Sarasota High School
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SHS Mission and History
Sarasota High School is dedicated to providing a culturally, socially, and intellectually diverse student population with an education that will allow them to be successful in today’s ever-changing society. To ensure our students are equipped for success after high school, we create a learning environment that is challenging, relevant, and active. In doing so, we aim to develop in each student the skills of leadership, accountability, and self-reliance that are essential to become productive.
Sarasota High School was founded in 1913 and is home to over 2,600 students and 139 faculty members on a newly renovated campus in the city of Sarasota, Florida. The original campus was expanded in 1958-1959 by notable modern architect Paul Rudolph.
- Campus features include 19 buildings, 2 cafeterias, 2 gymnasiums, 2 locker rooms, a professional weight training room, an auditorium with stage and dressing rooms, a circus arena, 8 tennis courts, 2 baseball/softball diamonds, a football stadium with the surrounding track, a soccer field, and 4 parking lots.
- The MaST Research Institute educates students on the scientific research process, requiring them to complete in-depth research projects over the course of their high school careers.
- Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Program offers students abundant opportunities to prepare for their education and career goals after high school.
- Career Technical Education Programs include Applied Engineering, Business Management, Culinary Arts, Digital Design, Food Science Applications, and Java and Web Development.
SHS Signature Programs
CAMBRIDGE ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION (AICE)
- Internationally recognized pre-university curriculum which emphasizes the value of broad and balanced study and provides a high-quality diploma, preparing students for honors degree programs.
- Offers students the opportunity to tailor their studies to their individual interests, abilities, and future plans.
- Students who complete AICE courses and receive a passing score on the exam offered at the end of the course can earn college credits from more than 450 colleges in the US.
- Twenty-six AICE courses are offered on campus at SHS, expanding to twenty-nine for the 2018 – 2019 school year.
- 97 SHS students earned an AICE diploma in the 2017 – 2018 school year, the second-largest number in the state of Florida. Each of the 97 students was 100% eligible to receive the highest level of Bright Futures Scholarship (Florida Academic Scholars).
- A recent SHS graduate was awarded over 50 college credits as a University of Florida freshman.
CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE)
- CTE classes are aligned to SHS career pathways: Applied Engineering Technology, Business Management and Analysis, Culinary Arts, Digital Design, Food Science Applications, Health and Wellness/Exercise Science, Java Development and Programming, and Web Development.
- Students earn industry certifications (such as Autodesk, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, Adobe Dreamweaver) and participate in on-the-job training and internships.
MAST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (MRI)
- MRI students placed 1st in 9 out of the 12 categories (or 75%) entered at the 2017 Sarasota Regional Science, Technology, and Engineering Fair. Ten students received 1st in their category.
- MRI students have won multiple awards for their research, including multiple entrants and placement at the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair; placement at the International ISWEEEP competition; multiple placements (including 1st place) and entrants to the statewide Florida Junior Academy of Science Competition; and multiple entrants and placement in the statewide Junior Science Engineering and Humanities Symposium.
- Graduates from MRI have gone on to attend some of the top universities in the nation, including (but not limited to) Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, Duke, Dartmouth, Columbia, Georgetown, and Georgia Tech.
JROTC
- Focuses on teaching leadership, citizenship, American Government, fitness, and foundations for success after graduating high school. Students understand how to motivate others while strengthening their ability to study, take tests, and succeed academically. Academic enrichment and achievement is the fundamental cornerstone of the program.
- SHS Army Junior ROTC began in 1969 and is one of 250 Junior ROTC programs under the 6th Brigade Eastern Region, U.S. Army Cadet Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky.
- Over 200 student cadets participate in SHS JROTC.