Amador High School
Amador High School, located in Sutter Creek, California, is one of two public high schools in Amador County. Originally known as "Amador County High School" at its inception in 1911, the school's name changed to "Sutter Creek Union High School" in 1916, reverting to "Amador County High School" in 1949, at the request of that year's graduating class. In 1984, upon completion of the merger of three school districts in the county, the name was changed to "Amador High School".[2]
| Amador High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
330 Spanish Street , 95685 United States | |
| Coordinates | 38.39813°N 120.81094°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1911 |
| Status | Open |
| School district | Amador County Unified School District |
| NCES School ID | [1] |
| Administrator | Julie Riffel |
| Principal | Butch Wagner |
| Faculty | 31.6 FTEs[1] |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Age range | 13-18 |
| Enrollment | 638 (as of 2020–21)[1] |
| Average class size | 27 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 20.2:1[1] |
| Language | English |
| Hours in school day | 7 hours, 45 minutes |
| Color(s) | Dark Blue, White, and Gray |
| Fight song | "On to Victory" |
| Athletics conference | Mother Lode League |
| Mascot | Buffalo |
| Nickname | Amador |
| Team name | The Thundering Herd |
| Rival | Argonaut High School |
| National ranking | 1747 (2016-17) |
| Newspaper | "Herd This" |
| Yearbook | "The Skip" |
| Feeder schools | Ione Junior High School, Jackson Junior High School |
| Mascot Name | Buckingham "Bucky" Amador Buffalo |
| Band | Amador High School Marching and Concert Band |
| Website | amadorhs |
As of the 2020–21 school year, the school had an enrollment of 638 students and 31.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 20.2:1. There were 177 students (27.7% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 14 (2.2% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]
Academics
California uses the Academic Performance Index (API) to measure annual school performance and year-to-year improvement. Amador High School had an API growth score of 791 in 2009. Amador High School's 2009 base score was 788, however the school did not meet its 2009 school-wide growth target.
Under No Child Left Behind, a school makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) if it achieves the minimum levels of improvement determined by the state of California in terms of student performance and other accountability measures. Amador High School made AYP in 2009.
School statistics
Scores on the California Standards Test[3] follow:
| Subject | Amador HS | Other CA Schools |
|---|---|---|
| English/Language Arts | 58% | 41% |
| Geometry | 42% | 24% |
| US History | 38% | 38% |
| Biology | 51% | 36% |
| Science | 32% | 35% |
Athletics
Amador High School is home of the Buffaloes (Thundering Herd). They are part of the Mother Lode League and a member of the California Interscholastic Federation (Sac-Joaquin Section)
In September 2022, shortly after the beginning of a game, the Amador County Unified School District cancelled all of the school's scheduled varsity football games, including the one then in progress, due to the discovery of a group chat with "racial overtones" involving a majority of the team,[4] ending the team's entire 2022-2023 season with the cancelled games scored as forfeit.[5] The matter was turned over to an independent investigator, with some allegations referred to law enforcement.[4]
Rivalry with Argonaut
Known as the "Big Game" officially, and unofficially also the "Cross-County Clash",[6] the towns of Sutter Creek and Jackson have watched Argonaut High School & Amador High School face off in athletics for more than 100 years. In football, both teams play for the coveted "Rotary Bell",[7][8] which remains in the possession of the winning team for a full year. Students previously participated by defacing the other school's property, but in recent years police have succeeded in controlling the vandalism. The town of Sutter Creek supports Amador during sports seasons by displaying the school's colors along Main Street.
Theater
Amador High School Drama, Performing Arts and Publications is headed by theater teacher Giles Turner (who has held the position since 1967).[9]
In 2013, the school's theater was renamed The Giles Turner Performing Arts Center, in honor of Turner's 50th year in the teaching profession. Later in 2018, Turner was again commemorated with a celebration held by former students in honor of his 50th year teaching theater at Amador; in order to continue his legacy, a theater scholarship, the Giles Turner Alumni fund, was set up to provide financial aid to those who wish to continue to study theater.[9]
Notable alumni
- Tory Bruno Class of 1979 - Aerospace Executive and Rocket Scientist. CEO of United Launch Alliance
- Enver Gjokaj: Actor
- John Vukovich: Major League Baseball player, manager, coach
References
- School data for Amador High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 29, 2022.
- Amador High School Yearbook, "The Skip", 1989
- "Amador High School: School Accountability Report Card, 2005–2006, Amador County Unified School District" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
- Davidson, Joe (September 27, 2022). "Amador High football season canceled amid investigation into players' racist chat thread". Retrieved September 29, 2022.
- Massimino, Dominic (September 27, 2022). "Amador High canceling its football season amid texting scandal sends shock waves through MLL". The Union Democrat. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
- "Ledger Dispatch: Big Game is tonight as Amador visits Argonaut. November 13, 2009". Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
- Ledger Dispatch: To the victor goes the bell. Oct 6, 2017 .
- THE ROTARY CLUB OF JACKSON'S BIG GAME BELL TROPHY
- Schaap, Caitlyn. "Alumni Come Together to Celebrate Teacher's Impact". Ledger Dispatch. Retrieved November 23, 2018.