Biddeford High School (BHS) is a public high school in Biddeford, Maine, United States. It is the secondary school for Biddeford Public Schools, a school district which exclusively serves the city of Biddeford.
| Biddeford High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
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20 Maplewood Avenue , Maine 04005 United States | |
| Coordinates | 43°29′43″N 70°28′19″W / 43.495265°N 70.4719655°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1848 |
| School district | Biddeford Public Schools |
| Superintendent | Jeremy Ray |
| NCES School ID | 230315000072[1] |
| Principal | Martha Jacques |
| Teaching staff | 53.70 (on an FTE basis)[1] |
| Grades | 8–12 |
| Enrollment | 712 (2022-23)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 13.26[1] |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Orange and black |
| Mascot | Tigers |
| Accreditation | NEASC[2] |
| Newspaper | The Roar[3] |
| Website | www |
History
The first public high school in Biddeford was established in 1848. The building for the high school was erected on Washington Street close to the city's downtown. After a rise in Biddeford's population in the late 19th-century, a new high school was constructed in 1888 on a lot in close-by Alfred Street. The former high school building on Washington Street was then converted to a primary school before being demolished in the 1960s.[4][5]
The high school moved to its new building in 1890. The Alfred Street building suffered a massive fire in 1893 and was promptly rebuilt. A rear annex and gymnasium were added in 1925.[6]
The high school moved out of the Alfred Street building in the 1960s to its present location farther away from the Downtown core.[4] This coincided with the establishment of the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology in 1969[7] located at the same location.
Sports
Biddeford High School football has won 11 Class A state championships since 1950 (in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1994).[8] The school has a long-standing football rivalry with Saco's Thornton Academy dating to 1893 which is referred to as the "Battle of the Bridges" by residents of both communities. This is in reference to the multiple bridges which interconnect the two cities over the Saco River.[9][10][11] After Biddeford High School was demoted to Class B in 2015, the two teams no longer compete with one another within the same Class.[12]
In 1971, the boys and girls gymnastics teams won dual state championships. The boys' team repeated as state champions in 1972, while the girls' team would win the state championship again in 1979 and 2003[13]. Biddeford High won the Class A competitive cheerleading state championships in 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2019, and 2020, with the 2014 team capping off the season by winning the New England Championship in the coed division.[citation needed] Other Class A state championships include: ice hockey (in 2007, 2008, and 2010), softball (in 2006, 2016, and 2022), field hockey (in 1990 and 2018), baseball (in 1984), and girls' volleyball (in 2010 and 2022)[14].
Academic Competitions
The late 1960s and early ‘70s saw Biddeford High School compete in numerous math fairs, science fairs, as well as speech and debate. In the 1969 regional math fair competition sponsored by the Association of Teachers of Mathematics, three freshmen received awards, while two sophomores at the former St. Louis Regional High School also won honors[15].
The 1970 Southern Maine Regional Science Fair and Congress at Greely High School in Cumberland would see Biddeford High School and St. Louis Regional High School students taking home a combined 14 of the 20 awards offered[16]. Biddeford students taking part in the 1971 Southern Maine Regional Science Fair held at Falmouth High School came home with five of the nine first-place awards. Altogether, Biddeford High School students earned 12 of the 22 total awards[17].
In 1972, Biddeford High students won the statewide first place Novice Trophy in debate at Brunswick High School[18].
Notable alumni
- Fred Davis Jr. - politician
- Brian Dumoulin - professional ice hockey player[19]
- Ryan Fecteau - politician and the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives
- Dennis Gadbois - former football wide receiver
Notable staff
- Alan Casavant - politician and teacher
References
- ^ a b c d "Search for Public Schools - Biddeford High School (230315000072)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "Old Orchard Beach High staff member tests positive for virus". Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ "The Roar". Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ a b "Old Biddeford High School, Washington Street, ca. 1910". Maine Memory Network. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ Biddeford High School Alumni Association (1887). Biddeford High School. Teachers and Graduates, from 1848 to 1888.
- ^ "Biddeford High School, Alfred Street, 1955". mcarthur.pastperfectonline.com/. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ Wells, Tammy (November 17, 2022). "New and expanded programs 'dream come true' at BRCOT". Press Herald. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ https://www.mpa.cc/page/3231/custom/297
- ^ "Thornton Academy ~ Battle of the Bridge". July 2, 2011. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ "A Battle Lost – Maine Football – Down East Magazine". Down East. October 1, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ Bouthillette, Emma R. (2017). Brief History of Biddeford, A. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-3614-3.
- ^ "State Of Maine High School Football Conferences – Maine Football Coaches Association". May 4, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ https://maineanencyclopedia.com/gymnastics/
- ^ https://www.mpa.cc/page/3060
- ^ Biddeford-Saco Journal, April 30,1969.
- ^ Biddeford-Saco Journal, March 26, 1970.
- ^ Maine Sunday Telegram, March 21, 1971, p. 18A.
- ^ Biddeford-Saco Journal, March 17, 1972, p.8.
- ^ Crechiolo, Michelle (August 24, 2017). "Dumoulin a lifelong winner". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 19, 2022.