Decatur High School (Federal Way, Washington)
Decatur High School is an American secondary school teaching grades nine through twelve. A part of the Federal Way Public Schools, it was founded in 1971 in Federal Way, Washington.The graduating classes of 1973-1976 were schooled in the Illahee Middle School building. The school was built in 1976, renovated in 1987, then again remodeled in 2002.
| Decatur High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
2800 SW 320th St , Washington 98023 United States | |
| Coordinates | 47°19′02″N 122°22′04″W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Established | 1971 |
| School district | Federal Way Public Schools |
| NCES School ID | 530282000434 |
| Principal | Jamie Tough |
| Teaching staff | 66.83 (FTE) |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,373 (2019-20) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 20.54 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Navy Blue, Gold, Orange |
| Mascot | Golden Gator |
| Website | fwps |
Although sometimes assumed to have been named after Commodore Stephen Decatur, a War of 1812 and the First Barbary War and the Second Barbary War naval hero, the school is in fact named after the USS Decatur, a ship named for Stephen Decatur that assisted settlers during the 1856 Battle of Seattle.
Decatur was originally built as an "open concept" high school, where students were encouraged to study at their own pace in an open environment. Within the framework of this concept, there were few permanent walls built in the school's original structure. However, this experimental approach was scrapped after the 1976-77 school year when it was discovered that not all high school students were self-motivated enough to meet the district's education standards.