Wichita Northwest High School

Wichita Northwest High School, known locally as Northwest High, is a fully accredited public high school located in Wichita, Kansas, USA that serves over 1,500 students in grades 9-12.HistoryThe school opened in 1978. The first principal, John Gasper, was hired in the Spring of 1977 in order to oversee building construction, develop academic programs, hire staff, and make other preparations necessary to open the $10.4 million facility. In 2013, Gil Alvarez became principal after 2 years at Northeast Traditional Magnet.FacilityThe school building features a commons area, which includes a student activity center, a dining facility, a study area, and an informal social gathering place. The commons area can also be used as a 330-seat theater. Surrounding the central commons are administrative offices, instructional areas, student lockers, and food service. An 800-seat auditorium is also located adjacent to the commons. The physical education complex, located at the terminus of one of the wings (referred to as "halls,") consists of a large multipurpose gymnasium with bleacher seating for 2,900 and a six-lane swimming pool short-course competition swimming pool with retractable bleachers for 400 spectators.Northwest is receiving multiple updates per a 2008 bond issue, such as: new tennis courts (completed 2010), new astroturf football field (completed 2009), new bleachers, permanent concessions stands and locker rooms in the football stadium, new physical education classroom (previously wrestling room), new wrestling room and weights room (previously north 1/3 of gym), new gymnasium (south of current gym; on current baseball field), as well as a new business department and more classrooms.