Originally built in 1886 in the town of Broad Ripple, the school started with seven students. The campus was destroyed by fire near the start of the 20th century but was rebuilt. In 1923, the school joined the Indianapolis Public Schools when the town of Broad Ripple was annexed into Indianapolis. Through the 1930s and 1940s, the school continued to grow. In 1961, the school became a haven for high school education in Indianapolis. Once a predominantly white, middle class school, and the last high school in the Indianapolis Public Schools to integrate, Broad Ripple gradually integrated in the 1950s and the first class to graduate African Americans was 1953. In 1976, the Center for Performing & Visual Arts was created within the school. Two years later, the Center for Humanities became the second magnet program offered at Broad Ripple High School. The Center for Performing & Visual Arts and Center for Humanities at Broad Ripple High School offer students the opportunity for specialized study in the areas of arts and humanities. Both magnet programs provide college preparatory and individualized instruction designed to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to compete and succeed as productive citizens.
Today
Additions, renovations, and annexations took place in 1896, 1913, 1935, 1939, 1949, 1960, 1970, 1988, 1991, and 2003. Enrollment reached its peak at 2,500 in 1995 after the closure of Washington and Howe high schools in Indianapolis. The campus consisted of four buildings attached to each other. The official mascot of the school is the rocket; the school colors are orange and black. The school was accredited by the North Central Association. Along with the Marching Rockets, Broad Ripple High School also had an extensive dance department where students learned both the fundamentals and extreme forms of dance. Another longstanding department involved in Broad Ripples Center for Performing Arts was the theatre department. With their past performances of Othello, Chicago, and the like, the Gene Poston Auditorium and the Studio 55 blackbox theatre was home to hundreds of curious, dedicated, theatre students. The theatre department offered a well-rounded theatrical education, ranging from acting, directing, stage design and technology, and theatre history. Broad Ripple High School's longest standing tradition, Ripples Acts, stemmed from the theatre department.
Demographics
The demographic breakdown of the 538 students enrolled in 2013-2013 was:
Male - 35.5%
Female - 64.5%
Native American/Alaskan - 0.2%
Asian/Pacific islanders - 0.6%
Black - 66.9%
Hispanic - 14.1%
White - 13.6%
Multiracial - 4.6%
83.1% of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.
