DeSoto High School (Texas) explained

DeSoto School
Location:600 Eagle Drive
City:DeSoto
State:Texas
County:Dallas
Zipcode:75115
Country:United States
Coordinates:32.581°N -96.8696°W
Established:1956
Type:Comprehensive public high school
District:DeSoto Independent School District
Campus Type:Suburban
Principal:Monica Smith
Enrollment:2,216 (2022–23)[1]
Faculty:129.25 (FTE)
Ratio:17.15
Gender:Co-Educational
Mascot:Eagle
Team Name:Eagles
Conference:University Interscholastic League (UIL)
6A district
Rivals:Cedar Hill, Duncanville
Colors:Green and Gold

DeSoto High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in DeSoto, Texas, United States. It is part of the DeSoto Independent School District and is classified as a 6A school by the UIL. In 2015, the school was rated "Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agency.[2]

The district, and therefore the school, serves most of DeSoto and the Dallas County portion of Glenn Heights, and a portion of Ovilla in Dallas County, as well as a small portion of Cedar Hill.[3]

School profile

From 1956 to 1962, DeSoto High School was located at 200 East Belt Line Road. In 1962, a new campus opened at 601 East Belt Line Road (present-day DeSoto East Junior High). As the district continued to grow, voters approved a $7.5 million bond by a vote of 445–366 in 1973 that contained a provision for the construction of a new high school.

On February 15, 1974, a groundbreaking ceremony took place at the new site, 600 Eagle Drive. The building contract was awarded to Central Texas Construction of Terrell at a cost of approximately $3,100,000. The school opened on August 16, 1976.

To relieve overcrowding, an adjoining Freshman Campus opened in 1997 to serve the district's ninth graders.

In 2011 The Dallas Morning News reported that the school "had a lower-than-expected college readiness percentage."[4] In 2011, the district built additions to improve the school's college and career academies.[4] The State of Texas defined "college readiness," or readiness to undergo university studies, by scores on the ACT, SAT, and 11th grade Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) tests.

DeSoto High offers International Baccalaureate, early college, and academic magnet programs to better serve the academic needs of its high-achieving students preparing to attend college.[5]

School uniforms

In the 2005–2006 school year, DeSoto ISD began a mandatory school uniform policy at all of its schools. Formerly, the mandatory uniform was:

In 2019, DeSoto ISD changed the policy and the students no longer have to wear uniforms.

Student demographics

In the 2014–2015 school year, DeSoto High had a total of 2,238 students in grades 10-12 (82% African American, 3% White, 14% Hispanic, 0.2% Asian, and 0.2% Native American).

Athletics

The DeSoto Eagles compete in the following sports:[6]

State championships

The DeSoto Baseball team won State Championships in 1979 and 1985.[7]

The Lady Eagle track and field team won a State Championship in 2007 followed by three consecutive State Championships in 2011, 2012, and 2013. They also won 5 straight titles in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 bringing their total to 9 State Championships.[8]

The Eagle Boys' Track and Field team won State Titles in 2012 and 2016.[7]

The Boys' Basketball team won the Texas 5A State Championship in 2003 and 2009.[9] In 2016, the boys' team won the 6A State Championship, upsetting #1 ranked Atacostia High 73–54.[10]

In 2016, the Varsity Football team won the 6A Division II State Championship in the AT&T Stadium. This was the first State Football Championship in school history. DeSoto won the State Championship again in 2022.[11]

In 2021, the Varsity Girls Basketball team won the Texas 6A State Championship over an undefeated Cypress Creek High School (Texas). This was the first Girls State Basketball Championship in school history. In 2022, the Girls Basketball team would win a repeat championship title bringing their total to two state titles.[12]

Rivalry

For decades, DeSoto High has maintained a popular rivalry against their regional foe the Cedar Hill High School Longhorns. The rivalry has been deemed the "Battle of Belt Line".[13] DeSoto has an even longer rivalry with Duncanville High School.[14]

The earliest DHS rivalry was with Lancaster High School, DeSoto on the West and Lancaster to the East of Interstate 35. Pranks against each other in the 70's-80's included: Live goats tied to front door of school, and paint dumped atop the bronze eagle statue that sits in front of the building.

