Charles A. Sprague High School, known as Sprague High School (SHS), is a high school in the Sunnyslope neighborhood of Salem, Oregon, United States. The school is named after Charles A. Sprague, who served as Oregon's governor from 1939 to 1943.
Academics In the 2017–18 school year, 87.9% of Sprague's seniors received a high school diploma, compared to a statewide rate of 77%. Of 365 students, 321 graduated and 30 dropped out.
In the 2017–18 school year, Sprague's test scores were significantly higher than the state averages. In English, Sprague had 84% of students meeting state standards compared to the 70% state average, 46% in math compared to 33% statewide, and 81% in science compared to the 54% state average.
The racial makeup of Sprague currently consists of 74% white, 11% Hispanic, 15% other.
Music activities
Grammy Signature School recognition Sprague has been recognized as a Grammy Signature School in many years. This program is designed to honor exceptional public high school music programs across the country. 2009: GRAMMY Signature Schools 2008: GRAMMY Signature Schools 2000: National GRAMMY Signature School 1999: GRAMMY Signature Schools Gold
Orchestra Since the orchestral program was created in 1986, Sprague's Camerata Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra have won a combined 25 Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) State Championships, and the program flourished under the direction of Steve A. Nelson. In addition, Sprague is the only high school in Oregon to have won state championships in all four OSAA music categories (String Orchestra, Full Orchestra, Choir, and Band) in a single year (1998). Beginning in 1989, and every fourth year until 2005 (1993, 1997, 2001, 2005), Sprague's Orchestra Program has traveled to Austria, where the Camerata has been named the "Top High School String Orchestra in the World" on multiple occasions after winning the Vienna Youth and Music Festival in 1993, 1997, and 2005. The orchestras are currently directed by Lisa Rael.
State Championships: Full Orchestra: 1988, 1996–99, 2001–03, 2006, 2011 String Orchestra: 1990, 1993, 1995–2000, 2002, 2004–06, 2009–11
Choir Choir director Russ Christensen was named the Oregon Music Educator of the year for 2007. The choir placed or tied for first in OSAA state choir championships in 1998, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2017. The choir is now directed by Dr. Robert David Brown.
Concert Band Sprague band has participated in many Heritage Festivals in Anaheim and San Francisco, California over the years. Below is list of the accomplishments by participation year: Year Event Band Ranking 2008 Heritage Festivals, Anaheim Wind Ensemble Gold 1st 2008 Heritage Festivals, Anaheim Wind Symphony Silver 2001 Heritage Festivals, Anaheim Wind Ensemble Gold 1st 2001 Heritage Festivals, Anaheim Symphonic Band Silver 1st 2001 Heritage Festivals, San Francisco Jazz Band I Gold 1st 2000 Heritage Festivals, San Francisco Jazz Band Gold 1st 2000 Heritage Festivals, San Francisco Jazz Band Gold 2nd 2000 Heritage Festivals, San Francisco Wind Ensemble Gold 1st 2000 Heritage Festivals, San Francisco Concert Band Gold 1st
Marching band The first two months of each school year is marching band season. To start the season off, two weeks in August are spent on marching band camp. Members of Sprague Band assemble with the Color Guard practice drills, straighten lines and create a show for competition with other high school marching bands within Oregon, Washington, California, and Idaho. Most are members of the Northwest Association of Performing Artists.
