two years later, the Center for Humanities became the second magnet program offered at Broad Ripple High School. The Center for Performing & Visual Arts and Center for Humanities at Broad Ripple High School offered students the opportunity for specialized study in the areas of arts and humanities. Both magnet programs provided college preparatory and individualized instruction designed to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to compete and succeed as productive citizens.

Today

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Additions, renovations, and annexations took place in 1896, 1913, 1935, 1939, 1949, 1960, 1970, 1988, 1991, and 2003. Enrollment reached its peak at 2,500 in 1995 after the closure of Washington and Howe high schools in Indianapolis. The campus consisted of four buildings attached to each other. The official mascot of the school is the rocket; the school colors are orange and black. The school was accredited by the North Central Association.[6]

Along with the Marching Rockets, Broad Ripple High School also had an extensive dance department where students learned both the fundamentals and extreme forms of dance. Another longstanding department involved in Broad Ripples Center for Performing Arts was the theatre department. With their past performances of Othello, Chicago, and the like, the Gene Poston Auditorium and the Studio 55 blackbox theatre was home to hundreds of curious, dedicated, theatre students. The theatre department offered a well-rounded theatrical education, ranging from acting, directing, stage design and technology, and theatre history. Broad Ripple High School's longest standing tradition, Ripples Acts, stemmed from the theatre department.

Demographics

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The demographic breakdown of the 538 students enrolled in 2013-2013 was:

  • Hispanic - 14.1%
  • White - 13.6%
  • Multiracial - 4.6%

83.1% of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.[3]

Athletics

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Sports offered students at Broad Ripple included:[2]

  • Baseball (boys)
  • Basketball (boys and girls)
    • Boys state champion 1979-80[7]
  • Cross Country (boys)
  • Football (boys)
  • Golf (boys and girls)
  • Gymnastics (girls)
  • Soccer (boys and girls)
  • Softball (girls)
  • Swimming (boys and girls)
  • Tennis (boys and girls)
    • Boys state champion 1972-73[7]
  • Track (boys and girls)
  • Volleyball (girls)
  • Wrestling (boys)

Notable alumni

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Broad Ripple Mgnt HS for Prfm Arts". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Staff. "2015–2016 School Directory" (PDF). IHSAA. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Search For Schools and Colleges". ed.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  4. ^ "Purdue Polytechnic High might stay in former Broad Ripple High School building". 7 October 2022.
  5. ^ "See what's happening to your IPS school under the proposed Rebuilding Stronger plan". 14 September 2022.
  6. ^ "AdvancED - Institution Summary". advanc-ed.org. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  7. ^ a b c "IHSAA State Championships by School". ihsaa.org. Archived from the original on April 11, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  8. ^ "Gretzky Got Start in Indianapolis". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  9. ^ "Alicia Monroe, M.D." www.tmc.edu. 4 November 2015. Archived from the original on 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  10. ^ "Dohn Norwood". IMDb. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  11. ^ Barnes, Marlin J. (2012-11-30). "Will Write For Fools: MAN OF THE MONTH: Dohn W. Norwood". Will Write For Fools. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  12. ^ "Indianapolis Recorder 10 April 1993 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  13. ^ "Dohn Norwood". IMDb. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  14. ^ "Dohn Norwood Married, Hell on Wheels Star Wedding Details!". Us Weekly. 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  15. ^ "Q&A – Dohn Norwood (Psalms)". AMC. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
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