Ranchview High School


Ranchview High School is a public high school located in Irving, Texas,. The school opened in 2002 as part of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, and remains the newest high school in the district. Ranchview serves students in Irving, Coppell, and Farmers Branch. Prior to Ranchview's opening, all students living west of Interstate 35E attended R.L. Turner High School.
In 2017, the school was rated "Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agency, with a 4-Star Distinction for Academic Achievements in ELA/Reading, Mathematics, Science, and Post-Secondary Readiness.

Overview

Ranchview High School is a part of CFBISD, although it is located in Valley Ranch within the city limits of Irving. The campus has a site located between Valley Ranch Parkway South, Valley Ranch Parkway East and Ranchview Drive. Ranchview started with 8th and 9th grades only when it opened in 2002. High schools in CFB-ISD do not traditionally include 8th grade, so the following year the 8th grade class became the freshman class, and 8th grade classes were moved back to Barbara Bush Middle School. The school continued its second year with 9th and 10th grades, and added a grade each year thereafter until reaching full high school status in the 2005-2006 school year. To meet the needs of a growing student population, a new classroom wing was opened in early 2016, along with a band hall, auditorium, and an expanded fine arts wing.
Ranchview has an average class size of 22 students, and an approximate student-to-staff ratio of 10-to-1. Students at RHS are encouraged to become involved in extracurricular clubs and activities and join arts groups and athletic teams.
The level of instructional challenge is seen in the array of Pre-Diploma, IB, and AP courses offered at Ranchview. These include Physics, Biology, Visual Art, Statistics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Calculus, History of the Americas, English, French, Spanish, and the unique IB Theory of Knowledge course. Additionally, partnerships with Northlake and Brookhaven Colleges, Texas Tech University, and The University of Texas allow students to earn college credits while still enrolled in high school. In addition to this tuition savings, the third graduating class of 150 students received over $1.2 million in scholarships.
In the performing arts, students produce numerous concerts, plays, dance recitals, and art exhibitions each year. Each of the performing groups includes members who are also active in highly competitive city and regional level choirs, bands, dance and theater troupes, and orchestras. The school is also home to various athletic teams.

Accreditation

Ranchview High School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Accreditation was extended through 2012 as a result of the school administration's self study and a site visit conducted in the second semester of 2006-2007. The peer review team recognized school as exemplary in quality assurance and dedication to continuous improvement. Additionally, the peer review team determined that RHS met every standard for accreditation at the highest level.
Ranchview is the only high school in Carrollton-Farmers Branch to be authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer the IB Diploma Programme.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme '
RHS IB Courses'
RHS currently offers the following IB courses for grades 11 & 12'':
Ranchview was built with "spine labs" which are computer labs each of which are connected to four classrooms, giving each class room access to its fully equipped computer lab. The student to computer ratio at full capacity in the school is 2:1. Each classroom also contains an A/V equipment cart. Each A/V cart includes a media projector, its own computer, a DVD player, a VCR, various equipment, and an overhead camera to replace traditional overhead projectors.

Students

In May 2006, Ranchview graduated its first class of 154 seniors, with a total of 1.5 million dollars in scholarships awarded. Some of the academic achievements of this first graduating class include National Merit Scholar, College Board's National Hispanic Recognition Scholar, Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction, Coca-Cola Scholar and Terry Foundation Scholar. Past graduates have enrolled at Rice University, Bowdoin College, Cornell University, Washington University in St. Louis, Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, Boston University, and many others. In May 2007, Ranchview graduated its "5-year students". These students were moved over to Ranchview in 2002 for their 8th grade year in order to balance out the population at the middle school Barbara Bush Middle School.

2006/2007

Formed Special interest clubs such as Ecology, Club Med, United Nations, Step Team, Crime Stoppers, Leo’s, FCA, College Club, Art, Class Executive Committees, Theater, Quill and Scroll, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Spanish Club, French Club, Diversity Club, Drama Team, and CIS are active at RHS.
In the 2006/2007 School Year Ranchview's Student Council was led By Teacher sponsor Jenny Coons, with President Ryan Fitzgerald, Vice President Jennifer D. Kim, Secretary Sarah Hutchison, Treasurer Kourtney Platt, Parliamentarian Tamami Motoike, Reporter Lacy Acker, Community Service Chair Aisha Heath, D.A.S.H Chair Lizzy Gremillion, Energy & Environment Chair Jasmine Khaleel, Pride & Patriotism Chair Kristin Thompson, and Historian's Michelle Green and Annelise Schuessler. The school hosted a successful Spirit Week with hallway decorations, a spirit walk, and a dance. The student council sponsored the first RHS homecoming parade for the feeder elementary schools and the community.
Community service efforts included:
The Ranchview Wolves compete in the following sports:
In only its second year of boys' basketball varsity play, the Ranchview boys' basketball team played in finals of the Texas High School State 3-A Basketball championship, losing to Roosevelt High School 67-55, to finish as state runner-up.

