Seaman High School

Seaman High School is a public secondary school in Topeka, Kansas, U.S. for students from grades 9 to 12. It serves families residing within Kansas Unified School District #345 Seaman, which covers 84 square miles of northern Topeka and rural Shawnee County, Kansas. The high school is one of the few in the world where the students operate a chartered bank.[9]

Seaman High School
Seaman High School, 2008
Address
4850 NW Rochester Road [1]

Topeka
,
Kansas
66617

United States
Coordinates39.134635°N 95.671787°W / 39.134635; -95.671787
Information
School typePublic, High School
MottoPreparing Today's Students for Tomorrow's World
Established1920
School districtUSD 345 [2]
SuperintendentSteve Noble[3]
CEEB code172920 [4]
PrincipalMike Monaghan [5]
Athletic DirectorSteve Bushnell [5]
Teaching staff92.90 (FTE)[6]
Grades9–12
GenderCoEd
Enrollment1,287 (2017–18)[6]
Student to teacher ratio13.85[6]
Color(s)  Cardinal Red
  Royal Blue
AthleticsClass 5A,[7]
District 3 [8]
Athletics conferenceCentennial [5]
MascotViking
Communities servedTopeka
WebsiteSchool Website

History
Seaman High School was designated a Blue Ribbon School in 1984.[10]

Seaman High School was founded in 1920, opening to students in grades nine through twelve on October 4 of that year. The school is named for Fred A. Seaman, who was integral in the school's founding and served as its first principal. He became the school's namesake following a vote by students and their parents. Seaman High School's initial enrollment was 65 students, who were taught by seven faculty members. Seaman was one of the first three rural high schools in Kansas. Five students were in the first graduating class. The Viking was chosen as the school's official emblem in 1933. The Seaman Bank, the first high school bank in the United States, was founded in 1927.[9]

In November 1954, Seaman High moved into a new school located one-half mile west of the former school. Enrollment in 1958 was 483 students. Twenty-two teachers were on the faculty. In December 1970, the new high school at 4850 NW Rochester Rd was dedicated. The former structure at 1124 NW Lyman now houses Logan Elementary School. The school was selected as a Blue Ribbon School in 1984. The Blue Ribbon Award recognizes public and private schools which perform at high levels or have made significant academic improvements.

In January 2008, construction was completed of a freshman wing on the current building along with additions to the auditorium and the woods and metal shops. In August 2008, ninth grade, which had previously been moved to the Junior High level, was added back to the school.

In 2017, after much pressure by the student body and local area due to recent incidents in the local area and across the country, Seaman High hosted a "community conversation" discussing inappropriate online behavior, harassment, and threats.[11] Students were encouraged to report negative online behavior, and several student groups began to raise awareness around this issue.[12]

In 2018, Seaman High School's swim team became the first swim team in Topeka to win a state championship, winning by 150 points.[13]

In October 2020, Seaman High School's student newspaper released an online article confirming the circulating rumors that Fred Seaman, the school's founder, had been a leader within the Ku Klux Klan. The district's board confirmed knowledge of this information and stated that they were "aware of Fred Seaman’s affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan through research conducted by our teachers and students" and are "proud of our teachers and students for taking a strong interest and stance in learning about and identifying historical figures."[14]

Extracurricular activities

The Vikings are classified as a 5A school, the second-largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Throughout its history, Seaman has won several state championships in various sports.

Athletics

Seaman High School offers the following sports:[15]

Fall
  • Football
  • Volleyball
  • Boys Cross-Country
  • Girls Cross-Country
  • Girls Golf
  • Boys Soccer
  • Girls Tennis
  • Cheerleading

Winter
  • Boys Basketball
  • Girls Basketball
  • Wrestling
  • Boys Bowling
  • Girls Bowling
  • Winter Cheerleading
  • Boys Swimming and Diving

Spring
  • Baseball
  • Boys Golf
  • Boys Tennis
  • Girls Soccer
  • Girls Swimming and Diving
  • Softball
  • Boys Track and Field
  • Girls Track and Field

Activities

Seaman's activities include

Clubs

Seaman's clubs include

  • Book Club
  • FCA
  • French Club
  • German Club
  • Literary Magazine
  • Math Club
  • Sharp
  • Spanish Club
  • Spirit Club
  • FBLA
  • Young Democrats
  • Civic Engagement Club
  • GSA

Organizations

Seaman's organizations include

  • FBLA
  • FCCLA
  • FFA
  • Interact Club
  • Key Club
  • NGHS
  • NHS
  • SADD
  • SEAMAPP
  • International Thespian Society

Notable alumni

See also

References
  1. GNIS for Seaman High School; USGS; November 3, 2008.
  2. USD 345
  3. Superintendent Website
  4. High School CEEB Code Search
  5. "School Search - Topeka-Seaman HS". Kansas State High School Activities Association. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  6. "Seaman High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  7. KSHSAA School Classification List
  8. KSHSAA School District List Archived 2010-09-23 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Deines, Angela (January 24, 2010). "Bank draws students' interest". Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  10. "Blue Ribbon Schools" (English). Retrieved 2019-03-20.
  11. Seaman High School's community conversation focuses on online behavior
  12. Seaman H.S. case puts spotlight on sexting, raises widespread issues
  13. Seaman takes home state swimming championship, first ever Topeka school to win
  14. Fangman, Tristan; Gearhart, Madeline (October 16, 2020). "New research proves Seaman High founder's connection with KKK". Seaman News.
  15. School Athletic Website
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