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Garinger High School
Address
1100 Eastway Dr Charlotte, North Carolina United States
Information
Type	Public
Motto	Where the world meets for class everyday
Established	1909
Closed	2009
Principal	Kelly Gwaltney
Staff	107 teachers
Number of students	1,875 (2015-16)[1]
Color(s)	Blue and gray
Mascot	Wildcat
Newspaper	The Rambler
Yearbook	Snips and Cuts
Website	schools.cms.k12.nc.us/garingerHS

Garinger High School (simply, Garinger or The G) is a high school located in the Eastway area of Charlotte, North Carolina.

History

Garinger was in essence the relocation of Central High School, Charlotte's first high school, making it one of the oldest remaining schools in Charlotte. That school was founded in 1909 as Charlotte High School and renamed Central High in 1923, after moving to a new campus on Elizabeth Avenue and Kings Drive outside downtown Charlotte.

In 1959, Central High moved to its current facility on Eastway Drive and was renamed after Dr. Elmer H. Garinger, a former superintendent of the Charlotte City Schools. Central Piedmont Community College now stands where Central High once stood; one of CPCC's main buildings is known as the Central High building (and was formerly called the Garinger building).

In early 2006 the school found itself threatened with closure by the State of North Carolina, but has received backing from the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

Garinger's feeder schools are Briarwood Elementary, Devonshire Elementary, Hickory Grove Elementary, Merry Oaks Elementary, Shamrock Gardens Elementary, Windsor Park Elementary, and Winterfield Elementary.^[2] The corresponding middle schools are Cochrane Middle School, and some students from Eastway Middle School and Northridge Middle School.^[3]

Historical landmark

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historical Landmarks Commission is considering placing Garinger High School on their study list. If placed on the study list a motion would go before the city council who would vote on the issue.^[4]

New Schools On Campus

In the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year two schools were inaugurated to the CMS system, on the Garinger Campus; New Technology High School @ Garinger and International Studies @ Garinger. But these 2 schools wouldn't be alone because a year later in the beginning of the 07-08 year 3 more schools were added; School of Math and Science @ Garinger, School of Leadership and Public Services @ Garinger, and School of Business and Finance @ Garinger.

• School of Math and Science- green and blue, The Navigators, Principal- Mike Jones


• New Technology High School- black and gray, The Chargers, Principal- Barry Blair


• International Studies- purple and red, The Dragons, Principal- Kondra Rattley


• School of Leadership and Public Service- red and black, Wolves, Principal- Natasha Thompson


• School of Business and Finance- yellow and black, Jaguar, Principal- Carol Rodd

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools announced that the 5 small school at Garinger High School will become a one big school again with the name of "Garinger High School" for the 2011-2012 school year.

Campus

Garinger is located in East Charlotte at 1100 Eastway Drive. The campus can also be accessed from Shamrock Drive, East Sugar Creek Road, or for sporting events Meadow Lane.

Garinger's campus is designed by AG Odell, Jr., and Associates, who also designed several other famous buildings in Charlotte. The campus covers roughly 63 acres (250,000 m²) and consists of several detached buildings, many of which have interior courtyards. Near the center of campus sits a unique round building with a conical roof, which served as the original library. It has since been converted into classroom space and much of the interior integrity has been lost. A new two-story library was added in the 1970s. ^[1]

The campus was considered state-of-the-art when it first opened, winning many architectural awards for its unique modern buildings. Garinger was even featured in a 1962 edition of National Geographic as Charlotte-Mecklenburg's showplace high school. ^[2]

Traditions

Garinger has many long standing traditions, many of which were carried over from Central High. The teams are known as the "Wildcats," and the school colors are blue and white; high school teams under that nickname and colors have played since 1909 at Charlotte High/Central High.

Fight song

Garinger's fight song is based on The Washington and Lee Swing

Willow tree

The official symbol of Garinger High School is the weeping willow tree. The school's annual literary magazine is called Under the Willow Tree

Band

Garinger has a highly successful and very proud band program. The Garinger band often wins statewide competitions. Known as "The Premiere Band with Signature Sound," the "Marching Wildcats" in the year of 2009-2010 have won first place in every competition that they have attended in their division. The high step marching band have also won first place runnerup in the whole state of North Carolina at the state competition.

Sports

Garinger's mascot is a wildcat, and the school colors are royal blue and gray. These traditions harken back to the Charlotte High School days. The School competes in the Southwestern 4a conference as part of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA)

While competitive and occasionally successful in basketball and golf, the Wildcats have struggled greatly in other sports, most notably football (discussed below). Garinger often sells out its intimate 600-capacity gym for basketball games against West Charlotte and Independence.

One of Garinger's historic forms, Charlotte (later Central) High School, was a football powerhouse and used American Legion Memorial Stadium as its home field in its latter days.

Garinger's current stadium is Phil Hughston Memorial Stadium, named for a player who died from injuries sustained in a 1971 football game.

Honors

• 
  State Championships (2001):
  
  
  
  • 
    Baseball (1932*, 1965)
  
  
  • 
    Men's basketball (1931*, 1932*, 1933*, 1934*, 1989)
  
  
  • 
    Football (1916*, 1917*, 1923*, 1929*, 1930*, 1932*, 1936*, 1937*, 1943*, 1959)
  
  
  • 
    Men's tennis (1927*, 1928*, 1940*, 1941*)^[5]
    
  
  
  
  

(*) As Charlotte or Central.

Football losing streak

From 2001-2007 Garinger was stricken by North Carolina's longest active losing streak and 2nd longest all-time streak. In September 2007 the streak reached a staggering 51 games before news broke of violations by North Mecklenburg, Providence and Vance High Schools. Garinger was retroactively awarded wins against North Meck and Vance ending the streak. The streak was also reduced to 49 games as a result of having played Vance in August. In July 2008, due to further evidence in a cheating scandal that swept Charlotte football, Garinger's final record for 2007 was declared to be 4-7, the school's best record in well over two decades. [3]

The all-time record is 59 losses in a row by the now defunct Gumberry High (consolidated into Northampton County High School - West). On October 6, 2008, while celebrating the school's 100th anniversary and homecoming, Garinger had their first honorable win against West Mecklenburg High School, beating them 32-12. They went on to end the season with a couple more wins and even making it to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 2008 playoffs. Garinger lost in the first round but did make history by making it back to the playoffs in 18 years.

Notable alumni

• 
  John Belk: Business man, benefactor, and former Charlotte mayor (Central High)


• 
  Jim Beatty: First man to break the four-minute mile on an indoor track, politician, ABC Sports commentator (Central High)


• 
  Charles Kuralt: Award-winning American journalist, and CBS News Sunday Morning anchor (Central High)


• 
  Dwight Clark: Super Bowl winning American football player^[6]
  


• 
  Sunshine Anderson: R&B artist and songwriter


• 
  Grady Little: Major League Baseball manager


• 
  Sarah Parker: (1960) Chief Justice, NC Supreme Court


• 
  Troy Pelshak: NFL defensive end, on Super Bowl XXXIV Rams


• 
  Robert Reid-Pharr: Critical essayist and Distinguished Professor of English at the CUNY Graduate Center

See also

• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

References

Notes

• 
  ^ Garinger High School at Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission


• 
  ^ About Garinger at Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools website

External links

• 
  Garinger from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools


• 
  Garinger - Central High School Alumni Association website

Coordinates: 35°14′29″N 80°46′58″W / 35.241431°N 80.782793°W / 35.241431; -80.782793