WEST PHILADELPHIA HIGH SCHOOL IN REVIEW
WEST PHILADELPHIA CLASS OF 1978
OUR 30 YEAR REUNION
West Philadelphia High School is a secondary school located in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The school was completed on November 1, 1912. and occupies an entire city block between 46th and 47th streets, between Walnut Street and Locust Street. It was originally divided into a boys and girls school, but both were combined in the 50's to ease administration and streamline education.West Philadelphia High School (WPHS), Philadelphia's first secondary school West of the Schuylkill, with a student population in excess of 5,500. Such was the press on the new high school, which originally stood as two separate buildings for boys and girls, that the City was compelled to open Overbrook High School in 1926; a third high school, John Bartram, followed in 1935.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS:West Philadelphia High School has been in the news recently for a number of inspiring activities. Most recently the West Philadelphia High School Electric Vehicle Team (WPEVP)has been receiving nationwide press over its hybrid race car. The team, developed as a partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, has been profiled in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Popular Mechanics, and the local ABC affiliate Channel Six's Action News, and countless websites and newsletters.
In addition, the school is slated to receive a new building to replace the 90 year old structure, one of the oldest school buildings under continuous use in the state, in the next two years as part of a district-wide capitol improvement plan. despite the enthusiasm for a new home, the new construction is not without controversy. The school is currently in one of the most densely populated areas of Philadelphia. Locating the new building has been a two-year process that has involved numerous community meets, planning sessions, and has even necessitated the purchase of an entire city block. Current schedules call for the demolition of a block of apartment building to make way for site preparation.
OUR SCHOOL MISSION:
The mission of West Philadelphia High School is to provide the students with a quality education to ensure that they graduate with the requisite knowledge, skills and personal philosophy to be effective citizens--well-prepared for their futures in the world of work, college or any other post-secondary education. The entire staff is committed to creating and maintaining a positive school climate, which engenders students' academic success and personal development.
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