Tenino High School

Tenino High School
Address
500 W 2nd Ave Tenino , Washington United States
Information
Type	Public high school
Motto	Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow
Established	1924
School district	Tenino School District 402
Principal	Scott Hyder
Teaching staff	22.23 (FTE) (2023-24)
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	396 (2024-25)
Student to teacher ratio	17.29 (2023-24)
Color(s)	Red and Black
Mascot	Beaver
Website	teninosd.org

Tenino High School is a public high school located in Tenino, Washington. It serves grades 9-12 and is the only high school in the Tenino School District. The current high school was established in 1924 succeeding earlier high schools in the Tenino area. Their mascot is the Beaver.

The institution frequently highlights its small-school setting as a core strength, which it states allows for a more personalized and meaningful educational experience than what might be found at schools with enrollments over 1,000 students. The school is known for several extracurricular programs that have achieved state and national recognition, including its chapters of the FFA, as well as its band and choir programs.

History

Early schools in Tenino

Before the establishment of a formal high school, education in the Tenino area was characteristic of pioneer life in Washington Territory. The first school in the vicinity, located in what was then called the "Coal Bank Precinct," was established around 1862. These early schools were often one-room schoolhouses serving a wide range of ages and grade levels, and classes were sometimes held in private residences.

The historic Ticknor School, originally constructed in 1883, serves as a well-preserved example of this era. It served a remote farming community in the Skookumchuck Valley with short school terms lasting three to five months per year. The schoolhouse was moved and possibly rebuilt over the decades before it was consolidated into Stony Point School and closed in 1936. In 2002, the South Thurston County Historical Society moved the structure to the Tenino Depot Museum grounds to preserve it.

Tenino High School Establishment

As Tenino grew, more advanced education was needed, so in 1909, high school-level studies were introduced with a ninth grade class of 14 students. As the population increased, fueled by the local quarrying and logging industries, the school system expanded. A gymnasium and a larger school building were added in 1917. A dedicated high school building was completed in 1924, with a separate gymnasium added the following year. The Tenino School Board's decision in 1924 to construct the new high school from brick was more cost-effective than using the town's signature local sandstone which leading to an economic switch in Tenino.

Academics

The school provides a carriculum that includes standard coursework alongside Advanced Placement and Honors student. To graduate from Tenino High School, students must earn 24 credits, complete a High School and Beyond Plan, meet the requirements of one Graduation Pathway, and complete Washington State History, which students can complete in Middle School.

The New Market Skills Center, in Tumwater, offers preparatory programs that focus on Career and Technical Education. Also, juniors and seniors can participate in the Running Start program, taking courses at South Puget Sound Community College or Centralia College.

Athletics

The Tenino High School athleitc program, the Tenino Beavers is a member WIAA. They compete in the 1A classification within the Evergreen Conference and are part of WIAA District 4.

The Tenino High School football team played at Lumen Field in Seattle against Klahowya Secondary School, from Silverdale, Washington, scoring a 62-14 victory on September 17, 2022.

Demographics

In the 2024-2025 school year, 54.0% of the students at Tenino High School were male and 46.0% were female. 0.3% were Native American, 0.8% were Asian, 15.7% were Hispanic/Latino, 0.5% were Black/African American, 75.8% were White, and 7.1% were Two or More Races.