Hamilton High School (Chandler, Arizona)
Hamilton High School is a public high school in Chandler, Arizona, United States. It is Arizona's largest high school and 64th largest in the nation, with more than 4,100 students. History. Hamilton's campus resides on land originally owned by the Hamilton family. Family patriarch John Augustus Hamilton helped found the city of Chandler serving as sheriff for all of what is now southeast Phoenix Metropolitan Area. According to the Chandler Museum and the Chandler Historical Society, Jerry Loper Field marks the location of the Hamilton family's store. The corner of Arizona Avenue /SR 87 and Ocotillo Boulevard was coined "Hamilton's Corner". As the Phoenix area became more populated, Chandler High School was unable to handle the increasing educational needs. Voters in 1996 granted Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) a $33 million USD bond to purchase 359,341 ft (3,338.3 m) property and awarded Stantec construction contract for the original Hamilton High School campus. The school becoming operational in 1998 with Fred DePrez as principal and 1,600 freshmen through junior level students. Academics. Hamilton abides by the standards set by the Arizona Department of Education and implements the state's Education and  Career Action Plan (ECAP) required for all students 9-12 grade students to graduate from a public Arizona high school. CUSD high schools also implements an open enrollment policy, meaning students from outside the intended school boundaries may attend without tuition or other penalties. Arizona requires that all high school students take 6 credit bearing courses during their freshmen through junior years, and have the option of reducing credits to 4 credit bearing courses if they are track for graduation. However, CUSD requires all students must complete 22 credits whereas the public university system controlled by the Arizona Board of  Regents requires only 16 credits in the following areas: Cross-credit courses. At Hamilton and all CUSD high school students may swap three semesters (½ credits per semester) of Spiritline, Beginning through Advance Dance, Drill Team, Color Guard, Marching Band, Winter guard, or AFJROTC essentially waiving the required one Physical Education credit required for graduation. Students which choose applied sciences in areas such as Applied Biology or Applied Agricultural Sciences gain equivalent Science credits. Likewise, Economics credits can be awarded like Agricultural Business Management, Business, Business Applications, Marketing, Economics Applications, Family and Consumer Sciences, and vocational courses. Community college credits  can be awarded through a partnership with Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) and cooperative credits for vocational courses are provided by East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT). Students must be dually enrolled for the Arizona community college or the Arizona public university system to accept the credits towards a degree. CUSD Transportation Department provides routes between Hamilton, EVIT, and CGCC with after school hours transportation intended for students participating in activities. Separate from EVIT and CGCC, the University of Arizona implemented a pilot program to get university credits for students pursuing introductory engineering courses starting in 2014. Accolades. The Arizona  Education Foundation awarded its A+ School of Excellence award to Hamilton in 2005, 2009, and 2013. In 2014 it was the 15th highest scoring school on Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) tests and the top non-magnet school participating in the annual public school examination. The Presidential Excellence Award in Mathematics and Science was presented to Deborah Nipar in 2019 for her work as an AP Chemistry and Honors Science Research instructor, one of five recipients from Arizona. Students have achieved many honors including: National Merit Honors, Western Governors Association's annual Spirit Award, honorable mentions for the  Governor's Celebration of Innovation Award, and ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards. Statistics. US News reports in 2019 a 95% graduation rate, 51% reading proficiency, 51% mathematics proficiency, 35% passed an AP examination, and 44% attempting an AP examination with an overall rating is 90.78/100. According to the report Hamilton ranked 15th in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, 23rd in the state of Arizona, and 1,590th nationally. Starting in 2019's Arizona Measurement for Educational Readiness to Inform Teachers (AzMERIT), which replaced the Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) testing, indicating students were 88.6% prepared. The same report  says 22% are free lunch program participants, 3% are reduce-price lunch program, and 25% meet the qualifications of being economically disadvantaged. Other events. Hamilton hosted the Breaking