Laurel Highlands High School is a public
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
serving around 1,100 students in grades 9–12 from the outlying
Uniontown,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
city limits. Due to the campus' location, some students from Uniontown do attend Laurel Highlands for convenience.
Creation and history
Laurel Highlands High School was created in 1967 by merging rival high schools, North Union and South Union. Students attended high school in their respective buildings until completion of the current campus in 1972. Minor upgrades were performed to the school in 1994. The most recent structural update was completed in 2015 with a $43 million renovation.
Academics
According to the schools Curriculum Guide
students need 25.5 credits in order to graduate, as well as complete a graduation project and career portfolio.
Credit structure
Course offerings
* English
* Social Studies
* Science
* Mathematics
* Physical Education/Health/Aquatics
* World Language: Including courses in French, Spanish, and Foreign Cultures
* Business Education: Including tourism courses
* Air Force/JROTC
* Technology Education: Including courses in CADD, as well as an introductory course to the Natural Gas industry in the area.
* Family/Consumer Sciences
* Music
* Art
* Driver's Education
Vocational Education Opportunity
Students in Grades 10–12 have the opportunity to attend the
Fayette County Career and Technical Institute in
Georges Township for one-half day, each day while attending their home school the other half of the day.
Athletics
Notable alumni
*
Mark Esper
Mark Thomas Esper (born April 26, 1964) is an American politician and manufacturing executive who served as the 27th United States secretary of defense from 2019 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party, he had previously served as the 23rd ...
, former
U.S. Secretary of Defense
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The se ...
*
Gus Gerard
Daniel James "Gus" Gerard (born July 27, 1953) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for the Carolina Cougars and Spirits of St. Louis and Denver Nuggets of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the Denver Nugg ...
, former professional basketball player,
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
,
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
, and
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
*
David Nehls
David Nehls (born 28 April 1964) is an American actor, singer, composer and lyricist who, with Betsy Kelso, wrote ''The Great American Trailer Park Musical''. Among other appearances he originated the role of Riff Raff in the 1996-2000 European t ...
, actor, singer, composer, and lyricist
*
Peter M. Rhee
Peter Meong Rhee (born September 18, 1961) is an American surgeon, medical professor, and military veteran. During his 24 years in the United States Navy, Rhee served as a battlefield casualty physician in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Formerly a Profes ...
, surgeon
*
Wil Robinson, former
ABA basketball player
*
Terry Mulholland
Terence John Mulholland (born March 9, 1963) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. His Major League Baseball (MLB) career spanned 20 seasons, and to . He threw left-handed and batted right-handed.
Early life and education
Mulhol ...
, former professional baseball player,
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
and other teams
*
Kaleb Ramsey, former professional football player,
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
*
Gene Steratore
Eugene Joseph Steratore (; born February 8, 1963) is a former American football official in the National Football League (NFL) from 2003 until his retirement from the NFL in June 2018. He also worked as a National Collegiate Athletic Association ...
, former
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
referee
References
{{authority control
Public high schools in Pennsylvania
Schools in Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Educational institutions established in 1972
1972 establishments in Pennsylvania