Wylie High School (Abilene, Texas)

Wylie High School is a public high school located in the far southern portion of Abilene, Texas, United States and classified as a 4A school by the UIL. It is a part of the Wylie Independent School District located in northeastern Taylor County. In 2008, Wylie High School was named a National Blue Ribbon School. In 2015, the school was rated "Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agency.In order to avoid confusion with the Wylie High School in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex suburb of Wylie, the school is commonly referred to as Abilene Wylie.HistoryThe history of Wylie ISD dates back to the early 20th century. While records show that a Wylie school district was designated as early as 1888, it wasn't until 1902 that a school was organized. Mary V. Wiley, widow of pioneer J.J. Wylie, donated two acres of land for the construction of a new school. Three prominent citizens each contributed $120 for the purchase of materials and residents pooled their talents to erect a twenty-by-thirty foot building for use as both a school and a church.In its first year (1902), the campus was a private school with an enrollment of 13 students. The school, then called District No. 11, became a public school in 1903. A post office opened in the community a year later under the name Sambo. The school's name was changed from District No. 11 to Sambo School. Due to an increasing student population, a new school was built in 1915 on land donated by Mrs. Wylie. She requested that the school's name be changed to Wylie in honor of her late husband, which was done. A series of bond elections were held during the 1920s. The first, in 1924, funded the construction of a new brick school that opened in 1925. The second bond election was held in 1927 that approved the construction of two additional classrooms and a dining room for the home economics department.