Sumner Academy of Arts & Science facts for kids

Sumner Academy of Arts and Science is a special kind of public high school called a magnet school in Kansas City, Kansas. It's run by the Kansas City USD 500 school district. The school is named after Charles Sumner, who was a famous leader against slavery.

Sumner Academy started in 1905 as Sumner High School. At that time, schools were separated by race, and Sumner was for Black students. It taught skills for jobs but also prepared students for college. The school's main building, which has a cool Art Deco design, was built in 1937 and has been made bigger many times. In 1978, Sumner High School became Sumner Academy, a special program for students who are highly motivated and good at academics.

History of Sumner Academy

How Sumner High School Started

Sumner High School began because of racial tensions in Kansas City, Kansas. In 1904, after a difficult event, white students prevented Black students from entering the high schools. This led to a situation where Black students attended classes in the afternoon, while white students went in the morning.

To solve this problem, some citizens asked the Kansas government to allow separate high schools. On February 22, 1905, a law was passed, and Sumner High School opened. It was the first high school in Kansas that was officially separated by race.

Moving to a New Location

When it first opened in 1905, the school was called Manual Training High School and was located at 9th and Washington Boulevard. However, the Black community preferred a different name. So, the school was renamed Sumner to honor Charles Sumner. He was a U.S. Senator who strongly fought against slavery and worked for the rights of Black people after the Civil War.

In 1932, land was bought at 8th and Oakland, which is where the current Sumner Academy stands. The first buildings of the modern school complex were started in 1937.

Sumner High School Becomes Sumner Academy

In 1978, Sumner High School officially closed. This happened because of a court order to end school segregation, which meant students were moved to different schools. At this time, the school reopened as 'Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences'. It became a special magnet school for students who are very motivated and talented in their studies.

In 2003, Sumner Academy won a big national award called the NCLB – Blue Ribbon Schools Award from the U.S. Department of Education. This award recognized the school for its high scores on state tests. In 2005, Sumner High School and Sumner Academy celebrated their 100th anniversary.

Academics at Sumner Academy

Sumner Academy was designated a Blue Ribbon School in 1984 and 2003.

Sumner Academy expects its students to have high standards for behavior and schoolwork. To get into Sumner, students need to be accepted based on their grades, test scores, attendance, and behavior. Once enrolled, students must keep a GPA of 2.5 or higher to stay at the school.

The school has been recognized as a Blue Ribbon School twice, in 1984 and 2003. This award is given to public and private schools that perform very well or have greatly improved their academics. One reason for Sumner Academy's strong academics is its involvement in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program.

Sumner started offering the IB program in 1987. This program is based on a 5.0 grading scale and offers 20 different IB classes. Many teachers at Sumner have special training for the IB program. Even though only juniors and seniors can take IB classes, the program's influence is felt throughout all grade levels at Sumner Academy. Younger students in ninth and tenth grade often take pre-IB courses to prepare for future IB work. Almost all students at Sumner Academy of Arts & Science (97%) participate in the IB program.

Extracurricular Activities

The sports teams at Sumner Academy are called the Sabres (for boys) and Lady Sabres (for girls). They compete in the 5A classification, which is set by the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA).

Football Achievements

In November 2008, the Sumner Academy football team reached the Kansas State playoffs for the first time in ten years. In 2010, the team had its best record ever, winning 9 games and losing 2. They also made the Kansas State playoffs for the second year in a row and won the Kansas City, Kansas League Championship for the first time in 20 years. In 2009, Sumner Academy won back-to-back KCK League Championship titles.

Wrestling Successes

Sumner Academy's wrestling team has also achieved great success. In 2009 and 2014, the wrestling team was recognized as league champions. In 2014, senior wrestler Donte Boose won the 4A 126lb state championship. The next year, in 2015, junior wrestler Emmanuel Browne won the 4A 120lb state championship. Emmanuel Browne then won back-to-back 4A 126lb state championships in February 2016 as a senior.

Bowling Victories

The Lady Sabres bowling team won the 4A girls bowling state championships in both 2007 and 2008. In 2008, Sarah Ottens won the 5A girls individual state championship in bowling. In 2009, Christian Smith was named the 5A state boys individual bowling champion.

Scholars Bowl Championship

Sumner Academy won the 2003 Class 5A Scholars Bowl state championship. This is a competition where teams answer questions about different subjects.

Boys' Basketball Titles

Sumner High School won the 1969 4A Kansas State High School Activities Association boys basketball championship. Sumner Academy has won four more KSHSAA boys basketball championships in 1998, 2000, 2010, and 2011.

Competitive Speech and Debate

The Sumner Academy Competitive Speech team, also known as Forensics, has won many KSHSAA state championships. They won the 4A Speech state championships in 1998, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. They also won the 5A Speech state championships in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. The Sumner Forensics team also won a KSHSAA 4A Debate championship in 2015.

Track and Field Achievements

The Sumner High School boys track & field team won the 4A outdoor team Kansas State High School State Championship in 1975, 1976, and 1977. They also won indoor championships in 1969 and 1970. The Sumner Academy boys track & field team won back-to-back KSHSAA 4A team championships in 1998 and 1999.

School Architecture

The Original Art Deco Building

By 1937, Sumner High School needed more space. The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided a grant of $378,000 for a new building and equipment. The school board chose Joseph W. Radotinsky as the architect. The new building was constructed from 1938 to 1939 and opened on January 2, 1940.

Radotinsky designed the building in the Art Deco style, which was popular for public buildings at the time. The most noticeable part is the central tower at the entrance. The outside of the building uses two shades of brick with limestone details. The design was influenced by European modern architects, especially Willem Marinus Dudok.

Later Expansions and Upgrades

The school campus has been expanded several times since the original building was constructed:

• In 1964, an athletic field house was added.
• In 1975, a new gymnasium, cafeteria, and student center were built.
• In 1978, when the school became Sumner Academy, classrooms, the library, and science rooms were renovated.
• In 1985, the library was made larger.
• In 2002, voters approved money to add air-conditioning, improve technology, and make other upgrades to schools. Sumner was part of this project, which finished in the summer of 2002.
• In 2005, Sumner was added to the National Register of Historic Places and the Register of Historic Kansas Places.

The West Wing Addition

In 2010, a new section called the west wing was added to the school. This new wing was built over the west parking lot and replaced older temporary classrooms. The rooms in the west wing are large, have carpeted floors, and can hold many students. This wing also has new lockers and bathrooms and is equipped with the latest classroom technology.

Famous Alumni

Sumner Academy and Sumner High School have had many successful graduates, including:

• William Patrick Foster: A famous band director and leader in music education.
• Fernando J. Gaitan Jr.: A senior federal judge in the United States.
• Paul Graham: A former head basketball coach for a college team.
• Leonard Gray: A former player in the NBA.
• Lea Hopkins: An activist who worked for LGBT rights.
• Harold Hunter: The first African American to sign a contract with an NBA team.
• Carmell Jones: A talented jazz trumpet player.
• Delano Lewis: An attorney, businessman, and former United States Ambassador to South Africa.
• John McClendon: The first African American head coach in any professional sport, honored in two basketball halls of fame.
• Charles Wilber "Bullet" Rogan: A famous baseball player and manager for the Kansas City Monarchs, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

See also

• List of high schools in Kansas
• History of African Americans in Kansas