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Washburn High School

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Coordinates: 44°54′47″N 93°16′59″W / 44.91306°N 93.28306°W / 44.91306; -93.28306
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Washburn High School
Washburn from the air, 2007
Address
Map
201 West 49th Street

Minneapolis
,
Minnesota
55419

United States
Coordinates44°54′47″N 93°16′59″W / 44.91306°N 93.28306°W / 44.91306; -93.28306
Information
TypePublic
Established1924
School districtMinneapolis Public Schools
CEEB code241695[1]
PrincipalDr. Emily Lilja Palmer
Teaching staff80 (FTE)[2]
Grades9–12
GenderCoeducational
Enrollment1,589 (2024-25)[2]
Student to teacher ratio20:1[2]
LanguageEnglish
Hours in school day8:30 AM to 3:10 PM
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)    Blue and Orange
SloganOnce a Miller, always a Miller
Fight songWashburn Down the Field
Athletics conferenceMinneapolis City Conference
MascotThe Miller
RivalSouthwest High School [3]
National ranking1,495 in 2024[4]
NewspaperThe Grist
YearbookWaHiAn
Communities servedMinneapolis
Feeder schools4 elementary schools (Lyndale, Barton, Hale/Field, & Burroughs) feed into Justice Page M.S. and then Washburn H.S.
Websitewashburn.mpls.k12.mn.us

Washburn High School, or simply Washburn, is a four-year public high school serving grades 9–12 in the Tangletown neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. By enrollment, Washburn is the largest high school in Minneapolis Public Schools.

History

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Washburn High School was built in 1925 to meet the demands of the growing South Minneapolis neighborhood. Construction for the new three-story building began in 1924 after the Minneapolis Board of Education purchased unused land in Washburn Park. Land next to the school was occupied by the Washburn Memorial Orphan Asylum, now torn down and replaced with Justice Page Middle School (formerly Ramsey Junior High School). Washburn is in southern Minneapolis's Tangletown neighborhood, at 201 West 49th Street.[5]

Washburn is celebrating its 100th Anniversary August 1-2, 2025. See Washburnconnections.org for information.

Washburn opened on September 8, 1925, to 1,031 students. When it opened, it served grades 7–10 and added one year each year for the next two years. It served middle school and high school students until 1929.[6] It became very popular, and by 1931, 2,370 students attended the school built for 1,500.[7] The school has been expanded several times to meet the high enrollment.[6][8]

The school is conventionally named after Cadwallader C. Washburn. [6] The school has been heavily influenced by Minneapolis's milling empire. Its newspaper, The Grist, involves milling terminology;[5] the school's colors, blue and orange, were those of Gold Medal Flour, made by the Washburn Crosby Company, a predecessor to General Mills;[9] and the athletic teams' nickname is the Millers.

Campus

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Washburn is on a 4½-city block parcel bordered by West 49th and 50th streets on the north and south and Nicollet Ave. S. and Pleasant Ave. S on the east and west.[10] Justice Page Middle School shares this parcel of land, with Washburn taking 2/3 of the space. In between the schools is A. E. MacQuarrie Field, which hosts football, soccer, lacrosse, and track and field competitions. In addition, the area between the school and field is a green space known as The Mall. Youth soccer teams, specifically the Fuller Soccer program from a neighboring park, use The Mall for games on weekends.

A tunnel under MacQuarrie Field connects the east side of Washburn and the west side of Justice Page. It transports heating and air conditioning between the schools. During the winter, snow melts directly above the tunnel due to the steam pipes within showing the tunnel's location. Decades ago, students used the tunnel during the winter when overcrowding forced Washburn to hold classes in Ramsey.

