Ottumwa High School

The Ottumwa High School football/track stadium, known as Schaefer Stadium, was established in the early 1920s in memory of a past student of OHS. Walter B. Schaefer graduated from the Ottumwa High School in 1903 with athletic records and many college football opportunities. He went to the University of Chicago to play football under the famous coaching of Amos Alonzo Stagg, but Schaefer left college early to fight in the war. Schaefer was killed while serving in 1918. He was considered one of the greatest athletes in Iowa and especially in football, which is why the Ottumwa Stadium is now known as Schaefer Stadium. In 2018, Schaefer Stadium was updated. New bleachers for the home side and a new visitor exit were added.

This building served as Ottumwa High School from 1899 to 1923.

To address the growing student population, the Ottumwa Community School District began construction on the current high school building at the same location as the Adams School in 1921. The "new" high school was designed by architects Croft & Boerner of Minneapolis. It was completed in 1923. As part of the construction, the Adams School was lifted from its foundation and moved east—it would serve as a building for vocational classes at the new high school.

Ottumwa High School as it stands today opened on August 29, 1923, to grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. It reportedly cost just over one million dollars to complete.[3]

In the 1970s, an additional building was completed—the "Vo-Tech" building—for vocational and performing arts classes. The facility was connected to the main building via a skywalk accessible from the second floor hallway. This decade also saw the addition of a second gymnasium, often nicknamed the "Rubber Gym" because of its rubber floor, which was built behind the first gymnasium and replaced the Adams School, which was demolished.

In the 1990s, a city property tax was levied to help fund a multi-million dollar renovation project. The original aim of the project was to renovate the school hallways and some classrooms, add additional basement classrooms, relocate the cafeteria and library to a new area adjacent to the original building and connecting to the Vo-Tech building, renovate and modernize the school's gymnasium facilities (locker and exercise rooms), and remodel the school's auditorium. The project went over budget, and the gymnasium and auditorium phases were scratched. The cafeteria and library projects were successfully completed, along with the basement, classroom, and hallway renovations, by the end of the century. The skywalk formerly connecting the Vo-Tech and main buildings was replaced by the new building.

In spring 2001, the school received a grant for nearly $1 million from Vision Iowa to remodel the auditorium which is where they now hold all of their pep rallies, guest speakers, and drama productions.[4] During this renovation some plaster designs were removed from the original 1921-1923 ceiling and placed glass for viewing near the exits. The auditorium was closed from 2002 to 2003 for renovations. Its grand re-opening took place on November 23, 2003.[5] At the same time, additional renovations to the gymnasium facilities were completed with aid of a federal grant obtained with the help of Iowa Senator Tom Harkin.

In 2023, the Ottumwa Community School District approved a $30 million expansion and renovation plan for the high school.[6] Expected to be done in two stages, the plan calls for a $10.5 million competition gym that will be across the high school on Second Street, and feature two full-sized basketball courts and three volleyball courts.[6] The remaining $19.5 million will be used on renovating the classrooms in the school, with 20 to 25 classrooms undergoing major renovations.[6]

• Baseball - 2-time Class 4A State Champions (1996, 1997)[11]
• Boys' basketball - 5-time State Champions (1912, 1915, 1928, 1942, 1949)[12]
• Girls' bowling - 3-time Class 2A State Champions (2007, 2009, 2012)[13]
• Boys' cross country - 4-time State Champions (1931, 1932, 1933, 1940)[14]
• Football - 1963 State Champions[15]
• Boys' golf - 11-time State Champions (1943, 1944, 1952, 1953, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1997, 2009)[16]
• Coed golf - 2-time Class 2A State Champions (2007, 2008)[13]
• Girls' golf - 5-time State Champions (1984, 1985, 1987, 1997, 2007)[13]
• Softball - 2-time State Champions (1976, 1995)[13]
• Wrestling - 1923 State Champions[17]

Ottumwa High School utilizes a seven-period school day, with classes beginning at 8:10 am and ending at 3:15 p.m. School is also dismissed at 1:00 p.m. every Friday for teacher professional development. All students are required to take several core academic classes, including three years of language arts, two years of mathematics, three years of social studies, two years of science, and two years of physical education to graduate and receive a diploma.

SparkTank is a project-based program that began in 2018. It allows students at the Ottumwa High School to gain work experiences by connecting with local businesses to provide a real work environment and a real work experience. The courses that SparkTank offers are engineering and design, building manufacturing, Ignite, communication and technology, building and construction, and school to work classes. Although this course is set up in a different manner than a classroom, students still use teamwork and collaboration to meet project deadlines. Students are working for  local businesses, expectations are higher to meet the business’ standard. SparkTank also helps students with their communication skills, technical skills, employability skills, and cooperation skills. SparkTank's ultimate goal is to give students the life lessons they need to find and career goal and find a job after graduation. SparkTank is located at 325 East Main Street, Ottumwa. SparkTank partners with the Governor's Stem Advisory Council, Iowa ALN, and Future Ready Iowa.[19]