Hastings Senior High School is one of the oldest operating public high schools in the state of Minnesota. Hastings Senior High School is located in Hastings, Minnesota and is part of Independent School District 200. A brand new multimillion-dollar school was established in 2001, upon which a new vision took place for the education of Hastings' students. The construction of the new school was centered on a bridge connecting the athletic portion of the school to the academic. Not only does this bridge show the important connection between academics and athletics at Hastings, it also holds a metaphorical meaning according to the school's website: "Hastings High School is a student-centered environment, a bridge connecting students to other students, and students to teachers, staff and administrators". Hastings High School has a strong connection to the community and reflects its unique heritage and tradition of progress" Hastings High school is known for its strong music program, a freshmen orientation program titled "Link Crew", athletics, National Honor Society, and service to the community in which it is established. Hastings High School is also known for their national placing show choir, Riverside Company. Hastings also has an incredible special education program in the school and works with students of all abilities. The school's philosophy is revolved around a liberal arts education where students must take core classes to fulfill graduation requirements including English, social studies, mathematics, sciences, languages, and the arts, but students can also choose from a variety of business, physical education, horticulture, family studies, and industrial technology classes. Hastings enrolls about 1,800 students grades 9-12 and has a graduation rate of 97 percent. Hastings Senior High School is 354,000 square feet and is positioned on 100+ acres in the bluffs near the Mississippi River. Hastings Senior High School (MN) is home to the oldest, active alumni association in the country, hosting its 131st annual meeting in 2014.
Art Courses Available
Hastings High School offers many options for classes to take in the arts, whether it's in the performing arts or fine arts. The courses available range from drawing and painting, to band and orchestra, as well as vocal art (choir), and also speech and theater arts. The art teachers of Hastings High School are the advisers of the school's "Art Club", and they do different activities and projects that coincide with each season and different holidays and meet up about once or twice a month. The arts in this school are very celebrated throughout the school with an active and lively choir/band/orchestra wing, and also art is displayed throughout the school with projects continuously hanging up on the walls, as well as having large and intricate student-made murals and mosaics on the walls. Hastings also has an award winning show choir that has gone to nationals numerous times throughout the years with the help of Lin Warren. Hastings is also home to the Hastings Raiders Marching Band. The band has competed in summer parades and fall field shows all throughout Minnesota, into Wisconsin, the Dakotas, and have even traveled as far as Colorado and Massachusetts. They have also won awards at the Youth in Music Minnesota state finals.
Communities Served By Hastings Public Schools (ISD 200)
CITIES: Hastings (pop. 22,424) City of Hampton (pop. 689) Miesville (pop. 125) New Trier (pop. 112) City of Vermillion (pop. 419) TOWNSHIPS: Denmark (pop. 1,348) Douglas (pop. 760) Hampton Township (pop. 968) Marshan (pop. 1,263) Nininger (pop. 865) Ravenna (2,336) Vermillion Township (pop. 1,243)
Athletics
^^ = Indicates the Mississippi Valley State Champions. ^ = Pre-Minnesota State High School League.
Notable Alumni
- Ben Utecht - Former NFL Tight End & Singer
- Craig Kilborn - Original host of The Daily Show, a former anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter, and former host on CBS' The Late Late Show
- Derek Stepan - Professional Ice Hockey for the New York Rangers