Traverse City West Senior High School (also known as West Senior High, TC West, or simply TCW) is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
,
co-educational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
secondary 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 '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
located outside
Traverse City
Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, in neighboring
Garfield Township. Along with
Traverse City Central High School
Traverse City Central High School (also known as Central High School or TCC) is a public high school in Traverse City, Michigan. It is one of two comprehensive high schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools district.
History
The first pu ...
, TC West is part of the
Traverse City Area Public Schools
Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS; ) is a public school district based in Traverse City, Michigan, United States. This district includes 10 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 2 high schools, 1 alternative high school, and 1 Monte ...
district, and one of six high schools in Traverse City. The school enrolls about 1,600 students each year, making it the largest high school in Michigan north of
Kent County.
Since 2008, Traverse City West has offered grades
9 through
12. Additionally, students are given the option to
dual enroll and attend classes at
Northwestern Michigan College
Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) is a public community college in Traverse City, Michigan. Founded in 1951, it enrolls nearly 4,000 students. NMC offers associate degrees and professional certificates, bachelor's degrees through the Great La ...
. In addition to the dual enrollment program, a wide variety of honors and
AP classes are offered.
History
Prior to 1997, Traverse City only had one public high school,
Traverse City Senior High School
Traverse City Central High School (also known as Central High School or TCC) is a public high school in Traverse City, Michigan. It is one of two comprehensive high schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools district.
History
The first pu ...
, built in 1959 at the base of the
Old Mission Peninsula
Peninsula Township is a civil township of Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 6,068, up from 5,433 at the 2010 census. The township is coterminous with the Old Mission Peninsul ...
. Until this point, Traverse City Senior High was
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
's largest high school, with over 3,000 students enrolled annually. A proposal for a new school was brought to the
TCAPS board in June 1996, with a number of other proposed names listed, including:
* Traverse City Western High School
* Traverse City West View High School
* Traverse City West Hills High School
* Traverse City Forest View High School
Other proposed school
team names were listed in this proposal, too, including:
* Buffaloes
* Cougars
* Eagles
* Highlanders
* Spartans (in honor of the
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and wh ...
)
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 7, 1996, and the new school was finally opened to students on January 26, 1998.
Since that time, West Senior High's enrollment has generally encompassed students living west of
Division Street. In 2009, a new gymnasium and athletic hub was added to the school.
In 2020, alumnus
Chasten Buttigieg, spouse of
United States Secretary of Transportation
The United States secretary of transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to transportation. The secre ...
Pete Buttigieg
Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg ( ; ; Sometimes pronounced or , but not by Buttigieg himself. born January 19, 1982) is an American politician and former military officer who is currently serving as the United States secretary of transp ...
, wrote ''
I Have Something to Tell You
''I Have Something to Tell You'' is a 2020 memoir by Chasten Buttigieg. It was published by Atria Books in September 2020 and includes topics from his early life in a conservative Midwestern family including sexual assault, domestic violence, ...
''. The memoir includes anecdotes about Buttigieg's time at Traverse City West, calling it Traverse City's "
hick school", citing the school's tradition of "Bring Your Tractor to School Day".
In 2016 and 2022, the Traverse City West student section, nicknamed the "Bleacher Creatures", won the Battle of the Fans, an
MHSAA contest that determines the best
student section
A student section or student cheering section is a group of student fans that supports its school's athletic teams at sporting events; they are known for being one of the most visible and vocal sections of a sports crowd as well as for their occ ...
in the state of Michigan.
In 2022, after 25 years of competing in the
Big North Conference, Traverse City West and rival Traverse City Central moved their football programs into the North Division of the
Saginaw Valley League
The Saginaw Valley High School Association (commonly referred to as the Saginaw Valley League) is a high school sports league formed in 1904 within the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), located in the Bay, Genesee, Isabella, Lap ...
.
Principals
In its history, Traverse City West has had two head principals:
Academics
Traverse City West offers 132 classes to its students, including 17
AP courses.
In addition, students are also given the option to dual-enroll with
Northwestern Michigan College
Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) is a public community college in Traverse City, Michigan. Founded in 1951, it enrolls nearly 4,000 students. NMC offers associate degrees and professional certificates, bachelor's degrees through the Great La ...
. Students can also attend the Career-Tech Center of
TBAISD, which offers special technological education for juniors and seniors at West, as those of other districts under TBAISD.
