| Number of Schools Managed |
95 |
6 |
| Number of Students Managed |
50,109 students |
796 students |
| District Total Revenue |
$464,363,000 |
$9,708,000 |
| District Expenditure |
$591,659,000 |
$9,585,000 |
| District Revenue / Student |
$9,267 |
$12,196 |
| District Expenditure / Student |
$11,807 |
$12,041 |
| District Graduation Rates |
68% |
n/a |
|
- A.J. Dimond High School (DHS) is a public high school in Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska and is a part of the Anchorage School District.
- Early History
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Named for former Congressional delegate Anthony J. Dimond, the school opened in 1967 and was the third high school in Anchorage. The high school building was built with the plans for an open campus Southern Californian-style school, though obvious complications arose due to the differences in climate. Following its construction, causeways (referred to as "breezeways") between each of the buildings were created to allow for winter access to the different sections of the school. The original Dimond High School had over 160 exits due to these causeways. The school contained gymnasiums, a pool, an archery range, a planetarium, a small and large theater, and a shared library. The design was single story (with the exception of the library) to reduce earthquake risk. The original building housed both A.J. Dimond High and Jane Mears Junior High School until a separate building for Jane Mears Junior High opened in the fall of 1985. Prior to the completion of the separate junior high, the two schools shared the hours of operation. Jane Mears Junior High students attended classes on the west side of the campus and A.J. Dimond High Students attended school in the east side of the campus.
- New Building
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In April 1999, Anchorage voters approved the construction of a new building for Dimond High School. The new building opened in the fall of 2003. During the 2003-2004 school year Dimond classes were held in the new building and a small west wing ("Casa Cinco", due to being a fifth wing to the new school and housing a large number of the foreign language classes) of the old building, with the rest of the building used for Wendler Middle School, dubbed "Camp Wendler" while its new construction took place. In the summer of 2004 the old building was demolished and in the location of the old Dimond High school is now the parking lot of the new building. However, the building that housed the gym, weight room, and swimming pool was not demolished and remains a part of the school. In the summer of 2008, its exterior was remodeled.
- Dimond Today
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Today, Dimond is home to approximately 2,000 students and over 180 faculty and staff. Dimond is classified under the Alaska School Activities Association as a 4A school. The current principal is Cheryl Guyett who was the Region Four principal of the year. Dimond High School offers many curriculum opportunities ranging Honors classes to 20 AP classes to the last four years of the Japanese Immersion Program that began at Sand Lake Elementary. The other languages offered are Latin, German, French, and Spanish. An Army J.R.O.T.C. program is also offered. In 2005 a Freshman House was created in hall 2B. Freshman participate in Battle of the Books, National History Day, and the Poetry Slam. Beginning January 30, 2006, Dimond High incorporated a Professional Learning Community (PLC) every Monday morning with classes starting 45 minutes later and the school operating under a shorter schedule. An Engineering Academy was created in 2008 that follows the curriculum of Project Lead the Way.
- Dimond holds several school dances each year such as Homecoming, Crystal Ball, the Dance of the Decades, Sadie Hawkins dance, and Prom (for juniors and seniors only). Each dance is preceded by a week of spirit days chosen by the Student Government. Students are chosen for each dance to be on the Court. Then two members of the Court are elected to be the King and Queen. Dimond chooses its prom court uniquely, based on academic excellence and extracurricular participation. Class colors are green, blue, gold, and maroon for freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors respectively. Another tradition is that at Crossover, the last assembly of the year, each class shifts to their new locations on the bleachers, and the seniors move to the floor. An event called Senior Fun Day is held at Kincaid Park each year. Also, on seniors' last day at school, they parade around the halls with the school band in front playing the Dimond Fight Song.
- All common high school sports are offered at Dimond High School. In 2009, Dimond was named the top athletic program in the state of Alaska by Sports Illustrated after winning that year state championships in girls volleyball, boys basketball, competitive cheerleading, girls track and field, and baseball. Other activities at Dimond are National Honor Society, Key Club, Drama/Debate/Forensics (DDF), World Language Declamation Contest, Model UN, and a Robotics team called "Nerds of the North". Dimond High also has one of the largest and most active alumni associations in the state of Alaska. In 2006, the alumni foundation got 750-thousand dollars from the Alaska Legislature and 250-thousand dollars from the Anchorage School District to put in the artificial field. Construction was in July 2007 after Governor Sarah Palin vetoed the final half million dollars in funding to finish the project. On July 6, 2007, the alumni foundation secured anonymous donor funding of $500,000 to finish it.
- Demographics
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Source:
- Alumni
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Kathy Tebow (1975) - Miss Anchorage (1976)
Charisse Millett (1981) - member of the Alaska House of Representatives
Barrett Heisten (1998) - professional ice hockey player
Blair Chenoweth (2000) - Miss Alaska (2003), Miss Alaska (2007)
Chris Kuper (2001) - professional American football player - Dimond Fight Song
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Set to the tune of the New Colonial March:
Best in the land,
The mighty Lynx of Dimond High!
Throughout the league
Our rivals hear our battle cry:
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Victory for you,
The mighty Lynx so brave and true.
For maroon and gold we’ll fight
Our loyalty forever, Dimond High.
Rah! Rah! Rah!
- Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.
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