Omaha Benson High School Magnet
Benson High School Magnet | |
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Location | |
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5120 Maple Street Omaha, Nebraska United States | |
Coordinates | 41°17′09″N 95°59′38″W / 41.28583°N 95.99389°WCoordinates: 41°17′09″N 95°59′38″W / 41.28583°N 95.99389°W |
Information | |
Type | Public magnet high school |
Established | 1904 |
School district | Omaha Public Schools |
Staff | 91.64 (FTE)[1] |
Grades | 9–12 |
Enrollment | 1,487 (2018–19)[1] |
Student to teacher ratio | 16.23[1] |
Color(s) | Green and white |
Mascot | Bunny |
Newspaper | Benson High Gazette / Benson High News[2] |
Website | Benson H.S. |
Omaha Benson High School Magnet, Benson High Magnet, or Benson High, is located at 5120 Maple Street in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, in the Benson community of Omaha. The original site of Benson High was the current building that houses Benson West Elementary School. Founded in 1904, Benson High is one of the oldest high schools in the state. Its enrollment is approximately 1,500 students. As of 2018, the principal was Tom Wagner. The school mascot is the Bunny.[3]
A full renovation of the school was completed in the mid-1990s. Additions included a new science classroom wing, an auditorium for the performing arts, a gymnasium, a student commons area and a track and football field. The football field and track were redone once again during the 2006 summer.[citation needed]
Benson is currently participating in NASA's Student Launch Initiative program.[citation needed]
Omaha Benson High School is also one of the Omaha area schools that participates in the yearly Day of Silence event.
Athletics[]
Benson High School's athletic teams have won six state championships. In 1920 and 1992, they were the state basketball champions, first in Class E and then in Class A. In 1974, they won the state Class A baseball championship; and in 2001 and 2007, they won the boys' cross country title in Class A. In 2014, the girls' basketball team won Class A State.[4]
"The N-Word" controversy[]
In April 2007, the student newspaper published a four-page special feature entitled "The N-Word" examining the use of the racial epithet "nigger" within the school community. It included factual reporting, editorial content, and a transcript of a round-table discussion on the topic in one of the school's ethics classes.
Community response was mixed. Many students and parents, and the school's principal, were supportive of the newspaper's coverage, but the school district received many phone calls expressing concern or offense at the content. The school district, Omaha Public Schools, put the principal on temporary administrative leave and denounced the publication. The principal was later reinstated.[5]
Notable alumni[]
- Tom Becka, talk radio personality
- Jackie Brandt, MLB player and 1961 American League All-Star[6]
- Walter Holden Capps, U.S. Representative from California
- Hal Daub, U.S. Representative from Nebraska
- Terry Goodkind, fantasy author
- Dave Hoppen, NBA player
- Floyd Kalber, television journalist
- David Karnes, U.S. Senator from Nebraska, 1987 through 1989
- Kenton Keith, professional football player
- Nile Kinnick, football player and 1939 Heisman Trophy winner
- Nick Nolte, film actor
- Robert Reed, science fiction author
- Amber Ruffin, writer, Late Night With Seth Meyers, The Detroiters (Comedy Central), The Amber Ruffin Show
- Khyri Thomas, NBA player
- Tony Veland, NFL safety[7]
- Andre Woolridge, professional basketball player, All American at the University of Iowa
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "BENSON MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2012-09-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ "About Benson". Archived 2012-06-16 at the Wayback Machine Benson High School Magnet website. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
- ^ "Nebraska School Activities Association" (English). Retrieved 2012-06-26.
- ^ Safranek, Lynn. "Students' frankness sets off OPS uproar". JNews, winter 2007–08, pp. 14-15. Includes reproduction of article from Omaha World-Herald, 2007-04-14. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
- ^ "Jackie Brandt Baseball Stats | Baseball Almanac".
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2013-11-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links[]
- Omaha Public Schools
- Educational institutions established in 1904
- High schools in Omaha, Nebraska
- Public high schools in Nebraska
- Magnet schools in Nebraska
- 1904 establishments in Nebraska