Nazareth Area High School
Nazareth High School is a public high school located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the only high school in the Nazareth Area School District and serves grades 9 through 12. Its mascot is the Blue Eagle and school colors are blue and white. As of the 2018–19 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,555 students and 90.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 17.2:1. There were 252 students (16.2% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 21 (1.4% of students) eligible for reduced-cost  lunch. In a 2006 study conducted by the school district, 43% of households within the district's boundaries reported having one or more children in the high school. As of the 2009–2010 school year, the high school was fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2012, Nazareth Area High School received the Keystone Award from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for achieving Annual Yearly Progress for two consecutive years as measured by the Pennsylvania State System of Assessment (PSSA) tests. Nazareth Area High School has also appeared on the College Boards Advanced Placement Honor Roll  for the last four consecutive years, out of the five it has been awarded, one of just two Pennsylvania schools to do so. Nazareth Area High School has an AP test passing rate of 87%, above state average of 69% and global average of 61%. Building history. The current high school was first built in 1954 and opened to students on October 3, 1955. It was dedicated on April 8, 1956 to Frederic A. Marcks, a former teacher and the first Superintendent of the Nazareth Area School District, following the merger of the regional districts. The original construction of the  building consisted of two floors of academic classrooms with an auditorium, a gym, and a large cafeteria. In 1971, the school underwent construction of a new wing consisting mainly of classrooms which made the school twice as large as it was originally intended to be. In addition to new classrooms, the addition included a new library (currently the Sharon L. Adams Library and Media Center), expanded the cafeteria to nearly four times its original size, and added onto the current gym, doubling the size while also adding a lower level which housed a fitness room and coach's offices. In  1998, the school experienced a mold problem which destroyed most of the old ceilings in the original building while causing the lead paint in the 1971 addition to chip faster than expected. The problem was deemed a health issue and the school was forced to close for emergency renovations. That same year, with the new middle school built, the old junior high school (constructed in 1983) became the school's "North Campus". Today the school retains these modifications, which assist in facilitating student and faculty population growth. It has also allowed smaller class sizes, as well as adding another gym  and housing the Nazareth Area School District offices. In 1999 the new auditorium and music wing were constructed. The new auditorium was twice the size of the old auditorium and housed a complete light and sound power station with two floors of stage equipment storage. The music wing contains an instrument storage facility, practice rooms, offices, and classrooms that can hold 200+ students at a time. Extracurricular activities. Athletics. Nazareth Area High School competes athletically in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (EPC) in the District XI division of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, one of the premier high school athletic  divisions in the nation. Nazareth's main Eastern Pennsylvania Conference athletic rivals are Northampton Area High School, Parkland High School, Freedom Area High School, and Easton Area High School. Blue Eagle Marching Band. About. The Nazareth Area Blue Eagle Marching Band is one of many arts programs a part of the Nazareth Area High School. The band has been performing field shows since 1980 and has competed in a number of different competitive circuits; including U.S. Bands and Cavalcade of Bands. The band has won multiple nation championships. Their most recent accomplishment includes winning the Cavalcade of Bands Yankee open -class championships in November, 2021, at Hershey, Pennsylvania. Eagle Nest Gallery. The Eagle Nest Gallery, located in the high school, is a professional gallery which hosts artists from the community in monthly shows. The gallery can show both two-dimensional and three-dimensional pieces. Each month a gallery reception is held, where the public can meet and talk with the artists.