Barriers for Excellence Equity Symposium 2019 for improving student teacher relationships. The non-denominational Phoenix Church of Christ holds events on Wednesday nights and Sunday in the auditorium. Extracurricular activities. Athletics. Hamilton is an Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) member school offering boys and girls sports complying with Title IX. Student athletes can participate in varsity, junior varsity, and freshmen only teams as well as individual sports under the AIA's 6A Conference . Hamilton Athletics consist of these sports: Baseball. Since Hamilton started play the team has amassed 7 Arizona State Championships in its first 20 years placing the school third behind St. David (12) and Scottsdale Chaparral (10) since 1985. In 2020, the team climbed from a preseason ranking of #4 to #1 in the nation by MaxPreps' Xcellent 25 poll with an 8–0 record prior to the closing of all public schools indefinitely because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The program has produced many collegiate and professional players, most notably the MLB's 2019 National League Most Valuable Player Cody Bellinger. Basketball . The varsity girls basketball team has won Arizona's 6A State Championships in the 2015–16 and 2018–19 seasons. Football. The large number of players participating in the football program during their freshmen year has resulted in Hamilton fielding two freshmen-only teams playing exclusively inside Arizona's 6A conference against other freshmen only teams. History. John Wrenn was the first employee hired from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor, Illinois and began building a strong staff for the program. Hamilton began competing in 1998 in the 5A conference as a freelance team and despite their 7–2 record, there were not  able to compete in the state championship playoffs.The AIA placed Hamilton into the Fiesta Region the following year where the team earned most of their region titles. The program gain more attention when Terrell Suggs, a future Arizona State University and NFL player, transferred from Chandler High School setting school and state records at the running back and defensive end positions. Local media acknowledged his success by anointing him as the best football player produced exclusively from Arizona. Hamilton's dominance for the next 15 years would start in 2001 with their first appearance in the 5A State Championship  game losing to Red Mountain 13–10. The first State Championship would come in 2003 going on to win 7 Big School State Championship, appear in an additional 8, and clinching 11 region titles. During this time period, Hamilton football has been ranked nationally several times peeking at #4 nationally by USA Today's Super25 poll when the state record 53-game win streak was broken in November 2011 by Desert Vista High School. National and International Play. The team has also traveled nationally and internationally playing some of the best teams. Starting in September 2006, Hamilton traveled to Massillon, OH  to play Washington High School for the McDonald's Kirk Herbstreit Football Challenge losing 35–26. The 2008 team traveled to Miami, FL playing Booker T. Washington High School, a 37–19 win. Hamilton would host Las Vegas's #11 Bishop Gorman High School at Northern Arizona University's Walkup Skydome in 2014 for a 24–17 win ranked #16 before the game. Hamilton's first hosting an out of state team playing was Santa Fe High School from Santa Fe Springs, CA during the 2009 season shutting out their opponents 52–0. The 2012 season featured an invitation from the Global Ireland Football  Tournament setup by University of Notre Dame and the US Navy Academy. The tournament placed Hamilton against perennial powerhouse Notre Dame High School traveled from Sherman Oaks, CA defeating Hamilton 27–15 at Parnell Park, in Dublin. The following season had Eastlake High School from Chula Vista, CA was hosted in San Diego with the Huskies winning 28–17. Hamilton returned to out of state play in 2018 traveling to Las Vegas's Arbor View High School winning 23–17. Arbor View High School would visited Hamilton the next year losing 41–7. During the first 20 years of the varsity football playing against  non-Arizona team, Hamilton has amassed a 5–5 record overall. Hazing case. In 2017 an investigation into alleged hazing by members of the Hamilton football team became public. The investigation alleges several incidences starting in September 2015 that included sexual assault, assault, aggravated assault, molestation, kidnapping, and child abuse. Ultimately three students were charged, two as minors and one as an adult. CUSD reassigned the varsity football coach Steve Belles, the athletic director, and the principal to the district offices indefinitely in September 2017. Investigators recommended child abuse and failure to report child abuse charges as the case became convoluted  with video and audio evidence of witness