Hillsboro High School (colloquially known as Hilhi) is a
public high school in
Hillsboro, Oregon, United States, and is the oldest high school in the
Hillsboro School District
The Hillsboro School District 1J is a unified school district located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The district operates 26 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools. Founded in 1851, the school district covers Hill ...
. The current campus was built beginning in 1969. Prior to this, the first campus opened in 1913 at 3rd Avenue and Grant Street; the second campus, built in 1928, was located downtown at 6th Avenue and Lincoln Street, where J.B. Thomas Middle School stood until 2009. Currently 1,195 students attend the school in grades 9–12. The official school colors are blue and white with red and black as accents, and the mascot is the
Spartan
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta refe ...
.
The athletics and activities of the school compete in category 5A's
Northwest Oregon Conference
The Northwest Oregon Conference (NWOC) is a 5A level classification that falls under the Oregon School Activities Association or the OSAA. The conference was created in 2006 when the OSAA restructured its conference system, expanding from 4 levels ...
under the
Oregon School Activities Association
The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) is a non-profit, board-governed organization that regulates high school athletics and competitive activities via athletic conferences in the U.S. state of Oregon, providing equitable competition amo ...
.
Alumni include professional soccer player
Tiffeny Milbrett
Tiffeny Carleen Milbrett (born October 23, 1972) is an American former professional soccer forward who was a longtime member of the United States women's national team. In May 2018 the National Soccer Hall of Fame announced Milbrett will be en ...
, hall of fame coach
Ad Rutschman
Adolf "Ad" Rutschman (born October 30, 1931) is an American football coach, former baseball coach, and college athletics administrator. He was a head football coach for 24 seasons, head baseball coach for 13 seasons, and served as athletic director ...
, and former professional baseball players
Bob Beall
Robert Brooks Beall (born April 24, 1948) is a former professional American baseball player who played Major League Baseball for the Atlanta Braves (, -) and the Pittsburgh Pirates in (). He played in a total of 148 games in his four-year Major L ...
and
Scott Brow.
Hillsboro High's most recent team state championship came in 2017 for boys' swimming.
As of 2022, the school's graduation rate was 90%.
History
In September 1908,
tenth grade
Tenth grade or grade 10 (called Year Eleven in England and Wales, and sophomore year in the US) is the tenth year of school post-kindergarten or the tenth year after the first introductory year upon entering compulsory schooling. In many parts of ...
was added to the Hillsboro school district, with classes held on the top floor of the school. Eleventh and twelfth grades were soon added, and in June 1911 the first students to complete four years of high school graduated.
This class totaled five students, consisting of four girls and one boy.
In September 1911, the school added
manual training
Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an ind ...
and
domestic science
Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...
courses to the curriculum. That same year, voters approved of a $50,000 bond measure to pay for constructing a high school building, with construction completed in 1913 at a cost of $40,000 for the three story building.
In 1913, the school graduated eight students.
A
gym
A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational i ...
nasium was built beginning in 1915. The school grew in size, with the 1920 graduating class totally 36 students, the largest number up to that time. As early as the 1910s, "Hilhi" was used as a colloquial name for the school; the 1917 annual yearbook featured the title "The Hilhi" on its cover.
In 1929, a new high school building was completed, with additional buildings and the wings added in later years.
[Philpott, Betty. Hillsboro school began in one-room log cabin in 1854. ''Hillsboro Argus'', October 19, 1976.] Located near downtown Hillsboro, at NE Sixth Avenue and Lincoln Street, the site became a
junior high
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school ...
once the current campus was built beginning in 1969.
[ In 1970, the new senior high school campus opened on on the south side of Hillsboro, with enrollment of the high school district reaching 3,621 students that year.][ Students complained that the new layout that consisted of classrooms spread out over the campus instead of a single central building was a poor choice for Oregon’s rainy and cold winters.][
]
The school has been remodel
Renovation (also called remodeling) is the process of improving broken, damaged, or outdated structures. Renovations are typically done on either commercial or residential buildings. Additionally, renovation can refer to making something new, ...
ed several times since opening in 1969. The first time was around 1980, when some minor updates such as the covered walkways were added. During the summer of 1999 the school received further updates. Blue and beige paint replaced the old brown colors on the buildings, the commons area was built adjacent to the cafeteria, a new auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, community ...
was constructed, a new building was built to house technology related classes, and the main office was remodeled. After the expansion Hilhi had a total of of space spread out among eleven single-story buildings on campus. During the summer of 2008 the locker rooms were remodeled, improving the lighting, showers, and bathrooms. Future plans included the replacement of aging HVAC units and controls by 2011.
