pi AMARILLO HIGH AMARILLO HIGH SCHOOL IIM IMARRATlVE JOHN JEIMKINS IIT BMHi 0^€AP>P AC ^ T3> fill TABLE or CONTENTS Introduction Backgroxmd 1 Client & Financing., 6 Site.... 7 conceptual Goals l6 Curri culum .....•..•.•...•.•»...••....••..•...17 A Day in the Life 22 Enrollment •.,.. ...•••• .24 Activities, 29 Relationships « 39 Equipment 52 codes , 56 Bibliography , 59 e INTRODUCTION The prime objectives in designing and building a new Amarillo High School is to replace the building de­ stroyed by fire, and to readjust the school's location to better fit the city's growth and development. This program is the first step in the design of the new high school. BACKGROUIMD mimismmmmMmnnwy Location: Amarillo is located In the north central panhandle of Texas at the Intersection of U. S. Hi^way 287 and Inter­ state 40. The city is located on the county line between Potter and Randall Counties. This puts Amarillo at 35 14 degrees north latitude and 101 42 degrees west longitude. History: The city of Amarillo was incorperated in 1889 and grew steadily from that time until 1964 when Amarillo Air Force Base was closed. The city experienced large population Jvunps from 1900 to 1910, from I93O to 1940, and from 1950 to i960. The population fell following the air base closing by -7.95Sfrom i960 to 1970, this meant a loss of 5097 people. The population projections for the Amarillo SMSA show a growth in 1975 to 164,800, in 198O to 185,200, and in 1990 229,000. The projections are based on the cohort survival method. w:g> Amarillo High School was established in 1892 as Amarillo*s first high school. The existing building was erettted in 1922 adjacent to the central business district. Palo Duro Hi^ School was erected in 1956 in the northeast sector of town and Tascosa High School was built in 1958 on the west central side of the city. Caprock High School was built in 1963 on the southeast side of the city. A new Amarillo High School was allowed for in a 1964 bond issue, but plans were delayed because of population trends. Early in 1970 the existing building was partially gutted by fire and plans were resumed late in 1970. Climate: The cllmatologlcal character of Amarillo can best be examined by studying the temperature changes, wind condi­ tions, and rainfall recleved annually. Amarillo recieves on the average 73^ of the possible sunshine, and during June, July, and August 11'^ of the total possible sunshine in recleved. Dtiring December, Janiiary, and Feburary however there: is only 68^ of the possible sunshine recleved. The average high and low tewperature for 1971 were 69 degrees and 43 degrees respectively and the extreme high and low were 100 degrees on July 6th and -4 degrees on January 5th. The coldest periods occur in mid-January and the hottest are in July. Amarillo is subject to rapid and large temperature changes, especially in the winter months. Cold fronts from the Norhtern Rooky Mountain states and plains states aweep across the level plains at speeds up to 40m.p.h. causing drops in temperature of 50 to 60 degrees within 12 hours. Also low humidity and light winds prevent high summer tem- 5 y. perattires from being excessively uncomfortable. The treeless plains of the area and absence of sheltering mountains, and the nearness to the paths of moving pressure systems t^d to cause strong winds in March and !|'?• April. The fastest winds are generally recorded in and '.] y 'Pm-Ymwwisamamnfsih around thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain and large hail. The rainfall in Amarillo in 1971 was 23.04 inches and the snowfall was 25.9 inches. The average rainfall is 19.34 inches and three-fourths of this total occurs between April and September from thxmderstorm activity. An even snow cover is unusual because of high winds, bwt winter snowfalls average 13.4 Inches and this snow generally melts within a few days after it falls. Terrain: The Canadian River flows eastward 18 miles north of the city with its bed 800 feet below the plains. The prairie Dog Town pork of the Red River flows southeastward about 15 miles south where it enters the Palo Duro Conyon. The terrain rises gradually to the west and northwest and the treeless grass lands slope steadily downward to the east and southeast. Soil in the Amarillo area is chestnut loam 4- -M?it?