Francis Joseph Reitz High School - Evansville, Indiana/IN

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Francis Joseph Reitz High School

350 Dreier Blvd, Evansville, IN, 47712-5098 -

tel: (812)435-8206
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Definition of Terms

Francis Joseph Reitz High School

School Level

High school

Grades Offered

Grades 9 - 12

County

Vanderburgh County, IN

Students & Faculty

Total Students

1352 students

% Male / % Female

51% / 49%

Total Classroom Teachers

86 teachers

Students by Grade

Grade 9 - 351 students

Grade 10 - 371 students

Grade 11 - 322 students

Grade 12 - 308 students

This School

( IN ) School Average

Teacher : Student Ratio

1:16

1:18

Students by Ethnicity

This School

( IN ) School Average

% American Indian	n/a	n/a
% Asian	n/a	1%
% Hispanic	1%	6%
% Black	5%	13%
% White	94%	79%

Additional Student Information

This School

( IN ) School Average

% Eligible for Free Lunch

18%

32%

% Eligible for Reduced Lunch

% Migrant Students Enrolled

n/a

n/a

( IN ) Statewide Testing Performance

School Statewide Performance

View Education Department Test Scores

School District Name

Evansville-vanderburgh Corp School District

This School's Agency

( IN ) District Average

Number of Schools Managed	42	4
Number of Students Managed	22,101 students	1,844 students
District Total Revenue	$222,583,000	$18,816,000
District Expenditure	$229,911,000	$18,251,000
District Revenue / Student	$10,071	$13,221
District Expenditure / Student	$10,403	$11,482
District Graduation Rates	95%	100%

Francis Joseph Reitz High School is a historic public high school on the west side of Evansville, Indiana. It was founded in 1918, and is the second oldest high school still in use today in the city. It is a member of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation.
History: The idea for a school on the west side of Evansville came from the Centennial Club, led by Mrs. C.F. Werner, who fought a genteel, but determined battle with the reluctant school board. The ladies said the Evansville High School (old Central) was too far away to be financially practical for many west side families. After four years of crusading, the Centennial Club won.
The school board had planned to call the school West Side High School. That was before the board discovered a lack of funds and Francis Joseph Reitz agreed to finance the building of the school. A grateful school board immediately voted that this new hall of learning (which incidentally cost $223,844.00) should be named after Mr. Reitz. Thus Francis Joseph Reitz High School became the first high school on the west side and the second in Evansville.
At first Reitz was intended to be a Junior High School, including only seventh, eighth, and ninth grades, but as the student body grew older, the curriculum was geared to fit the needs of older students. Reitz graduated its first seniors in 1921.
In September 1918 a two-story and basement building of brick and stone classic design was open. In 1921, the first year in which Reitz High School was fully accredited by North Central Association, the 10,000-seat Reitz Bowl was completed. In 1926, a four-story classroom building was added to the west end of the building. In 1956, an addition of a new office wing, nurse's suite, counselors' offices, home economics kitchen, dining rooms, sewing rooms, print shop, band and choir rooms, library, and study hall was added. In 1957, a five-story classroom wing, a second gym, seating more than 3,000, department offices, teachers' lounges, industrial shops, a new auditorium, a new cafeteria, and new restrooms were added. In 1973, a new greenhouse was completed. In 1977, a driving range on Barker Avenue was added to accommodate the Driver's Education Department. The Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation owns the land on which the range is located.
The school evolved into a hodgepodge of corridors, floors, and rooms from additions over the years, yet Reitz was still the smallest high school in the area and had the smallest cafeteria. Finally the school board opted for renovation and after more than $26 million, Reitz celebrated its 80th anniversary in 1998 with a whole new look that makes it the largest and most advanced high school structure in Evansville.
History on Reitz Home Museum: Francis Joseph Reitz was the eldest son of John Augustus Reitz, who had already made his fortune in lumber by the mid 1850's. After the death of FJ Reitz, the Catholic Diocese of Evansville was the owner of the home. It was the home of the first Bishop of Evansville. After discovering that the home was for sale the Reitz Home Preservation Society was formed and struck an agreement with the Catholic Diocese to take possession of the home in order to preserve its historical value. It was restored to its original state when owned by the Reitz family and turned into the Reitz Home Museum.
School colors: Reitz's original school colors were orange and purple, but those were given to Lincoln High School during the first half of the century. After they gave away their colors they picked blue and gray, as Reitz sits on the Mason-Dixon Line, and blue and gray were the colors of the North and South during the Civil War.
The Reitz Bowl: The Reitz Bowl, one of the great natural stadiums in the nation, was born by accident. It was originally planned as a retaining wall for the new F. J. Reitz High School. Foresight by a school member noted that with some small changes a football stadium could be made too. In 1921, the first year in which Reitz High School was fully accredited by North Central Association, the 10,000-seat Reitz Stadium was completed. The first two years was a reserve schedule and then in 1921 Reitz began varsity play.The Reitz Bowl, one of the great natural stadiums in the nation, was born by accident. It was originally planned as a retaining wall for the new F. J. Reitz High School. Foresight by a school member noted that with some small changes a football stadium could be made too. In 1921, the first year in which Reitz High School was fully accredited by North Central Association, the 10,000-seat Reitz Stadium was completed. The first two years was a reserve schedule and then in 1921 Reitz began varsity play.
In 1931, Reitz played its first night game. Also in 1931, Reitz played Bosse an extra game for charity on December 4th. This was during the great depression. 1959 was the last Thanksgiving Day game in the State of Indiana, Reitz against Bosse. 1973 saw the new all transistor scoreboard go into effect. It was, as all past Reitz scoreboards, a gift of the West Side Nut Club. In 1974 Prescription Athletic Turf (PAT) was introduced to the Reitz Bowl. PAT is a method of draining and irrigation from pipes laid beneath the playing surface. What occurs during this process is the drainage of any excess water by a vacuum system when the field is flooded by rain, and irrigating water to the surface of the field when it is too dry.
Along with PAT came the renovation of the bowl seating, walkways, and stairs. A new all weather track was added too. In 1976 all metal permanent type bleachers become a reality. Play Clocks were introduced to the Bowl in 1995, and 2003 saw a brand new sound system that rivals those in the Big Ten Conference.
In addition to being the home site for Panthers football games, home site for nearby Catholic High School Mater Dei Wildcats football games, the Bowl also hosts the annual Drums on the Ohio drum & bugle corps competition.
Famous alumni and faculty: Herman Byers, legendary football coach.
Don Hanson, NFL player.
Rudy Charles, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling senior referee.
Matt Williams, producer of The Cosby Show, Home Improvement, and Roseanne.
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About This Zip Code (47712)

School Zip (47712)

(IN) State Average

Population (Approximate)	25,364 people	5,873,444 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree	25%	20%
Population Average Age	33 years old	35.2 years old
Average Household size	2.4 persons	2.4 persons
Median Household Income	$39,898	$42,072
Avg. # of Rooms in Household	5.2 rooms	5.5 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure	49 years old	43 years old
	View current housing listings in this area
% Owning / % Renting	71% / 29%	69% / 31%

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View all schools in: Evansville Town, Vanderburgh County, Zip 47712

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Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects years 2002-04 statistics (most recent years available). Area and demographic data reflects year 2000 statistics. Public School Review does not ensure the timeliness or accuracy of the information on this site.

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