Homestead High School (Homestead, Florida)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| District | Miami-Dade County Public Schools |
| School type | Public |
| Religious affiliation | None |
| Opened | September 1979 |
| Location | Homestead, Florida, USA |
| Enrollment 2005-2006 | 2,929 students |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Campus surroundings | Suburban |
| School Mascot | Bronco |
| School colors | Orange and Blue |
| School Hours | 7:30 AM to 3:35 PM |
| Average Class Size | 26 |
Homestead High School is a secondary school located at 2351 SE 12 Avenue in Homestead, Florida. It is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district; its principals are Eunice C. Soto and Dr. Henry N. Crawford.
Homestead High School is one of two high schools serving a diverse community that includes most of the city of Homestead, Florida City, Leisure City, the homeless shelter housed at the Homestead Air Force Reserve Base, and the South Dade Labor Camps. The high school offers several highly regarded magnet programs including the Academy of International Business, the Academy of Aviation/Aerospace/Travel and Tourism, an Environmental Horticulture Science and Services program, and a Health Science Education program (one of only three such programs in the state that lead to a Certification in Practical Nursing). In addition to special programs, Homestead Senior High School is home to one of the top Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) programs in the state, and one of the top Air Force Junior ROTC (AFJROTC) programs in the country, as well as a variety of outstanding sports teams and organizations. In all, there are approximately 1500 students currently participating in extracurricular activities in six service clubs, seven honor societies, eleven curriculum clubs, sixteen special interest clubs, and four class clubs. It is also the southernmost high school in the county.
Homestead's athletic rival is South Dade High School.
[edit] History
In 1992 Homestead High School was severely damaged by Hurricane Andrew, forcing the school to shut down for the entire 1992-93 school year. Most of the families in the surrounding community decided to leave after the hurricane, but a few stayed living in tents, mobile homes, or shared accommodation in other parts of the county. Those students still living in the area were forced to attend other schools in the district that were at times, ten to fifteen miles away. The damage done to Homestead High School was not significant enough to for it to have been demolished. Within a year of the disaster, Homestead High School and nearby South Dade High School (also devastated by Andrew) opened their doors to the still devastated areas welcoming students whose families had not left the area. Since the hurricane, the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic mix of the community and school has changed mainly due to the building of low income housing in the areas where middle class homes used to be located.