tampering and victim intimidation. Maricopa County Attorney General Bill Montgomery later announce his office would not be seeking charges against the three administrators. Families of five alleged victims filed civil lawsuits against Chandler Unified School District and Hamilton administrators settling in 2019 for an undisclosed amount. The 2018 hiring of Mike Zbedski varsity head coach relieving interim head coach Dick Baniszewski and Belles resigned from CUSD for Juan Diego Catholic High School in Draper, Utah as a position coach. After 3 years of criminal proceedings, the sole student charged as an adult accepted  a plea deal in February 2020 for a single misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault where the sentence was credited as time served. Golf. Boys Team. The boys team has won the 2011 and 2019 National Championship at the Antigua National High School Golf Invitational. They have also won 5 consecutive championships for a total of 7 championships in AIA's Boys Team Golf State Championships. Girls Team. The girls team won the AIA's Girls Team Golf State Championship in 2010 Soccer. Boys Team. The Boys Team have won the AIA's State Championship during 2012 and 2016. Girls Team . Hamilton's only AIA State Championship occurred during the 2011 season. Softball. The varsity softball team has won back-to-back state titles in 2016 and 2017. Volleyball. In Arizona, the AIA schedules the Boys Team to play during the fall semester while the Girls Team play during the spring. Academic Competitions. The Arizona Interscholastic Associations (AIA) allow member schools to participate in sports or other competitive events that are not regulated by the AIA. These other competitions can have their own governing body and any infractions do not carry over into AIA regulated sports. Hamilton has never been sanctioned  by any non-AIA governing body. Academic Decathlon. The Academic Decathlon has accumulated numerous team and individual awards including Region IV Arizona State Championship and region titles during the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons. The team would an Arizona State Championship Runners Up trophy during the 2017–18 season. During the 2018–19 season, they would compete against 73 schools from the United States, China, and the United Kingdom placing 4th overall and 3rd in the Academic Decathlon's Super Quiz competition. Robotics. Hamilton High School Robotics Team, known as the "Microbots" and registered as "Team 698", has built award-winning robots for  the FIRST Robotics Competition. In its inaugural year of 2001, the team won a Regional Award at the Southern California Competitions. The Arizona Regionals selected the team for Judges' Award in 2003 with the Industrial Safety Award and the Entrepreneurship Award in 2014. The 2017 Arizona West Regional would award a FIRST Dean's List Finalist Award. Several technology companies within the city of Chandler sponsor and mentor the students during all phases of the competitions. Rivalry. A high-profile rivalry developed between Chandler High School and Hamilton High School which are separated by along Arizona Avenue/SR 87. Local  media has since daubed this high-profile competition as the "Battle of Arizona Avenue". The annual varsity football matchup gains the most attention where the highly rated players are often recruited by college football coaches from across the nation. Spectator turnout can exceeded 10,000 with NFL players like Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Matt Leinart, Hamilton alumni Terrell Suggs also in attendance. As a consistent Top 25 rivalry, the High School Bowl Series Series has been instrumental in broadcast the game nationally by ESPN, ESPNU, and the NFHS Network. Every year the game would alternate form Chandler's Austin Field to  Hamilton's Jerry Looper Stadium. Hamilton began matchup with a 17-game win streak of until the 2013 regular season matchup gave Chandler their first win 26–16. Chandler would later fall in a 2013 5A Division I State Semifinal matchup to Hamilton 21–17 at the AIA's approved neutral field at Highland High School. Since 2014 Chandler has won 6 consecutive games. As of 2020, Hamilton leads the series 18–8 with a potential rematch during the 2020 Open Bracket, which contains 8 of the highest ranked teams. Together, the two school account for 12 Big School State Championships in football . Together, the two school account for 12 Big School State Championships in football and 9 runners up honors. The annual game during the regular season alternates form Chandler's Austin Field to Hamilton's Jerry Looper Stadium. Hamilton began matchup with a 17-game win streak until the 2013 regular season matchup gave Chandler their first win 26–16. Chandler would later fall in a 2013 5A Division I State Semifinal matchup to Hamilton 21–17 at Highland High School the neutral field approved by the Arizona Interscholastic Association. Since 2014 Chandler has won 6 