In 2003, the school, along with all schools in the district, made national news when 17 days of classes were cut from the school year, which allowed students to begin summer break
Summer vacation or summer break is a school break in summer between school years and the break in the school academic year. Students are off anywhere between three weeks to three months. Depending on the country and district, staff might be partia ...
in May, due to budget cuts to education in Oregon.
Teacher Don Domes won the Software Association of Oregon Foundation's Oregon Technology Educator of Year in 2004.
Since 2006 the school has participated in the MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
- Lemelson InvenTeam program. Through the program, the school has received a $10,000 grant for a team of students to invent a self-installable heads-up display for automotive use and a $4,000 grant to invent an industrial sized robotic vacuum/floor cleaning system.
The former campus near downtown was demolished in 2009.
In the fall of 2015, the school became the first in the district to implement a mariachi band program into the curriculum, started by Hilhi alumni and Choir Director, Benjamin Noyes.
Academics
Hillsboro High School has offered the International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB D ...
Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...
since 2003, and in 2009, began offering the Middle Years Programme
The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) is an educational programme for students between the ages of 11 to 16 around the world as part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum. Middle Year Programme is intended to pr ...
. The school also has an ASPIRE program and a robotics team.
In 2008, 80% of the school's seniors received a high school diploma. Of 364 students, 293 graduated, 39 dropped out, three received a modified diploma, and 29 were still in high school in 2009.
The school's 2020–21 graduation rate was 90%.
Athletics
Hilhi, known as the Spartans, competes in the Northwest Oregon Conference
The Northwest Oregon Conference (NWOC) is a 5A level classification that falls under the Oregon School Activities Association or the OSAA. The conference was created in 2006 when the OSAA restructured its conference system, expanding from 4 levels ...
at the OSAA class 5A level. School colors are royal blue and white, and the athletic director is Steve Drake.
Cross-town school Glencoe has been Hilhi's arch-rival since Glencoe became the second high school in the district in 1980. The football rivalry was featured on the ''Great American Rivalries'' series in October 2007. Teams play for bragging rights at the shared Hare Field
Hare Field is a multi-sport facility located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The facility opened in 1965 and is owned by the Hillsboro School District. Hare Field includes a baseball stadium, a football stadium, practice fields, and track an ...
. The 2009 game featured a 61-yard Hail Mary pass at the end of the game caught by Colt Lyerla
Colt Keliikoa Lyerla (born November 13, 1992) is a former American arena football wide receiver and convicted felon. He played tight end at the University of Oregon for the Ducks but left in October 2013 due to personal reasons. He signed with t ...
for a touchdown after time expired to give Hilhi the victory. The play was named as ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
's top play of the day and of the week. That season the team finished ranked number one in their classification and won the state title, the first in football since 1973.
Mouse Davis
Darrel "Mouse" Davis (born September 6, 1932) is a retired American football coach and former player. A veteran coach at the high school, college, and professional levels, he last coached with Jerry Glanville at Portland State and with June Jon ...
, an early proponent of the run and shoot offense
The run and shoot offense (also known as Run N' Shoot) is an offensive system for American football which emphasizes receiver motion and on-the-fly adjustments of receivers' routes in response to different defenses. It was conceived by former ...
, coached Hillsboro High to the 1973 football state championship. Oregon Sports Hall of Fame The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall. Operated by the Oregon Sports ...
coach Ad Rutschman
Adolf "Ad" Rutschman (born October 30, 1931) is an American football coach, former baseball coach, and college athletics administrator. He was a head football coach for 24 seasons, head baseball coach for 13 seasons, and served as athletic director ...
coached the baseball team from 1955 to 1968 before moving on to Linfield College
Linfield University is a private university with campuses in McMinnville, and Portland, Oregon. Linfield Wildcats athletics participates in the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference. Linfield reported a combined 1,755 students after the fal ...
