Smith Center High School

A new grade school building was built in 1955 and included a new gymnasium and administrative offices all of which attached to the 1917 building. In 1960 it became necessary to add five more rooms to the grade school building due to the increased enrollment due to annexation of rural schools and the "baby boom" which followed WWII. In 1931 a vocational agriculture building was built in the block just south of the original school grounds and was used as a classroom and shop area until the present facilities were built in 1972. In 1963 a mechanical arts building was built on the cast of the vocational agriculture building. A large building was built to the south of the elementary school to accommodate the high school after most of the old high school was abandoned because of state codes. It is now used as a garage and bus barn. and that is also now used as a bus barn.

The present Junior/Senior High School building was completed on a new 36-acre site at the northeast corner of Smith Center, Built at a cost of S1.538.344.00, it contains 90.000 square feet: it has a student capacity of 525. and contains a 650-seat gymnasium, a 499-seat auditorium, administrative offices, classrooms, library, shop area, and a kitchen large enough to serve all students during lunch hour. Additional buildings were built for tech and industrial arts. In 1983 a 2000-seat metal stadium was erected and dressing rooms for athletic events were built at the athletic complex north of the new school building R. D. Hubbard (1953 graduate) was a generous contributor to the athletic complex.

During the mid-to-late 2000s, Smith Center gained national attention due to the success of its football team which held the longest winning streak in the nation at 79 games.[8][9][10]

The Smith Center Redmen are widely considered one of the best little high school football teams in America.[8] Throughout its history, the Smith Center football program has won 10 state championships, including a state record-tying 5 in a row from 2004 to 2008. In addition, from 2004 to 2009, the Redmen held the nation's longest winning streak at 79 games.[8][9][10] The football program was coached by Roger Barta who was named the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee's national coach of the year after the 2007 season.[9] Much of the Redmen's success is credited to work ethic and dedication.

Barta won his 300th career game at Smith Center on November 13, 2009 when the Redmen defeated Meade, 10–0, in a Class 2-1A state quarterfinal playoff game. Barta was one of three active coaches in Kansas with 300 career victories, joining C.J. Hamilton of Silver Lake and Tom Young of McPherson. Barta retired from coaching after the 2012 football season.[11]

In a 2007 playoff game against Plainville High School, the Redmen set a national high school record by scoring 72 points in the first quarter, breaking the old record set by Prescott (Ariz.) High School in 1925. The Redmen scored on touchdown runs of 50, 9, 38, 20, 3, 25 and 60 yards. They also returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown and threw for a 14-yard touchdown, one of only two passes they completed in the game.[12]