Independence High School - Charlotte, North Carolina/NC

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Independence High School

1967 Patriot Dr, Charlotte, NC, 28227-4198 -

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tel: (980)343-6900

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Definition of Terms

Independence High School

School Level

High school

Grades Offered

Grades 9 - 12

County

Mecklenburg County, NC

Students & Faculty

Total Students

2450 students

% Male / % Female

52% / 48%

Total Classroom Teachers

141 teachers

Students by Grade

Grade 9 - 810 students

Grade 10 - 602 students

Grade 11 - 558 students

Grade 12 - 480 students

This School

(NC) School Average

Teacher : Student Ratio

1:17

1:16

Students by Ethnicity

This School

(NC) School Average

% American Indian	1%	1%
% Asian	3%	2%
% Hispanic	11%	5%
% Black	58%	31%
% White	27%	59%

Additional Student Information

This School

(NC) School Average

% Eligible for Free Lunch

39%

27%

% Eligible for Reduced Lunch

% Migrant Students Enrolled

n/a

n/a

(NC) Statewide Testing Performance

School Statewide Performance

View Education Department Test Scores

School District Name

Charlotte-mecklenburg s School District

This School's Agency

(NC) District Average

Number of Schools Managed	142	12
Number of Students Managed	126,901 students	6,210 students
District Total Revenue	$922,481,000	$47,973,000
District Expenditure	$1,056,103,000	$45,994,000
District Revenue / Student	$7,269	$7,725
District Expenditure / Student	$8,322	$7,406
District Graduation Rates	76%	74%

Notebook: Cox nearly played for Auburn's Roof (Athens Banner-Herald)
posted on November 12, 2009 at 05:06:00 am
Auburn defensive coordinator Ted Roof has gameplanned this week for a Georgia offense led by a quarterback who at one time planned to play for Roof.
Man brings alcohol and hidden gun to football game, police say (WBTV Charlotte)
posted on November 9, 2009 at 06:53:00 pm
Police have arrested and charged a man who they say showed up at a high school football with alcohol and a pistol hidden in his car.
Facts, tips about tonight's game (The Charlotte Observer)
posted on November 6, 2009 at 03:06:13 pm
Planning to attend tonight's Butler-Independence high school football game, or int
CMS election leaders: Lennon, Waddell, Davis, Morgan (The Charlotte Observer)
posted on November 4, 2009 at 12:52:18 am
Rhonda Lennon, Joyce Waddell, Eric Davis and Tim Morgan built leads Tuesday evening in results from
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files (Creative Loafing Charlotte)
posted on November 3, 2009 at 04:57:14 pm
By Ryan Pitkin Not A Crime: A 15-year-old boy called police after being hit by a car. He told officers a woman was driving by when she began to yell at him and his friends for skateboarding in the street. After he yelled back, the woman backed her car up, then accelerated into the boy and drove away. The boy is now the envy of all his friends for being the first one to do flips while ...

View all past news stories

Independence High School (or, The Big I) is a high school near Mint Hill, North Carolina in southeast Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The school mascot is the Patriots and the school colors are green and gold.
Academics
Independence is known locally for students' academic achievements. Independence is a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools high school. Contrary to popular belief of non Charlotte residents the school does not have magnet programs as many schools in the county have. The International Baccalaureate program was relocated to another school several years ago. In 2006, more than twenty students participated in an exam to be able to attend the Governor's School of North Carolina, a state-sponsored program for extremely gifted students, begun by NC senator Terry Sanford. The previous year, six students from Independence met all the requirements to participate in the School. The requirements include writing two essays and receiving teacher recommendations. Though school officials expected more students to be accepted into the program, only two students made the cut in 2007
Sports
In sports, Independence High School, also known as "the Big I" is a member of the Southwestern 4-AA Conference, along with the following schools:
Ardrey-Kell "Knights"
Butler "Bulldogs"
East Mecklenburg "Eagles"
Myers Park "Mustangs"
Providence High School "Panthers"
South Mecklenburg "Sabres"
Weddington "Warriors"
Most notably, the Independence varsity football team, coached by Tom Knotts, won 109 straight games and won seven straight North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) State Championships (4-AA). As of November 24, 2006, the Big I held the second longest current winning streak in high school prep football, and also held the second most consecutive wins in US public high school football history. Their streak was ended, however, On September 1, 2007 when Cincinnati's Elder High School defeated Independence in overtime, 41-34. De La Salle High School (Concord, California) holds the longest winning record in football, at any level (high school, collegiate, and professional) in the United States (151 Wins from 1992-2005).
The Patriots continued the winning streak even in the absence of Head Coach Tom Knotts. Coach Knotts left for a season to be the quarterbacks coach for Duke University (Durham, North Carolina) Blue Devils football program, but returned to Independence after a single season at his alma mater.
During the 2006-2007 season, ESPNU was prepared to televise the November 3 Independence vs. Butler matchup, but North Carolina High School Athletic Association rules prohibit the live broadcast of regular season high school football contests on Friday night. Because it was the last Friday of the regular season the playoff brackets were scheduled to be published the next afternoon making a Saturday game impossible. In that game, the Patriots squared off against the RB Ryan Houston-led David W. Butler High School Bulldogs, another Charlotte-Mecklenburg School, located in neighboring Matthews, North Carolina. The game was played at American Legion Memorial Stadium, located in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. Butler, a formidable adversary, was touted as the one team in that season which might actually chop the Patriots winning streak, but the Patriots squeaked out yet another win in double overtime. Butlers' Ryan Houston fumbled in the first half of the second overtime period. Independence tailback Dequan Leak scored three plays later and the game was over.
The NCHSAA sold broadcast rights for the state finals to News 14 Carolina and that game was carried live on December 9, 2006. The game was played at Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, against the Riverside High School Pirates (Durham, N.C.). The Patriots handily defeated the Pirates 49 to 19.
In recognition of their long winning streak, the football team was invited to appear on the NFL pre-game show before the Carolina Panthers game on Sunday, October 1, 2006. Independence alums QB Chris Leak and WR Mohamed Massaquoi have gone on to impressive college careers in Florida and Georgia, respectively.
Independence's winning streak ended at 109 games on September 1, 2007 with a 41-34 loss to Elder High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The men's varsity basketball team also won the NCHSAA State Championship (4-AA) in 1998, and the woman's varsity volleyball and softball teams each have state championships to their credits.
Notable alumni
Chris Leak, former University of Florida starting quarterback
Mohamed Massaquoi, current Cleveland Browns wide receiver
Joe Cox, current University of Georgia starting quarterback
Chelsea Cooley, Miss USA 2005
Hakeem Nicks, current New York Giants wide receiver
Jason Barnes, current University of South Carolina wide receiver

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