Marching band

DeSoto Eagle Band is a 90+ music group that represents the school at athletic games, band competitions, parades, and other events.[15]

Student Investigation Award

In January 2005, the school district was investigated by the press for its questionable hiring of an outside "gang consultant". The investigation focused on whether the district truly had a "gang problem" (the local police chief said it did not), or whether the consultant was creating the "problem", since the consultant stood to gain a sizeable contract if in fact a problem existed. The result is that there was no real gang problem, and the consultant's contract was terminated.

The unique feature of the investigation was that none of the media outlets in the Dallas area had anything to do with it. The investigation was performed solely by the Eagle Eye, the DHS student newspaper. For their role in the story, four members of the newspaper staff received the Courage in Student Journalism Award for their work; the student advisor received the educator's version of the award. Both awards came with $5,000 prizes.[16]

Notable alumni

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: DESOTO H S. National Center for Education Statistics. April 28, 2024.
  2. Web site: 2015 Accountability Rating System . https://web.archive.org/web/20160422073218/https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/perfreport//account/2015/srch.html?srch=C . dead . April 22, 2016 . Texas Education Agency .
  3. Web site: SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Dallas County, TX. 2010 U.S. Census. U.S. Census Bureau. 2019-11-05.
  4. Hacker, Holly K. "Analysis shows true Texas high school performance, stripping away socioeconomic factors." The Dallas Morning News. September 3, 2011. Retrieved on February 10, 2012.
  5. Web site: Home.
  6. Web site: Schools - The Athletics Department .com. www.theathleticsdepartment.com.
  7. Web site: Home. May 19, 2016. May 22, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160522120108/http://www.desotohs.desotoisd.org/?PageName=LatestNews&Section=DistrictNews&ItemID=85476&ISrc=District&Itype=News&IFrom=D&SID=825. dead.
  8. Web site: DeSoto High School Girls Track Team Brings Home 5th Straight State Title. Vince. Sims. May 10, 2021 .
  9. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2015/02/19/final-boys-basketball-rankings-plano-west-finishes-on-top-in-6a-lancaster-leads-5a-others/ Boys basketball rankings
  10. http://blog.mysanantonio.com/hssports/2016/03/boys-basketball-desoto-defeats-undefeated-atascocita-for-6a-title/ Boys basketball Desoto defeats undefeated Atacostia High for a 6A title
  11. Web site: DeSoto finally on the right side of history; Eagles shut door on Steele for school's long-awaited first state title. December 18, 2016.
  12. Web site: DeSoto Lady Eagles win first state title in program history. March 12, 2021.
  13. Web site: Cedar Hill's win in the Battle of the Belt Line helps shake up playoff picture Dallas Morning News. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141026100817/http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/high-schools/headlines/20141023-cedar-hill-s-win-in-the-battle-of-the-belt-line-helps-shake-up-playoff-picture.ece. 2014-10-26.
  14. Web site: Cedar Hill (TX) High School Sports - Football, Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, and more | MaxPreps.
  15. Web site: Eagle Band . August 15, 2015 . August 1, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150801103340/http://eagleband.org/ . dead .
  16. Web site: Texas students, adviser receive Courage in Student Journalism Awards. February 14, 2012. November 24, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111124045228/http://splc.org/news/report_detail.asp?id=1247&edition=38. dead.
  17. Web site: Johntay Cook II - Football . University of Texas Athletics . en.
  18. Web site: Matt Jones – 2016-17 – Men's Basketball – Duke Athletics. Duke Blue Devils. October 30, 2024.
  19. Web site: Devere Levelston College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits . 2024-07-28 . College Football at Sports-Reference.com . en.
  20. Web site: Jalen Mills, Philadelphia Eagles.
  21. Web site: Jabbar Muhammad - Football . University of Washington Athletics . en.
  22. Web site: Seattle Seahawks . en .
  23. https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/texas-am-aggies/2024/07/18/desoto-product-shemar-turner-says-texas-high-school-football-prepared-him-for-texas-am/ DeSoto product Shemar Turner says Texas high school football prepared him for Texas A&M
  24. Web site: Cook . Joe . Quintrevion Wisner's opportunity is the result of his versatility . On3.com . 2 April 2024 . 15 September 2024.

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