School History

By Autumn Echols (c/o '23)

The physical building of Tioga High School has undergone many changes since the school’s first school year in 1915, most of which are a credit to the commitment of the Ward 10 community. The original school building, completed in the fall of 1915, cost the school district approximately $20,000. This money came from a bond, passed in 1914, in which the people of Ward 10 voted to help pay for the new construction. 

This original building lasted until 1931 when it was replaced by what the Alexandria Town Talk called in 1931 as “one of the most modern and up-to-date buildings to be found in Rapides Parish.” The new building contained two stories of classrooms, an auditorium, gymnasium, and an adjacent domestic sciences building. Once again, a bond was passed by the people of Ward 10 to help pay for the new $50,000 building. This paid immediate dividends for the community as the THS principal at the time, R.H. Mount, reported a 20% increase in enrollment within the first month of the new building opening. 

Current Tioga High School counselor, Mrs. Mary Williams, nee Hyde, is a 1968 graduate of Tioga. She was one of the last graduates from the previous school building. The old building stood where Tioga Junior High stands today. Mrs. Williams remembers the building as having a big front porch and yard where everyone would visit outside before the bell rang to begin the school day.

“The school had a good atmosphere,” said Mrs. Williams. “There was a lot of school spirit.” She recalls a lot of kindness amongst the students to one another and loyalty to the school. 

The old school building had columns in the front of a faded red brick and concrete exterior. Today, the columns that are outside the front entrance of the current school building act as a memorial to the previous school building. 

In the late 1960s, Ward 10 was the fastest growing ward in Rapides Parish. School enrollment over the previous 10 years had risen by 5%. The construction of the brand new Pineville Expressway, which began in Tioga in 1967, only increased the belief that the community could quickly become a booming suburb. The Rapides Parish School Board predicted that Tioga High School could have as many as 1,500 students enrolled by the end of the 1970s. This, combined with a lack of community space in Ward 10, led community leaders to propose a new bond tax for $1,350,000, which passed in 1967. This bond led to a new state of the art school building which was completed in time for the 1969-1970 school year. 

The school building has undergone major renovations along the way. In 1974-1975, a second floor with classrooms around the boys’ gyms was added. In 1983, renovations were done to the football stadium including new bleachers, a field house, and new bathrooms. 1992 saw the largest addition to the school since its founding with the addition of a new auditorium, library, and more classrooms. In 2007-2008, new bathrooms were added, tile floor replaced carpet, a courtyard was added, a new intercom system and internet upgrades were made. The most recent renovation has been the addition of the Multi-Purpose facility in 2017, again paid for by a bond voted on by the Ward 10 community.

Since the first day of school at Tioga High School on September 13, 1915, the school has continued to grow and adapt to the needs of the students, and also to those of the Ward 10 community. For over 100 years, bonds and taxes, voted on by the people of Ward 10, have been the driving force behind the renovations and improvements to the school. As all Tioga community schools continue to prepare students for the future, one thing appears certain: the people of Ward 10 will continue to support Tioga High School.

By John Scott Porter (c/o '24)

One thing that the Tioga community is known for is love and support for its school system and for the students and staff that fill the halls. That love and support has given Tioga High School the opportunity for progression and growth, not only in the academic world but in the structural part of the school. 

Looking back at old photos and yearbooks, one can see such a positive change in the atmosphere and look of the school. The “old building”  gave the community a guideline to start and meet the needs of the community in its time. As the community progressed and grew, so did THS. Past administrations made many improvements and decisions over the years. They introduced new halls, new lockers, and even new colors. The biggest improvement made over the years has been the Tioga Indoor Multipurpose Facility, called around campus the “Multipurpose Room”. 

In 2013 a bond was passed by the Ward 10 community to help create a Multipurpose Room on Tioga’s campus with the capability of hosting community events while also adding educational and athletic space to Tioga High School’s campus. The bond was completed in 2017, with the breaking of ground for construction of the Multipurpose Room beginning in the spring of 2016.

In November 2016, the $3.3 million facility officially opened to the community of Tioga. This building included a new place for Home Economics classes to have state of the art kitchen equipment and plenty of room for other activities. It also provided a larger space for new classrooms and offices for our JROTC to train and learn. It gave a practice place and locker area for the Apache Belles and Cheerleaders to practice and hold equipment. 

A major part of the multipurpose building includes the area of half a football field covered in turf. This part of the building provides many uses for the students and community. For example, our Tioga clubs utilize the building for events such as club meetings, Christmas festivals, Agriculture Day, club day, and scheduling fair. The space also gives an opportunity for the athletics of the school to continue practice on rainy days. Overall the building gives the school more opportunity for a modernized facility to progress for the future of the student.