Chinle High School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chinle High School |
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US Hwy 191
86503
United States
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| Information | |
| School type | Public high school |
| School district | Chinle Unified School District |
| CEEB code | 030048 |
| Principal | Dr. Raymond Andrade |
| Staff | 60.00 (FTE) |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 926 (2023-2024) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 15.43 |
| Color(s) | Black, Vegas gold and white |
| Nickname | Wildcats |
| Rival | Window Rock High School |
Chinle High School is a public high school for students in grades 9 through 12. It is located in Chinle, a community in Apache County, Arizona, United States. This school is the only high school in the Chinle Unified School District. All younger students from the district's elementary and middle schools eventually attend Chinle High.
The school serves many areas within Apache County. These include Chinle, Cottonwood, Del Muerto, Lukachukai, Many Farms, Nazlini, Rough Rock, Sehili, and Tsaile. It also serves small parts of Round Rock and Sawmill. All these areas are part of the Navajo Nation.
Chinle High School is the largest high school within the Navajo Nation. In 2013, it had about 1,250 students and 125 staff members. Most of the students, about 99%, are Native Americans, mainly from the Navajo tribe.
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School History and Growth
Before 1966, there was an older school building that could hold about 300 students. The population of Chinle grew a lot in the 1960s. By 1986, the school had over 1,000 students.
In 1986, the federal government gave the Chinle Unified School District a grant of $10,000,000. This money was for building a new high school. The district planned to spend $20,000,000 in total for a new facility that could hold 1,500 students. The rest of the money came from Apache County and local taxes.
Wildcats Athletics
The school's sports teams are called the Wildcats. Their Division III basketball teams play in a large arena known as the Wildcat Den. This arena can seat 6,000 people. It was built in 2006 and cost $23 million.
Sports writer Richard Obert from The Arizona Republic newspaper has called it "the best high school arena in Arizona." It is also the biggest building in Chinle. The Wildcat Den is tied for the 15th-largest high school basketball gym in the United States. Before this arena was built, the teams played at the Chinle Community Center, which had 1,000 seats.
Student Life and Support
Chinle High School works hard to create a safe and positive learning environment for all students. Like many schools, it has faced challenges over the years. The school and community focus on supporting students through various programs. These programs help students with their studies and personal growth. The goal is to ensure everyone feels safe and can succeed.
Chinle High in Media
The school's basketball team has been featured in popular media.
- In 2019, a docuseries called Basketball or Nothing premiered on Netflix. This series followed the Chinle Wildcats basketball team during their 2017–2018 season. It showed their journey as they tried to win a state basketball championship. The series was directed by Matt Howley, Michael Lucas, and Gabriel Spitale. The team's coach at the time was Raul Mendoza. He had a long career in coaching and also worked as a counselor. Reviewers praised the series for being "sincere, heartfelt and absolutely worth your time."
- Michael Powell, a sportswriter, wrote a book titled Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation (2019). This book also focused on the same basketball season. It explored how important the high school's basketball team and games were for bringing the community together.
Famous Former Students
Several notable people have graduated from Chinle High School:
- Megalyn Echikunwoke – an actress
- Tatanka Means – an actor and comedian
- Nicco Montaño – an MMA fighter
See also
- List of high schools in Arizona