consecutive games. As of 2020, Hamilton leads  the series 18–9 with a number of rematches during the big school playoffs. As the rivalry developed beyond football, both school's athletic teams and other activities have become very competitive. Chandler city officials and other organizations have help facilitate and advance the rivalry. The most notable addition was the Chandler Rotary Club providing the trophy where brass plate are inscribed with the victors name and date with a custom street sign labeled "Arizona Ave Champions" affixed on top. A luncheon is also hosted by the Rotary Club with school staff, administrators, and inductees to the Chandler Sports Hall of  Fame. Since the rivalry garners so much attention, security is a constant concern within the stadiums and surrounding areas. CUSD enlists all School Resource Officers as well as privately contracted security throughout the entire school district along with extra resources from city, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Additional officers, including SWAT teams and K-9 units, are integrated throughout the city. Digital surveillance like social media monitoring to temporary surveillance cameras are also used. Campus. Hamilton was constructed by Stantec on a $33 million USD bond issued to CUSD on a 359,341 ft (3,338.3 m) property on the northwest  corner of Arizona Avenue/SR 87 and Ocotillo Boulevard. The main building is two stories tall with an administrative wing (A-wing) on the bottom floor next to the main entrance. Students have the option of eating indoors or in a shaded patio and food services with supporting facilities in (B-wing) offer students 6 styles of food. The traditional classrooms are found in three 2-story wings (C-wing, D-wing, and E-wing) in a square formation with classrooms on both sides of the hallways and one independent staircase per wing. The main corridor has two staircases and  an elevator for disabled or injured students. Within D-wing's ground floor has a child care service called Lil' Express Learning Center open to faculty and students implementing the Arizona Department of Educations Early Childhood Education program. The Learning Center also has a walled off and covered playground on the north end of the campus. Also on the ground floor is the special education classrooms for developmentally challenged students with licensed speech, occupational, and physical therapists adhering to Title I. All of the performing arts like concert band, orchestra, gymnastics, dance, and art are located on the southeast portion  of the main building (H-wing) surrounding the 600-seat auditorium. Also locker rooms and a small wight lifting room surround the gym (G-Wing). In the northern parking lot are double wide mobile classrooms (M-Wing) due to the large student population. CUSD was granted a $192 million USD bond in November 2015 for district wide construction and updates. Hamilton was allocated $4.5 million for a two-story building (N-wing) with a 20 classroom and additional administration offices 27,530 ft (2,557.6 m) located on what was the original outdoor concrete basketball courts. Sports facilities. The largest  sports facility on the Hamilton property is Jerry Loper Field which host all football, soccer, track and field, and other events. The field's namesake is for the late Chandler High School football coach Jerry Loper who was killed by an impaired driver in 1996. Stands are available on the east and west side of the field with an initial capacity of 6,000 fans, however CUSD has installed temporary stands for high-profile events like the "Battle of Arizona Ave". Within Jerry Loper Field are two field houses, the first was built during the construction of the school and the  second is a $2.3 million USD 9,585 ft (890.5 m) weightlifting facility for student athletics completed 2019. Concession stands, restrooms, and ticket facilities are also within the gates. Dale Hancock Gymnasium inside the school is capable of seating 3,000 fans with collapsible stands on either side of the main basketball court which is sunk a few feet lower. The namesake is for the late CUSD Board of Education member Dale Hancock in 2011. The gymnasium houses several events including basketball, volleyball, badminton, pep-rallies, the Hamilton Invitational Science and Engineering Fair (HISEF), and other events. CUSD's Transportation Department  closed its Hamilton Yard 2005 and placed new asphalt providing a practice area for the Hamilton Marching Band during the fall season and serves as an auxiliary parking for large events. The remaining original sports facilities are 4 baseball diamonds, 3 softball diamonds, 2 practice football fields, 10 tennis courts, and batting cages with auxiliary facilities like bathrooms and ticket sales buildings. Public facilities. The City of Chandler has attached a branch of the Chandler Public Library system and the Hamilton Aquatic Center during the summer months are open for public use.