Shawnee Mission North High School
7401 Johnson Drive, Shawnee Mission, KS, 66202-2394 -  Map
tel: (913)993-6900
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School Overview:
Definition of Terms Shawnee Mission North High School
School Level High school
Grades Offered Grades 9 - 12
County Johnson County, KS
Students & Faculty
Total Students 1966 students
% Male / % Female 52%  /  48%
Total Classroom Teachers 115 teachers
Students by Grade
Grade 9 - 578 students
Grade 10 - 461 students
Grade 11 - 462 students
Grade 12 - 442 students
Grade Not Listed - 23 students
This School ( KS ) School Average
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:17 1:14
Students by Ethnicity
This School ( KS ) School Average
% American Indian 1% 1%
% Asian 1% 2%
% Hispanic 11% 11%
% Black 8% 7%
% White 78% 76%
% Unknown 1 % 5%
Additional Student Information
This School ( KS ) School Average
% Eligible for Free Lunch 12% 32%
% Eligible for Reduced Lunch 6% 10%
% Migrant Students Enrolled n/a 1%
School Performance:
( KS ) Statewide Testing Performance
School Statewide Performance View Education Department Test Scores
School District:
School District Name Shawnee Mission Pub School District
This School's Agency ( KS ) District Average
Number of Schools Managed 49 3
Number of Students Managed 29,466 students 622 students
District Total Revenue $249,027,000 $5,576,000
District Expenditure $256,589,000 $5,392,000
District Revenue / Student $8,451 $9,227
District Expenditure / Student $8,708 $9,193
District Graduation Rates 92% 100%
School Notes:
  • The Shawnee Mission School District (Kansas Unified School District 512) is one of the major school districts in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Located in northeast Johnson County, Kansas, the school district enrolled students in 2003-2004 school year. As of 2004, the district comprises 5 high schools, 7 middle schools, 39 elementary schools, and 3 instructional centers.
  • Historical Significance: South Park Elementary school, in Merriam, Kansas played a significant role in school desegregation prior to the unification of the Shawnee Mission School District.
  • McAuliffe Elementary School in Lenexa, Kansas was the first school in the nation to open named in honor of Christa McAuliffe.
  • Shawnee Mission North High School: Shawnee Mission Rural High School opened September 12, 1922, having cost $150,000 to build. There had been a vote on September 21, 1921, on a "proposal to organize a rural high school district."
  • In 1922 the east building was completed and in 1936 the west building, housing a gym and auditorium, was connected to the east building by an arcade. In 1941 the shop wing was constructed to house agriculture and auto mechanics; it was connected to the west building by a concrete walk. In 1950 a large addition was made, including the south academic wing, the cross hall/offices, library, Field House and music rooms. After 30 years all the buildings were connected by hallways.
  • The swimming pool and science wing were built in 1969, the Developmental Center in 1978, the Little Theater in 1984 and the "lunch dock" remodeled in 1993. In the summer of 1997, the new library was added as well as air-conditioning. In 1998 the cafeteria and kitchen were remodeled.
  • As part of a recently-introduced district-wide bond, major improvements will be made to the SM North campus as well as all high schools, middle schools, and many elementary schools. A key project at SM North will be the demolition of the Stadium and reconstruction beginning in 2005.
  • The school was named Shawnee Mission Rural until 1948, when senior Robert F. Bennett was sent to Topeka to petition the legislature for a name change to more accurately reflect the school's suburban status. It was thought that the job would take several weeks, if it could be accomplished at all, but Bob Bennett brought it home in three days. Later elected Governor of Kansas, Bennett was named North's first 'Distinguished Alumnus' by the class of 1975.
  • It was thus named Shawnee Mission High School until 1958, when East opened and Shawnee Mission High School became SM North. The student body of Shawnee Mission High had petitioned the school board to name the new school anything other than "Shawnee Mission East" in an attempt to avoid a renaming of their school. This history is reflected in the fact that the North varsity letter remains an "S" to this day, a fact which continues to befuddle the students of the historically deficient other high schools. SM West opened in 1962, South in 1966, and Northwest in 1969.
  • Traditions: There are always two mascots. One is an Indian princess, and the other is an Indian warrior. The students acting as Indian princess and warrior are always a male and female senior. The outfits they wear while playing these parts were crafted by the Shawnee Indians of Oklahoma. The Indian warrior originated in 1975 with a student's Halloween costume, which proved so popular he joined the traditional Indian princess as mascot.
  • During the alma mater, students stand and hold up their right index fingers while singing.
  • The Indian head time capsule (in front of the main office), which was gifted to the school by the class of 1965, is roped off and not to be stepped on.
  • The day before homecoming, Shawnee Mission North stages a large parade. Different clubs, groups, and alumni create floats to parade down Johnson Drive.
  • SM North is located in northern Overland Park and serves much of northeastern Johnson County. The SM North area has a population of approximately 52,000 and includes the communities of Countryside, Merriam, Mission, northern Overland Park, Roeland Park, and Eastern Shawnee.
  • The 2006 population of SM North was 1,966. The mascot is an Indian, and the school colors are cardinal and black.
  • Every year around February a senior male is selected by his fellow classmates as "Northman". This title is much like "Homecoming King" at other schools. Originally called "Big Man on Campus", the winner was crowned at the annual "Women Pay All (WPA)" dance. In 1979 the title was considered outdated and changed to Northman.
  • North has won 4 state championships in football (1969, 1970, 1971, 1974) under the coaching of Larry Taylor.
  • Famous Alumni: Robert F. Bennett, Governor of Kansas; General Richard B. Myers; Dr. Phil McGraw (1968); Robert (Bob) Tomlinson; Director Darren Lynn Bousman.
  • 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
  • Add information about this school (e.g., awards, news stories, notable alumni, fun facts)
 
School Zip Code:
About This Zip Code (66202)
School Zip (66202) (KS) State Average
Population (Approximate) 16,848 people 2,568,742 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree 48% 24%
Population Average Age 35 years old 35.2 years old
Average Household size 2.0 persons 2.4 persons
Median Household Income $43,947 $42,855
Avg. # of Rooms in Household 5 rooms 5.6 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure 43 years old 42 years old
View current housing listings in Kansas
% Owning / % Renting 53% / 47% 67% / 33%
School Map:
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  Nearby Schools:

1. Horizons High School - 169 students - view location
2. Shawnee Mission East High School - 1999 students - view location
3. Endeavor Alternative School - 173 students - view location
4. J C Harmon High School - 1274 students - view location
5. Turner High School - 1227 students - view location
View all schools in: Shawnee Mission Town, Johnson County, Zip 66202 
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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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