Demographics

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The demographic breakdown of the 1,582 students enrolled in 2024-25 was:

  • American Indian – 2.0%
  • Asian/Pacific islanders – 2.6%
  • Black – 15.1%
  • Hispanic – 24.0%
  • White – 52.9%
  • Multiracial – 3.4%

About 40% of the students are eligible for educational benefits (formerly free or reduced cost lunch). This is a Title I school.[2]

Staff

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Dr. Emily Lilja Palmer was named the principal of Washburn in 2018 after 5 years as principal of Sanford Middle School.[11]

During the 2024-25 school year, Washburn employed 132 staff members, of whom 80 were teachers. The student to teacher ratio was 20:1, with an October 1 student count of 1,582.[12]

Past principals

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1925–present[13]
Washburn High School Principals
1925–44 A. E. MacQuarrie
1944–57 Leonard Fleenor
1957–72 Carl Anderson
1972–79 Dr. Roland DeLapp
1979–82 Dean Berntsen
1982 Wayne Nelson
1983–86 Don Burton
1986 (Spring) Ingve Magnusson
1986–87 Robert Lynch
1987–89 John Dyzacky
1989–91 Dr. Rosa Smith
1992–94 Dr. Andre Lewis
1994–98 Ronald Chall
1998–99 Debora Brooks-Golden
1999–2000 Dr. Joyce Lewis Lake
2000–2007 Dr. Steven Couture
2007–2013 (April) Carol Markham-Cousins
2013 (Spring) Craig Vana
2013–2014 Linda Conley (interim)
2014–2018 Rhonda Dean
2018-present Dr. Emily Lilja Palmer

Curriculum

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College-credit opportunities

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Washburn has an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)[14] for juniors and seniors. It also offers Advanced Placement (AP) and Concurrent Enrollment[15] classes for 10th- through 12th-grade students to earn college credit free of charge.[16] It uses schoolwide advisory programs to form relationships for each student. In addition, Washburn students can apply for and enroll in PSEO classes at local colleges including the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis College, and more.

Bilingual support

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Washburn offers bilingual support for students and families in Spanish and Somali, and English Language Learner (ELL) classes and support are also available for any student with a home language other than English.

World languages and fine arts

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Washburn offers four world languages: Arabic, American Sign Language (ASL), French, and Spanish.

In the performing arts, the school offers Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble Concert Band, Orchestra, Beginning Choir, Intermediate Choir, Advanced Choir “Miller Voices”, Guitar, Piano, Music Production and Blackbox Theater.

Visual Arts courses offered include Studio Art, Painting, Drawing, Ceramics and IB Art. Both visual and performing arts options are available after school as well.

Extracurricular activities

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In line with Washburn's three pillars of academics, arts and athletics, there are many opportunities in these areas in and beyond the classroom.

Athletics

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Washburn is a member of the Minnesota State High School League[17] and offers all available Boys and Girls varsity level sports, including:

Theater

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Washburn offers Blackbox theater classes, which give performances of student-created works and after-school productions that are open to all students. Blackbox students perform twice a year at the Rarig Theater on the UMN campus as part of a long-standing partnership.

Washburn after-school theater productions typically include a play or musical in the fall, a larger Spotlight production in the spring,[18] and participates in the MSHSL One-Act Play competition in the winter.[citation needed]

Fresh start

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In March 2008, the Minneapolis Board of Education announced that Washburn would be one of two high schools in the Minneapolis Public Schools Fresh Start program. Along with Edison High School, Washburn hired new teachers and staff and examined its curriculum.[19][20] These changes were part of a nine-point plan by the Minneapolis school board to alleviate budget problems and prepare 80% of graduates for college.[19][20] Principal Carol Markham-Cousins returned to lead the school, with the rest of the teaching staff required to apply for rehire.

On May 14, 2008, Markham-Cousins sent letters to students and family members explaining the reasons for the Fresh Start. She cited graduation rates and college preparation as two reasons.[21] The same day, students staged a walk-out in protest of the program.[22] Students drew with chalk on the sidewalk in front of the school in support of the teachers.[22]

About 30% of the faculty was retained, with the rest of the positions filled by new staff. In the years following, the school grew from under 1000 students in 2007 to almost 1700 in 2019.

