New Castle 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 ...
in
New Castle,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
whose name is commonly abbreviated to NCHS. It is part of the
New Castle Community School Corporation
The New Castle Community School Corporation is a public school corporation located in New Castle, Indiana. In addition to New Castle, the district serves all of Henry Township and an adjoining portion of Liberty Township in Henry County, Indian ...
and has an enrollment of approximately 1,200 students. NCHS is the largest high school in
Henry County.
The present high school originated from the New Castle Academy in 1870. In 1895, New Castle High School was constructed. Because of its distinctive appearance, the building became known as "The Castle." In response to a significant increase in enrollment, a new senior high school was constructed in 1923–24 at 14th and Walnut Streets. Plans to construct an additional wing and a multi-purpose facility were never developed. Instead, physical education classes were conducted at the National Guard Armory across the street and basketball games were played at the YMCA in the "Church Street Gym." The Walnut Street location served as the senior high school until 1958 when the present high school facility was completed. The 1924 structure then joined the 1895 "Castle" building as a junior high school. In 1973, eighth and ninth grade students began attending the newly constructed Parkview Junior High School. The "Castle" was subsequently demolished, and the Walnut Street school exclusively housed seventh grade students until 1999. The location was home to the Raintree Education Center until 2010; the building was sold to a private owner in 2011.
Present location
Located just west of Baker Park at the corner of Parkview Drive and Ross Street, the current facility opened in August 1958. The structure was modern for its era and featured an expansive facade of windows on the north and south sides. Two new cafeterias, a business wing, and a vocational wing were in place by the 1960s. Construction of Bundy Auditorium in 1972 as part of the adjoining Parkview Junior High School provided a place for school events and activities. A new swimming facility was put into use at this time.
When the current building opened, the school was renamed Walter P. Chrysler Memorial High School, after
Chrysler Corporation
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
founder
Walter Chrysler
Walter Percy Chrysler (April 2, 1875 – August 18, 1940) was an American industrial pioneer in the automotive industry, American automotive industry executive and the founder and namesake of American Chrysler Corporation.
Early life
Chrysler wa ...
. In 1979, the New Castle School Board voted to remove the Chrysler name from the school, but eventually decided to rename it New Castle Chrysler High School. The Chrysler name was eventually dropped from the school, but not until July 1, 2011. The name change had been approved by a 3–2 vote on November 12, 2007, restoring the school's original name, effective after that year's freshman class graduated in 2011.
The New Castle School Board began a $25 million project in 1998 to significantly renovate the high school, add air conditioning, and upgrade its technological infrastructure. The former business wing, or "C" wing, was demolished to make room for a new entrance and improved parking. A new three-story academic wing was built to provide more classroom space and improved science facilities. In 1999, freshmen students were moved from Parkview Junior High School to the newly expanded high school.
During the summer of 2011, most of the vocational (New Castle Area Career) programs that had been formerly housed at the Eder site in
Knightstown (
Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home
The Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home (ISSCH) was a residential and educational facility near Knightstown, Indiana, in northwestern Rush County, Indiana.
History
The home was founded in 1865 by Governor of Indiana Oliver Morton and ...
campus) were moved primarily into the E and T-wings of New Castle High School. Only the student radio station,
WKPW (90.7 FM), remained in Knightstown where it had been moved from the Eder site to Knightstown High School by early 2010.
Athletics
New Castle High School is a member of the
Hoosier Heritage Conference
Hoosier Heritage Conference is an athletic and extra/co-curricular activity conference of Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its ...
and has programs in football, soccer, cross country, volleyball, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, wrestling, swimming, track, golf, softball, and baseball. The boys basketball team won the state championship in 1932 and the Class 3A state championship in 2006. In 2007, the volleyball team won the Class AAAA state championship. The volleyball team once again won state in 2017, this time winning the Class 3A championship. The volleyball team went on to win state again in 2018 in Class 3A. The volleyball team ended their run with a 2019 volleyball state championship in Class 4A.
Notable people
*
Steve Alford
Stephen Todd Alford (born November 23, 1964) is an American men's college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack of the Mountain West Conference (MWC). Born and raised in Indiana, he was a ...
– college basketball head coach for University of Nevada men's basketball, player for
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the Nationa ...
and
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
*
Trey Ball
Ronald Eugene "Trey" Ball III (born June 27, 1994) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. The Boston Red Sox selected him in the first round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. Listed at and , he throws and bats left-handed.
...
– professional baseball player in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
.
[ ]
*
Kent Benson
Michael Kent Benson (born December 27, 1954) is an American former collegiate and professional basketball player. Benson was a two time All-American at Indiana University, winning the 1976 Helms Foundation Player of the Year and helping lead th ...
– professional basketball player in NBA, center of
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the Nationa ...
undefeated 1976 national champions
*
Marv Huffman
Marvin Huffman (March 14, 1917 – May 15, 1983) was an American basketball player.
A 6'2" forward, Huffman starred at New Castle High School in Indiana, where he started every game for four years. He then played collegiately at Indiana Univers ...
– player for
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the Nationa ...
' 1940 national champions
*
Vern Huffman
Richard Vernon Huffman (December 18, 1914 – March 18, 1995) was an American football and basketball player. He was born in Mooreland, Indiana and was raised in and around New Castle, Indiana.
He played basketball for the New Castle High Sc ...
– NFL player, basketball player for
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the Nationa ...
and New Castle's 1932 state champions
*
Butch Joyner
Harry C. "Butch" Joyner (born April 26, 1945) is an American former professional basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the p ...
– professional basketball player in
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...
*
Brandon Miller – former head coach for
Butler Bulldogs men's basketball
The Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school's team currently competes in the Big East Conference. They play their home games at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
History
Butler competed as part ...
See also
*
List of high schools in Indiana
This is a list of high schools in the U.S. state of Indiana.
A
Adams County
Allen County
B
Bartholomew County
Benton County
Blackford County
Boone County
Brown County
C
Carroll County
Cass County
Clark County
Clay County ...
References
{{authority control
Public high schools in Indiana
New Castle, Indiana
Schools in Henry County, Indiana
1895 establishments in Indiana
Educational institutions established in 1895