Decorah High School
Coordinates: 43°18′22″N 91°47′06″W / 43.306°N 91.785°W
Decorah High School is located in Decorah, Iowa. The school colors are red and royal blue, and the mascot is the Vikings. The current principal is Kim Sheppard and the current Athletic Director is Adam Riley.
Athletics
Decorah is a founding member of the Northeast Iowa Conference, which was formed in 1920. According to an online database compiled by the Des Moines Register, Decorah has won 46 state championships, which is believed to be sixth most statewide, most among schools classified as 3A or smaller, and more than twice the number of any other conference school.
Decorah has won the Northeast Iowa Conference All-Sports Championship ten times since its creation in the 1976-77 school year.
Decorah has won the Northeast Iowa Conference Sportsmanship Award three of the four years it has been awarded. The award is based on ratings of players, coaches and fans reported to the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union by contest officials.
Decorah baseball coach Dennis Olejniczak has the second most wins of any high school baseball coach in the United States.[1]
Decorah's boys cross county team has won 15 state championships and 18 conference championships.
Decorah's boys golf team has won two state titles, one in 1968, and one in 2012.
Awards
Decorah High School was awarded a National Blue Ribbon School in 2011.[2]
Decorah has been awarded the Bank Iowa Challenge Cup for the 2007-08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012-13 school years.[3]
Bond issue
The voting population of Decorah approved, in 2010, a referendum on a roughly $20 million bonding bill to pay for a renovation of Decorah High School. It was approved with a 69% public "yes" vote. Changes will include a new gymnasium, completed in the spring of 2012, and a complete renovation of the entire building, including updating and replacing the heating, cooling, electrical and communication systems, repairing the roof, creating a "safe room" for security and safety during severe weather, and restructuring the cafeteria and gym areas.[4][5]
Notable alumni
- Brett Van Sloten, former Iowa Hawkeyes football player and current NFL free agent.[6][7]
- Josey Jewell, current Iowa Hawkeyes football player.[8]
- Georgann Johnson, actress.