{i!fJ-J-« -p'^^nrmmmif?mff interspersed with gray and red loams, all overlying a sub­ stratum of caliche. j5 CLIENT & FIIMAIMCING The client for the new Amarillo High School is the Amarillo Independent School District with Mr. Robert Ashworth acting as chairman. Mr. Ashworth will be acting in and for the school district. The financing for the new school was begun in 1957 when a site was ptirchased in southwest Amarillo from Quen 3p.be Investment Company. The purchase price of the site was $51»'*'^5.00 for a 35 acre site. In 1964, a bond issue was voted on and passed hy the citizens fo Amarillo for the sale of general revenue bonds in the amount of $8,250,000. These bonds were to finance a new Amarillo High School building, one junior high school, and one ele­ mentary school. Insurance money collected on the damages from the fire totaled $1,450,000 and money from the bond issue to be used for the high school was |4,000,000. The total of 15*450,000 is available for the construction of the new high school building. , /.wv •^-^.•35^^"- •>^'i vryAyy'.''%i<fj,,iiy^-^ < j>^' ^ ' >» -Eft. .^.i -. y i^ - i ' - - - , s.^^y^tifV ,, -J '-ftXP -r- 1»- „ ITjp—J^^ i-,t.il ~a A-v .^ — *JAS^ -r- '" '" '*^'*~ 4 - ^1-'^ * "^s^ jg- V-' AS is the pattern in west Texas, Amarillo though losing in population from 196O to 1970 was and still is growing to the southwest. In 1964, Amarillo Air Force Base was closed, this cost the city some 8,000 isr force personnel plus related civilian personnel. In spite of this, the south­ west section of Amarillo especially the part in Randall County has continued to grow in area and population (map #1). Now, these portions of the city also have some of the highest densities of population and high school students population in Amarillo (maps #2&3). The site of the present Amarillo High School build­ ing, as stated before, is adjacent to the central business district, with the three other high schools in the sub-urban districts. Palo Dxiro Hli^ Schoolls in the northeast quad­ rant, Caprock is in the southeast quadrant, and Tascosa High School is in the west central section of the city (map #4). With this distribution of high schools and the growth trends being as they are, the southwest quadrant is faced with oVercrwdlng at Tascosa and no apparant end in sight. There* fore a new high school is needed here and for future: expan­ sion. Selection of the site for he new high school is of utmost importance. The location of a high school is as critical as the actual design of it. A criteria for site selection is listed belowi Characteristics of environment A. Freedom from 1. business areas 2. railroads 3. airfields and airstrips 4. factories 5. through highways B. Good housing area- C. Free from futtire contamination II. In harmony with commtuiity plan A. Accessible for adult use B. Pits patterns of other school locations III. Accessibility A. Safe approach by all means of transportation B. Within 2 miles walking distance IV. Site characteristics A. sood drainage B. Free from unsightly structures C. Good views at close rnage and from a distance D. Surface easily adapted to various uses E. No excessive fill, rock, or subsurface water conditions V. Utility services A. Near acesslble water, gas, and electricity The site selected by the Amarillo Independent School District in 1957 is at the intersection of Bell Av­ enue and Fulton Street (map #4). This stie fulfills all the criteria for site selection. The site at Bell and pulton is in the extreme southwest section of Amarillo. The physical characteristics of the site are typical of the entire Amarillo area. The site is basically flat with a slight slope f^rom northeast to southwest (map #7). Surrounding the site on the nortlwe«t-* north,-northeast, and east is a new housing district, and to the southeast, south, and southwest the land is un­ developed with plans for more residential building in th^se directions. The site for the high schoolwas outside the city limits, however this was recently brought into the city and zoned agricultural restricted. According to the City of Amarillo planning Department, a high school can be built In any zone except heavy Industrial. The new locationof the Amarillo High School will facilitate new school districts. Amarillo High will include the far southwest cori^r of the city, with Tascosa recieving the western and northwest portions, leaving Caprock and Palo Duro High Schools virtually \mchanged (map #5). >OPULATION TRENDS Tracts losing population I'rom 1|960 to 1970 Highway Dept. Traffic Study Area H/AF^ V oo<t<DOO'-cocDTtu3oo(Oinininin«sscoogm<g<-cgtpr-gjg ^ ooO)0>oo>CNincotoorMg>r~«-<tco«-«-_ oimo^^ft-^rorotNCNiincNininoS ro) " o •- ri: CM ? ^ n ^ .- CN '-. «3 '-^ t. tn in in r^ 05 O) ^. CO M CN rM_ lo inCOCDtDO).-OOOOrt05COOTtO|Vrt-|J)Sr 00 in * in CM_ ^_ 05 00 CO cvj U3 00 00 .-. 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