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "High School". SAT: Code List Search. The College Board. 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d "WASHBURN SENIOR HIGH". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  3. ^ "Top boys' games: Minneapolis Washburn, Southwest battle in city rivalry". mnsoccerhub.com. September 19, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  4. ^ "Washburn Senior High School in Minneapolis, MN - US News Best High Schools". Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  5. ^ a b M. Pennefeather, Shannon; M. Archabal, Nina; Roberts, Kate (2003). Mill City: A Visual History of the Minneapolis Mill District. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press. pp. ix. ISBN 0-87351-447-5.
  6. ^ a b c "Washburn Millers". WHS History. Washburn High School. 2007. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
  7. ^ "Washburn High School" (PDF). Minneapolis Public Schools. 1931. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  8. ^ "Washburn Senior High School" (PDF). Minneapolis Public Schools. 1963. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  9. ^ "Blue and Orange". History. Washburn High School. September 7, 2003. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  10. ^ "201 W 49th Street Minneapolis, MN 55409". Maps. Google Maps. 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  11. ^ "Washburn High has a new principal: Emily Lilja Palmer". Star Tribune.
  12. ^ "Minnesota Report Card".
  13. ^ "Principals". WHS History. Washburn High School. 2007. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  14. ^ "International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme". washburn.mpls.k12.mn.us. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  15. ^ Dobson, Jeanne (2016). "Advanced Academics" (PDF). washburn.k12.mn.us. Washburn High School. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  16. ^ Petersen, Joy (February 19, 2008). "PSEO gives high schoolers a college experience". Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  17. ^ "Minneapolis Washburn H.S." Minnesota State High School League. 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  18. ^ "Spotlight Education Program". Hennepin Theatre Trust. May 31, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  19. ^ a b Nelson, Tim (March 21, 2008). "Two Minneapolis high schools head for 'fresh starts'". News. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  20. ^ a b Nelson, Tim (March 21, 2008). "Teachers react to plans for a 'fresh start'". News. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  21. ^ Markham-Cousins, Carol (May 14, 2008). "Letter to Students". 1. Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2008. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  22. ^ a b Schugel, James (May 14, 2008). "Students Walk Out To Protest Teacher Lay-Offs". WCCO News. CBS Broadcasting Inc. Archived from the original on June 7, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  23. ^ Arness, James; Wise, James E. (2001). James Arness: an autobiography. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-1221-6.
  24. ^ Markoe, Arnie (2002). The Scribner encyclopedia of American lives. New York: C. Scribner's Sons. p. 74. ISBN 0-684-80665-7.
  25. ^ Walsh, Paul (May 2, 2008). "Minneapolis native heading into astronaut Hall of Fame". Star Tribune. Chris Harte. Archived from the original on May 3, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  26. ^ Hicks, Dylan (October 24, 2003), "ATMOSPHERE'S SLUG CAN SLING HIS BANANA FRITTERS", Saint Paul Pioneer Press
  27. ^ Gural, Natasha (January 2, 2004). "Shoppers flock to designer deals". Deseret News.
  28. ^ "Fashion's best blogs". Chicago Sun-Times. July 14, 2008. Archived from the original on July 30, 2007.
  29. ^ mode femme vetement fashion verbaudet at fashionnewssite.com Archived 2007-06-30 at the Wayback Machine
  30. ^ "13 Questions For A Fashion Blogger". Daily News. New York. October 13, 2007.
  31. ^ "About Kathryn Finney". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  32. ^ a b Riemenschneider, Chris (January 27, 2006) "Rock 'n' Roll High Schools Archived 2011-06-07 at the Wayback Machine" Star Tribune
  33. ^ "Jasper Kange's Washburn High School Football Stats". www.maxpreps.com. September 13, 2013.
  34. ^ Minnesota Legislators Past & Present-John B. Keefe, Sr.
  35. ^ Lemon, Ralph; Morris, Tracie (2000). Geography: art, race, exile. Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press : University Press of New England. p. 32. ISBN 0-8195-6443-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  36. ^ Moore, Peter (1999). Gone writing: the poems of Moore on Sunday. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. p. 49. ISBN 0-8166-3432-7.
  37. ^ "Washburn High School Hall of Fame :: Class of 2008 :: Van Nelson". whshof.org. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  38. ^ "Michele Norris". The Notable Names Database. 2008. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  39. ^ Stroozas, Sam; Cipolle, Alex V. (July 19, 2023). "In 1963, she left Minneapolis for Mattel. She designed Barbie clothes for 35 years". MPR News. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  40. ^ Mowbray, Nicole (July 14, 2023). "Dressing Barbie: Meet the designer who created a miniature fashion icon". CNN. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
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