. Rutschman also led the Spartans to a state championship in football in 1966 with a 17–2 victory over South Salem.
Since 1965, the school has used Hare Field for football, baseball, and track.[Gaynair, Gillian. Hillsboro thinks things will go better with Coke. '']The Oregonian
''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 18 ...
'', May 21, 1998.
OSAA State Championships
Team titles
* Wrestling: 1952, 1990
* Baseball: 1962 (tie), 1966, 1968, 1993
* Football: 1966, 1973, 2009
* Girls' basketball: 1979, 1980
* Girls' cross-country: 1979
* Boys' soccer: 2006
* Boys' swimming: 2017
Student life
The school previously held a homecoming king and queen ceremony, but this was terminated by the student government in 2016. Beth Graser, the chief of communications of the school district, stated that the move was made to prevent a popularity contest from occurring, while the class president of the 12th grade and the student government adviser stated it was done to make student culture more inclusive for genderqueer individuals.
Notable alumni
* Bob Beall
Robert Brooks Beall (born April 24, 1948) is a former professional American baseball player who played Major League Baseball for the Atlanta Braves (, -) and the Pittsburgh Pirates in (). He played in a total of 148 games in his four-year Major L ...
, baseball player
* Scott Brow, baseball pitcher
* Rick Dancer
Rick Dancer (born June 29, 1959) is an American journalist and politician in the state of Oregon. Born in the city of Hillsboro, he was a longtime anchor for KEZI television in Eugene. Among his other activities as anchor, he covered the Thurston ...
, television anchor and politician
* David Edwards, politician
* Thomas Garrigus, Olympic athlete
* Tom Hughes, politician
* Josh Inman
Josh Inman (born March 13, 1980) is an American rower. Inman was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon, where he graduated from Hillsboro High School and became an Eagle Scout. He lettered with the Oregon State Beavers men's rowing team during ...
, Olympic athlete
* Bill Kellar, football player
* David Larsen
David Larsen (born April 23, 1980) is an American stage actor. A 1998 graduate of Hillsboro High School, Larsen starred in many of its productions, including the title role in '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat''.
Larsen attended ...
, actor
* Colt Lyerla
Colt Keliikoa Lyerla (born November 13, 1992) is a former American arena football wide receiver and convicted felon. He played tight end at the University of Oregon for the Ducks but left in October 2013 due to personal reasons. He signed with t ...
, football player
* Tiffeny Milbrett
Tiffeny Carleen Milbrett (born October 23, 1972) is an American former professional soccer forward who was a longtime member of the United States women's national team. In May 2018 the National Soccer Hall of Fame announced Milbrett will be en ...
, Olympic soccer player
* Ad Rutschman
Adolf "Ad" Rutschman (born October 30, 1931) is an American football coach, former baseball coach, and college athletics administrator. He was a head football coach for 24 seasons, head baseball coach for 13 seasons, and served as athletic director ...
, football/baseball coach
* Wes Schulmerich
Edward Wesley Schulmerich (August 21, 1901 – June 26, 1985) was an American Major League Baseball player from the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he played baseball and football at what is now Oregon State University where he partici ...
, baseball player
* Bruce Starr
Bruce Starr (born January 12, 1969) is an American politician and businessman in Oregon. A Republican, he served two terms in the Oregon House of Representatives before winning election to the Oregon State Senate in 2002. There he joined his f ...
, politician
* Bryce Zabel
Bryce H. Zabel (born May 17, 1954) is an American television producer, director, writer, and occasional actor. With hundreds of hours of produced film and television credits, Zabel has scripted a trio of mini-series which aired in the U.S. market ...
, television producer
See also
*Rood Bridge Park
Rood Bridge Park is a municipal park in southeast Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1999, the park encompasses on the north bank of the Tualatin River at its confluence with Rock Creek. Rood Bridge is near Hillsboro High School and sit ...
References
{{authority control
High schools in Washington County, Oregon
Schools in Hillsboro, Oregon
International Baccalaureate schools in Oregon
Public high schools in Oregon
1913 establishments in Oregon
Educational institutions established in 1913
Hillsboro School District