Year Event Class rank Class captions Event rank Event captions 2018 U of O Festival of Bands 3rd in AA - 10th - 2013 Pride of the Northwest 1st in A High General EffectHigh VisualHigh Auxiliary 1st High MusicHigh VisualHigh Auxiliary 2013 McKenzie Classic 2nd in A High General Effect 8th - 2013 Southridge Spectacle of Sound 2nd in A - 12th - 2012 U of O Festival of Bands 3rd in A High Music 10th - 2012 Century Showcase 1st in A High General EffectHigh MusicHigh VisualHigh Auxiliary 10th - 2011 U of O Festival of Bands 3rd in A - 13th - 2011 Century Showcase 2nd in A - 5th - 2010 U of O Festival of Bands (Championships) 7th in A - - - 2010 Pride of the Northwest 2nd in A High MusicHigh Auxiliary 7th - 2010 Pacific Coast Invitational 1st in A High MusicHigh Auxiliary 5th - 2009 OSU Marching Band Competition (Championships) 1st in ANote: West Salem 1st in AASouth Salem 1st in AAASouthridge 1st in Open High MusicHigh Auxiliary 9th - 2009 Pride of the Northwest 1st in A High General EffectHigh MusicHigh VisualHigh Auxiliary 2nd High Auxiliary 2008 U of O Festival of Bands (Championships) 2nd in A 2008 OSU Marching Band Competition 1st in A High General Effect 2008 McKenzie Classic 2nd in A High Music 2007 OSU Marching Band Competition (Championships) 2nd in AA High General Effect 2007 Puget Sound Festival of Bands 1st in AA High General EffectHigh MusicHigh VisualHigh PercussionHigh Auxiliary 4th 2007 Sunset Classic 2nd in AA High MusicHigh Auxiliary 3rd High Music 2006 Pride of the Northwest 2nd in AA High Music 2005 U of O Festival of Bands 7th 2005 Sunset Classic 1st in AA High General EffectHigh MusicHigh VisualHigh Auxiliary 3rd High Music 2004 U of O Festival of Bands (Championships) 1st in A 2004 Sunset Classic 1st in A High General EffectHigh MusicHigh Auxiliary
Athletics Sprague now competes in the 6A Central Valley Conference, re-established in 2022. The other teams in the conference are also from Salem and Keizer: McNary, North Salem, South Salem, West Salem.
During the 2004-2005 school year, Sprague won both the football and baseball state championships, marking the first time since 1998 that a major Oregon high school was a state champion in two of the "Big 3" (football, basketball, and baseball) in the same year. Between 2006 and 2009, the boys' tennis team won the team state championship and had a player in the singles final in three out of four years (2006, 2007, 2009).
The school has 7 state and 6 national titles, along with numerous individual player titles. The team swept the state championship in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. They have been in the top 2 high school racquetball teams for over a decade.
State championships Football: 2004 Boys' tennis: 1977, 1993, 1997, 2006, 2007, 2009 Baseball: 1995, 2005 Softball: 2003 Racquetball: 1998, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 (club sport) National champions Racquetball: 1998, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2020 (club sport) State championship appearances Boys Cross Country: 1972, 1980, 1984, 1989–91, 1999-2000, 2004, 2022 Girls Cross Country: 1978–81, 1986–87, 1989, 1992, 1996–97, 2007, 2015–17 Volleyball: 2018 Girls Basketball: 1989 Boys Basketball: 1989, 1996–97 Boys Swimming: 1974–78, 1986, 1990–95, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2011, 2015, 2017–18 Girls Swimming: 1976–78, 1985, 1990–97, 1999-2000, 2002–15, 2017–18 Wrestling: 1979-82, 1984–85, 1988, 1991–18 Baseball: 1995, 2005 Boys Golf: 1976, 1979–80, 1992–93, 1999–2003, 2007–08, 2011–12 Girls Golf: 2000–01, 2007, 2012–14, 2018 Softball: 1989, 1992, 1994, 2003, 2005 Boys Tennis: 1974–79, 1982–83, 1985, 1988–18 Girls Tennis: 1977, 1980–85, 1988, 1990–92, 1994, 1996–98, 2004–14, 2018 Boys Track and Field: 1974–76, 1978–82, 1984–85, 1989–94, 1997, 2000–12, 2014–17 Girls Track and Field: 1975–77, 1979–83, 1986, 1988–89, 1992, 1995–98, 2001–04, 2007, 2010–14, 2017
Notable alumni Bill Swancutt, NFL football player Joey Wong, baseball player
References