West's student body is divided into three "neighborhoods": Athens, Olympia, and Sparta. These neighborhoods offer smaller learning communities and the chance to form better bonds with their peers and educators.
Demographics
The demographic breakdown of Traverse City West's 1,544 students enrolled in 2021–22 was:
* Female – 50.2%
* Male – 49.8%
* American Indian/Alaska Native – 1.2%
* Asian – 1.3%
* Black – 0.9%
* Hispanic – 4.1%
* White – 89.4%
* Two or more races – 3.0%
Additionally, 439 students (28.43%) were eligible for reduced-price or free lunch.
Athletics
Traverse City West's sports teams are known as the Titans. Since 2022, the school has been part of the Blue Division of the
Saginaw Valley League
The Saginaw Valley High School Association (commonly referred to as the Saginaw Valley League) is a high school sports league formed in 1904 within the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), located in the Bay, Genesee, Isabella, Lap ...
for football, and the
Big North Conference for other school-sanctioned sports. West is considered a Division-1 and Class A school by
MHSAA, meaning it is in the highest enrollment class for the state. West offers the following sports:
;Fall sports
* Boys' Soccer
* Boys' Tennis
* Cheerleading
* Cross Country
* Football
* Girls' Golf
* Rowing
* Swimming
* Volleyball
;Winter sports
* Basketball
* Wrestling
* Cross Country Skiing
* Bowling
* Figure Skating
* Hockey
* Skiing
;Spring sports
* Baseball
* Boys' Golf
* Equestrian Club
* Girls' Soccer
* Girls' Tennis
* Lacrosse
* Rowing
* Sailing
* Softball
* Track and Field
Sports rivalries
Traverse City Central High School
Since Traverse City Senior High School split in 1997, there has been a natural rivalry between West and Central. In every year since, the two schools have met at least once every year, with West winning 14 of the 28 games the two schools have played.
Since 2012, this annual game has been known as the Traverse City Patriot Game, and honors fallen members of the
United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
from Northwest Michigan. The winning team is awarded the Nowak-Olson Trophy. In 2020, the game was known as the Celebrate Service Game, and honored frontline workers of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Grand Haven High School
Traverse City West also has a rivalry with the Buccaneers of
Grand Haven High School in
Ottawa County. This began in 2016, and has been played as West's second game of the season in every year since.
This rivalry began because the two cities are both designated
Coast Guard Cities by the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
. The winning team is awarded the Coast Guard Cup. West has won all but one Coast Guard Cup since 2016.
Notable alumni
*
Chasten Buttigieg (class of 2007), Former First Gentleman of
South Bend, Indiana
South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...
*
Jake Fisher
Jake Fisher (born April 23, 1993) is a former American football player. He played college football for the University of Oregon. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals as an offensive tackle in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He sw ...
(class of 2011), NFL Player for the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
and
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
*
Eric Gordon
Eric Ambrose Gordon Jr. (born December 25, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In high school, he was named "Mr. Basketball" of Indiana during his senior yea ...
(class of 2005), former
Michigan State Spartan linebacker
*
Ryan Hayes (class of 2018), former
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its ...
player
*
Darren Keyton (class of 2008), former NFL Player for the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
*
Phil Thiel (class of 2003), former professional rugby player for
Life University
Life University is a private university focused on training chiropractors and located in Marietta, Georgia, USA. It was established in 1974 by a chiropractor, Sid E. Williams.
History
The university was founded in 1974 by Williams as "Life C ...
*
Casey Townsend
Casey James Townsend (born July 7, 1989) is an American former professional soccer player.
Career
Prep career
Townsend played for Traverse City West High School in Michigan from 2004 to 2007. During his time there he was named the state's Pla ...
(class of 2007), Professional Soccer Player for
FC Cincinnati
Football Club Cincinnati, commonly known as FC Cincinnati, is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Cincinnati. The club plays in the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The ...
*Katie Larson and Savannah Buist of
The Accidentals
The Accidentals are an American band, formed in Traverse City, Michigan in 2012 by singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Sav Buist and Katie Larson. The group has featured an eclectic blend of indie folk, pop, bluegrass, rock, classica ...
References
External links
School website
{{Authority control
Traverse City, Michigan
Public high schools in Michigan
Schools in Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Educational institutions established in 1997
1997 establishments in Michigan
School buildings completed in 1998
Traverse City Central-Traverse City West Rivalry