West Junior High School

West Junior High, which is actually now nestled in what has become central Lawrence, was the second junior high school built in the city.

West was constructed as a response to overcrowding during the 1950s at what was then the Lawrence Junior High School (now Central Junior High).

By 1958, LJHS’s enrollment had grown to more than 1,000 students in a building designed for 750.

In April of that year, voters approved a bond issue for a new junior high.

West Junior High was opened in 1960 at the corner of Crestline Drive and Harvard Road in the rolling hills of what was then western Lawrence. The Warhawk was picked as the school’s mascot.

Enrollment, socioeconomic mix

West is now one of four junior highs in Lawrence.

In September 2004, it had an enrollment of 606 students in grades seven (193 students), eight (216) and nine (197). That ranked it No. 3 in enrollment size among the city’s four junior highs.

West draws its students from a boundary area that includes north-central and northwest Lawrence.

West Junior High2700 Harvard Rd.Lawrence, KS 66049-2629Phone number: 785-832-5500School Web site:schools.usd497.org/wjhs360 Photo: Lunchroom

The Kansas State Board of Education Report Card includes the socioeconomic mix of all schools.

It reports that 21.63 percent of West’s students are economically disadvantaged.

Here is the school’s ethnicity breakdown: white, 80.77 percent; African American, 9.29 percent; Hispanic, 4.17 percent; other, 5.77 percent.

Reading scores

According to the latest state report card for West, eighth-grade students showed a decline in reading assessments over the previous year’s students.

However, West students scored higher than their peers in the district and in the state on the eighth-grade reading assessments.

The percentage of the school’s eighth-graders who were “proficient,” “advanced,” or “exemplary” in reading jumped from from 83.0 percent to 79.9 percent on the latest state test.

The Lawrence district’s overall reading score for eighth-graders showed that 73.8 percent were either proficent, advanced or exemplary in reading. The overall state score was 75.1 percent for those combined categories.

Math scores

The state report card also shows West’s seventh-graders scored higher on the state math assessments than their peers at the district and state levels.

West’s seventh-graders tested in math showed an increase from 62.9 percent in 2003 to 80.1 in 2004 for the percent of students scoring at either “proficient,” “advanced” or “exemplary levels.”

That compared with 72.1 percent for the entire district and 64.8 percent for the state.

Sports

The city’s four junior highs offer the following sports: boys basketball, girls basketball, cheerleading, football, boys tennis, girls tennis, track, volleyball and wrestling.

High school sports offered at Lawrence’s two high schools are as follows: bowling (new this year), boys baseball, boys basketball, girls basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, girls golf, boys golf, girls gymnastics, boys soccer, girls soccer, girls softball, boys swimming, girls swimming, boys tennis, girls tennis, track, volleyball and wrestling.

Staffing

The school’s staff includes a total of 84 teachers and support staff.

Myron Melton has been West’s principal since 2004. Before that he was an elementary principal at two local schools: Langston Hughes and Centennial.

Melton was a physical education teacher at Sunset Hill School in Lawrence from 1984 to 1993 before becoming an assistant principal at Tonganoxie Elementary School for two years.

All the junior highs begin classes at 8:08 a.m. and end at 3:10 p.m.

To arrange a visit to West, call 785-832-5500.