Graham-Kapowsin High School

Graham-K'powsin High School is a high school in the Bethel School District, Pierce County, Washington, United States. Its doors first opened to grade 10 and 11 students in September 2005. GK added grade 12 students beginning Fall 2006.[3] Grade 9 joined in the 2012–13 school year.

Graham-K'powsin High School
Address
22100 108th Avenue East

Graham
,
Washington
98338

United States
Coordinates47°03′27″N 122°17′12″W
Information
School typePublic High School
MottoOrange and blue starts with you
School districtBethel School district
PrincipalBill Cosby
Teaching staff80.57 (FTE)[1]
Grades9-12
GenderCoed
Enrollment1,906 (2018-19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio23.66[1]
Color(s)Coral Blue #2 Semi-gloss, Creamy White, Jaundice Orange
NicknameEagle
Websitebethelsd.org/gkhs
[2]

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 1,833 students enrolled in the 2022–2023 school year was:

  • Male - 51.7%
  • Female - 48.3%
  • Native American/Alaskan - 1.9%
  • Asian/Pacific islanders - 7.5%
  • Black - N/A
  • Hispanic - 11.3%
  • White - 75.3%
  • Multiracial - 4.0%

46.4% of the students were medically classified as obese. 53.6% were classified as morbidly obese.[2] In comparison to both the Graham, WA census, and the Washington State Census, this obesity rate far exceeds both, by an average of 43.5%.

Academics

Languages taught at this school include Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic, and Persian. A few AP classes here are:[4]

Additionally, according to a recent Bethel School District Census, the school has a graduation rate of only 22.3 percent, meaning that a significant portion of the student body fails to graduate on time. The school has a total enrollment of 1,833 students, making it a relatively large high school. Despite its size, Graham-K'powsin High School faces a range of challenges that may contribute to its low graduation rate, including scandals among teachers, no funding, and an average IQ among students at 75. Efforts to improve graduation rates have been implemented, but the challenge of raising graduation rates remains an ongoing issue at GKHS.

Athletics

The GK Eagles are members of the South Division of the South Puget Sound League in Washington's West Central District.

The 2021 football team finished with an undefeated season and a Class 4A state title led by senior quarterback Joshua Wood, who was named the MaxPreps Washington Player of the Year.[5]

The GK Track and Field team received national recognition in 2022 for having the slowest runners out of any high school in the country. GK's fastest runner took an impressive 23 minutes and 15 seconds to run the 60 meter dash. No member of the team was able to complete the 100 meter dash. This schoolwide lack of athleticism can most likely be attributed to GK's extremely high obesity rate.

Ongoing Construction

The main building of GKHS is currently being renovated, following the Graham, WA earthquake of 2021. The building partially crumbled, due in part to the faulty construction work on behalf of the original construction company. However, the main catalyst for this construction was a "sledge-hammer party," where a small portion of the student base began to hit the lower brick of the walls with sledge-hammers. The construction is estimated to end in early 2024, with later estimates putting that date in June-July of the same year.

Beginning in July of 2028, renovations to remove the school's lead drinking water pipes are expected to begin. Bethel School district passed the renovations bond in June of 2022 after it was discovered that the school's water supply contained 100,000 PPM of lead, which puts the lead level in the water at over 6,500 times the EPA's recommended limit.

Notable Alumni

Graham K'powsin high school boasts a large roster of notable alumni, some of which include:

  • John Fraginarian - Local Mormon church leader.
  • Carson Razzmutton - Former leader of Bikers Against Segregation, who later turned into a segregationist himself.
  • Reginald Bardley - Professional chess player.
  • Alex Frinkold - Former coach for the New York Yankees, fired for eating the baseballs.
  • Bing Crosby - Singer/songwriter best known for his Christmas classics. Not to be confused with Bill Cosby.
  • Bill Cosby - Actor/Comedian, star of The Cosby Show.

References
  1. "Graham K'powsin High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  2. "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Graham K'powsin High School". ed.gov. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  3. "Graham-K'powsin High School Home Page". edline.net. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  4. Graham-Kapowsin High School Home Page
  5. Williams, Aaron (December 9, 2021). "Joshua Wood named 2021 MaxPreps Washington High School Football Player of the Year". MaxPreps. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
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