The Oldest High School in Arizona is Even Older than Our State

As states go, Arizona is one of the youngest. Officially becoming a state on Valentine's Day 1912, the Grand Canyon State feels like a teenager when compared to states east of the Mississippi. We were literally the last state in the continental United States to be admitted to the union at number 48.

Arizona History Predates Statehood

We know the history of Arizona goes back long before it became a state. In fact, as Wikipedia.org explains, "Phoenix was settled in 1867, and incorporated in 1881 as the City of Phoenix."

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As the kids begin to return to their classes, I wonder if students at this Phoenix high school would be interested to know they're attending the oldest school in the state.

The Oldest High School in Arizona

Ideas surrounding education have evolved many times over, even since I left high school. It's interesting to imagine the tales the walls of this old building could tell, standing over 100 years in our state.

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The oldest high school we have here in Arizona that's still functioning as a high school, is Phoenix Union High School. It's now been rebranded as Phoenix Union Bioscience High School, and its significance can be traced back to the state's educational history, finding its roots in the late 1800s.

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Establishing Phoenix Union High School

Founded in 1895, Phoenix Union High School was the first high school to be established in Arizona Territory. The school was first located on Center Street. Even the street name was slightly adjusted, and it's now called Central Avenue.

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The school was set up to provide education to students living in and around the Phoenix area, playing a critical role in shaping the overall academic landscape of Arizona.

Phoenix Union Bioscience High School // photo by Cygnusloop99 / CC BY-SA 3.0, (no changes made)

The school was transformed and expanded in the ensuing years. In the 1950s, the school was relocated to its current location on 7th Avenue in Phoenix. In 1989, the school was renamed Phoenix Union Bioscience High School, is part of Phoenix Union High School, and focuses on bioscience education and research.

Image of Phoenix Union Bioscience High School by Cygnusloop99 / CC BY-SA 3.0, (no changes made)

Check Out the Best-Selling Album From the Year You Graduated High School

Do you remember the top album from the year you graduated high school? Stacker analyzed Billboard data to determine just that, looking at the best-selling album from every year going all the way back to 1956. Sales data is included only from 1992 onward when Nielsen's SoundScan began gathering computerized figures.

Going in chronological order from 1956 to 2020, we present the best-selling album from the year you graduated high school.

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Using government and news reports, Stacker has traced the history of cafeteria meals from their inception to the present day, with data from news and government reports. Read on to see how various legal acts, food trends, and budget cuts have changed what kids are getting on their trays.