Past
Dixie
M. Hollins High School was named after the first Pinellas County superintendent
of schools. The school was opened in 1959 with its first graduating
class in 1960. Dixie began as the south county comprehensive
vocational high school with more than 30 vocational, technical and
business program offerings. Most of these programs have relocated
to one of the district's two technical education centers or have been
discontinued due to changing work force demands.
Today, there are six vocational technical programs and six business
education programs. Through the district improvement process
the school is attempting to become grounded once again in the tradition
of work force preparedness by applying for three academies: manufacturing,
graphic arts, and entertainment.
Dixie
Martin Hollins was born in Pattonville, Texas, in 1887. He arrived
in Clearwater with his wife, Allie, in 1908 with a teaching certificate
from Bowling Green Normal School in Kentucky. When Pinellas
County was created from West Hillsborough County in 1912, Hollins
became the first superintendent by Gov. Albert Gilchrist. Hollins
was 24 when he traveled to various schools over dirt roads in a horse
and a buggy. Dixie M. Hollins owned the St. Petersburg Printing
Company and the Pasadena Country Club. His family still owns
and operates one of the largest ranches in the state in Citrus County.
He donated the land for both Maderia Beach elementary and middle School.
To this day his estate provides contributions to Dixie's music program.
He also sponsored the first two athletic banquets for the school.
Dixie
Martin Hollins died on Oct. 6, 1962 at the age of 75. The school
closed for half a day so as many students and staff as possible could
attend his funeral service. Dixie M. Hollins has been directed by
nine principals since
its inception.
Present
Presently,
Dixie has completed an extensive school-wide renovation. Some
of the original buildings have been replaced while others were renovated.
Computers, network and satellite/cable in the classroom system was
purchased during this process. An upgraded air-conditioning
system, a new science building, a new media center, a new cafeteria
and new administrative/guidance offices were also added. A total
of $22-million was spent upgrading and remodeling the school.
The school is now one of the two most modern sites in the district.
The school also has full Internet capabilities and teacher presentation
office within each classroom.
Dixie
M. Hollins High School presents a unique situation in terms of its
community composition. Within walking distance of the school
is found a diverse combination of pastoral settings complete with
horses and livestock, open air markets, and two of the busiest commercial
districts in Pinellas County.
The
greatest part of the enrollment (84%) would be considered suburban
because the housing districts do not border a direct downtown area.
However, Kenneth City, Pinellas Park, and Seminole are part of the
Tampa Bay megalopolis; having access to larger cities such as St.
Petersburg, Clearwater, and Tampa.
Population
During
1960 to 1981, the largest number of student enrollment was 3,089.
With the addition of Pinellas Park High School in the mid-70s and
the opening of Osceola High School in September 1981, Dixie Hollins'
enrollment stabilized around 2,100 to 2,300 students during the 1980s.
Dixie Hollins' student population in the '90s has continued to decline
averaging in the 1,700's. This is due to the emergence of magnet
programs in high schools within the area. Dixie Hollins continues
to be a traditional high school, serving the needs of all its students.
Awards
Dixie
M. Hollins have provided many awards and championships through its
athletic teams, band, ROTC, choral, drama, vocational, business and
other departments.
Honors
and Awards:
Drama department selected for 2002 American High School Theatre
Festival, which takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland, in conjunction
with what is said to be the world's largest and most prestigious
arts festival, the Fringe Festival.
2001
U.S. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
Robotics Engineering Competition, Team Deep Thunder, 15 out of
343 teams in the national competition; 2001 "Cable in the
Classroom" mini-grant
National
Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, two state winners
State
of Florida Five Star Schools designation for outstanding community-involvement
programs
Earned
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools continued "all
clear" level of accreditation
2000
State Athletic Competition, Team Deep Thunder, 29th out 268 teams
in the national competition
1999 Support Employee of the Year semifinalist (Top 20)
1999
Economic Expo, first place, teacher-sponsored student projects
demonstration and displays
Appointments
to military academies
JROTC
(Army) program, state honors
Machine shop student's project, state winner
Programs
Exceptional
Education Programs:
Varying Exceptionalities (VE)
Trainable Mentally Handicapped (TMH)
speech/language
SCANS learning lab; school-based mental health.
College
preparatory, including Advanced Placement (AP) courses
Dual
enrollment (St. Petersburg College) incorporating College Reach-Out
Program (CROP)
Graphic
Arts Academy, a four-year course of study leading to college,
postsecondary education or a career in printing, commercial arts
or other related graphic arts fields
Freshman
Experience, a new ninth-grade transition class to orient students
to the school's procedures and traditions and to develop critical
thinking skills for students' success in high school
JROTC
(Army)
USA
TODAY Reading Project, a program that integrates newspaper articles
into classroom lessons by using CRISS (Creating Independence through
Student-Owned Strategies) to prepare students to take the FCAT
Vocational
programs and Gold Seal Endorsements (commercial art, commercial
foods, printing, general machinery, cosmetology)
U.S.
FIRST Robotics Engineering Competition
Student
government
17
different clubs; choir, band; drama
Completed
$23-million renovation and retrofit project; school wide local
area network; state-of-the-art Media Center; TV production studio;
closed-circuit television system; partnerships with Raytheon of
St. Petersburg, Jabil Circuit, Pinellas Park Middle School, Ruth
Eckerd Hall, Museum of Fine Arts
Breakfast
program
Sports
Baseball, varsity (boys); basketball, varsity/junior varsity; cheerleading,
varsity/junior varsity; cross country, varsity/junior varsity; flag
football, varsity/junior varsity (girls); football, varsity/junior
varsity; golf, varsity; soccer, varsity; soccer varsity/junior varsity
(girls); softball, varsity (girls); spring football, varsity/junior
varsity; swimming, varsity; swimming, varsity/junior varsity (girls);
tennis, varsity; track, varsity/junior varsity; volleyball, varsity/junior
varsity (girls); wrestling, varsity/junior varsity
Sports
Awards:
2000-2001
baseball district runner-up
2000-2001
track district runner-up
1997-98
wrestling
5A-10
district champions
1996-97
district baseball and wrestling champions
1996-97
football district playoff
1996-97
boys tract5A-10 district champions
1995-96
football, 5A-10 state runner-up, 1994-95 football, 5A-8 sub-region
champions
1994-95
wrestling, 5A-6 district champions
Staff
Forty-two percent of Dixie's staff has a master's degree or above
with 97% receiving positive evaluations for last school year. There
are numbers of seasoned teachers combined with a mixture of first-,
second- and third-year teachers to give the school a good blend of
both enthusiasm and experience.