Harry S Truman High School (Levittown, Pennsylvania)

Harry S Truman High School (often referred to as HST or simply Truman), formerly Woodrow Wilson High School, is a public high school located in Levittown, Pennsylvania. The school is a part of the Bristol Township School District in Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and is its only high school. It was named after US President Harry S Truman. The principal is Lyndell Davis.[1]

Harry S Truman High School
Address
3001 Green Lane

Levittown, PA
19057

United States
Coordinates40.135°N 74.861°W / 40.135; -74.861
Information
School typePublic
School districtBristol Township School District
SuperintendentMelanie Gehrens, Ed.D
CEEB code390435
PrincipalMr. Lyndell Davis
Vice PrincipalsAaron Quarterman, George Kramarenko, Christopher Schoettle, Joseph Crane
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,581 (as of 2017)
 • Grade 9491
 • Grade 10388
 • Grade 11345
 • Grade 12357
Hours in school day7
Color(s)Black and Gold
MascotTiger
Team nameHarry S Truman Tigers
Websitetruman.bristoltwpsd.org

Academics

AP level courses

Harry S Truman High School has historically offered the various Advanced Placement (AP) level classes, including U.S. History, U.S. Government and Politics, Chemistry, English Literature, Statistics, and Calculus AB (though BC has been offered to particularly advanced students). The school also offers Project Lead the Way courses that result as college credits. Those include Intro to Digital Electronics, Intro to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering & Civil & Architectural Engineering. HST won an AP Honor Roll award for their distinguished scholars for the years 2011-2012, besting other school districts in the area.

Language instruction

Truman offers five years of instruction in Italian and Spanish. It also has an extensive English as a Second Language (ESL) program and often hosts international students who are studying abroad in the United States.

NJROTC

Harry S Truman HS was a pilot school for the United States Navy's Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program. The Harry S Truman NJROTC unit was active from 1968 until 1996. It was the first JROTC unit to admit female cadets.

Activities

Debate

Truman has a nationally recognized speech and debate team. The team competes in the National Speech and Debate Association (Valley Forge district), the Philadelphia Catholic Forensic League, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Debate League, the Pennsylvania High School Speech League (district 12), and at numerous national and regional invitationals.

The program has qualified hundreds of students to National Speech and Debate Association, National Catholic Forensic League, and Pennsylvania High School Speech League championships. The program has produced local, state, and national invitational champions, in addition to earning many team sweepstakes awards during its more than 50-year history.

Drama

Known regionally and nationally, Truman's drama program was led by Louis Volpe for about 45 years until his retirement in June 2013. In October 2012, the Bristol Township School Board approved a resolution that would name Truman’s auditorium after Volpe. After the departure of Volpe, Tracey Gatte assumed the position of director after being assistant director for several years.

The program was honored for its excellence by being chosen to pioneer Les Misérables for high school use in 2001. It received that honor again twice, performing the pilot of the student editions of Rent and Spring Awakening. Other Truman productions have included Beauty and the Beast, Aida, Epic Proportions, Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, Equus, Found a Peanut, and Grease.

Author Michael Sokolove wrote the book Drama High, which focuses on the life of Lou Volpe and history of the Truman theater program. Drama High was adapted into the 2018 NBC series Rise.[2]

Sports

All Truman teams compete in the Suburban One League of Levittown, Pennsylvania.

Truman's basketball program have won Suburban I championships in 2001, 2004, and 2005. They have also reached the State Playoff Tournament for AAAA schools in 2005 and 2006. The team coach is Allan Flowerford. Tyrone Lewis graduated from Truman, where he was senior class president and record-setting basketball player.[3]

Field hockey

Truman's varsity field hockey team is coached by Kayla Kowalick; the junior varsity team is coached by Jess Shultz. The field hockey team has a growing program. Opponent teams include: Pennsbury, Neshaminy, Abington, and both Council Rock teams.

Football

Truman football teams are not especially triumphant over the past few decades, but they have hope. They have "strong" rivalries with Conwell-Egan, Pennsbury, and Bensalem. Their win–loss record was 2-10 in 2008 and showed improvement in 2009, 3-8, under old head football coach John M. Iannuccini. Coach Iannuccini resigned days before the first game of the 2010 season. Truman now has a new head coach - Jon Craig, and has had its best season in over 30 years in 2014. Coach Craig resigned after the 2016 season and the reins were handed over to the former Pennsbury Coach Michael Lapalambara. During the 2017 season, The Tigers had made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1993. For the 2019 season Truman has a new head coach, Ben Johnson.

Lacrosse

Truman's lacrosse team was founded during the 2000–01 academic year. It has both a varsity and junior varsity squad.

Bowling

Truman’s bowling team is the best team at the high school. The girls team won the SOL Title for the 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, and 2019-20 years and has been undefeated the last 3 years. They have also won the state championship in 2019. The boys team has won the SOL Title in 2019-20. This sport is coached by Jess Schultz (girls team) and Mike Hackbart (Boys team).

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Harry S. Truman High School". Truman.bristoltwpsd.org. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  2. "Show Based On Truman Drama Program Picked Up To Series By NBC". LevittownNow.com. 2017-05-05. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
  3. "Niagara's Lewis Can Revel in His Success". The New York Times. Associated Press. 11 March 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
  4. Sofield, Tom (29 April 2013). "Levittown native leaves TV news desk". levittownnow.com. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  5. Frazer, Bear (15 May 2011). "MMA Valedictorian". fightmagazine.com. Fight! Magazine. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  6. "What the hell happened to... Earl Williams?". CelticsLife.com. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
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