Theater

The school features an annual musical along with an additional fall production. Past musicals include Grease, and Godspell both of which had major turnouts. Ranchview holds two separate theaters, One is the main Stage which houses 125 high powered lights with a multi-functional computer controlled lighting system and a house audio system boasting 12000W of Power, powering over 40 different speakers throughout the auditorium.
The Black Box theater is home to the Theater departments classroom, scene shop, costume storage, prop storage, and technical control room. The Technical Control room is home to a surround sound system, 2 sub woofers, and a small sofa for the upper class tech students to sit and relax during downtimes. The "Black Box" hosts a patter grid ceiling capable of holding instruments and sets, and a removable panel floor to add and remove permanent and temporary set pieces.
;2008
In UIL One Act Play competition for “You Can’t Take It With You” three students received All Star Actor awards and two students received Honorable Mention recognition.
;2016
The theatre department produced a dinner theatre style production of "Snappy's Happy Half Hour" by Don Zolidis, and "Dearly Departed". The 2016 UIL One-Act Play, "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot", received first place at the district contest winning both best actor and best actress, all star cast awards, honorable mentions awards, and tech awards. The play would move on to the area level. In May 2016 the expansions and remodeling was completed which include a lobby, new auditorium, production booth, theatre classroom, scenic shop, prop and scenic storage, costume storage, dressing rooms, office.
;2017
Martin Sanchez helped to re-boot Ranchview's theater program. Over the three-year course he taught here, Rancview's theater has become much more relevant. With the opening of their new state of the art Auditorium, Ranchview has put on several plays and musicals such as Annie Jr. and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Ranchview has also placed fourth in the Area UIL One Act Play competition, using the script of "Fabulation or Re-education of Undine", with over half of the cast and crew getting recognized.

Choir

;2007
;2010
;2016
;2007
The school had three students make the All-Region Orchestra, with the competition including schools from Carrollton, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Frisco, Southlake, Grapevine and Colleyville High Schools.
Sixteen students earned performance medals at District and UIL Solo and Ensemble Contests.
Two students advanced and earned recognition at the UIL State Solo and Ensemble Contest in Austin.
Both the Symphonic and Concert Orchestras received Sweepstakes Awards at the UIL Concert and Sight Reading Contest.
The Festival Orchestra received Division I Best in Class and Best of Festival Trophies at the 2007 Buccaneer Music Festival in Corpus Christi.
Ranchview's non-sub varsity never won sweepstakes.

Ranchview Band

The Ranchview Band is a consistent UIL Sweepstakes award-winning band.
2006–2007
UIL Marching Contest: Excellent Rating
Frisco March of Champions: 3rd place
UIL Solo / Ensemble Contest:
10 1st Division
1 2nd Division
UIL Concert – Sight Reading Competition: I, I, I & I, I, I
Las Colinas Symphony Youth Orchestra – 1 member
Carrollton Christmas Parade: Mayor's Award
ATSSB Region Band Results – 19 chairs earned
6 advanced to area
1 All State Band Member
2007–2008
UIL Marching Contest: I, I, I
Tournament of Champions: Best in Class, Conference IV
Frisco March of Champions: 2nd place, overall
Las Colinas Symphony Youth Orchestra – 5 members
ATSSB Region Band Results: 24 In Region Band
11 Advanced to Area
2 All-State Band Members
UIL Concert and Sight-Reading: I, I, I and I, I, I
Alamo Showcase of Music I, I, I; Outstanding in Class 3A; Grand Champion
Peak Music Festival, I, I, I
TMEA Honor Band Hearings: Runner-Up to Area for Region 24
Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps – 2 members
2008–2009
Tournament of Champions: 1st place, Conference IV
Aubrey Marching Festival: 2nd place, overall; 1st place, music caption
UIL Marching Contest: 1st Division Rating, all 3 judges
UIL Area B Marching: 6th place in finals
Las Colinas Symphony Youth Orchestra – 5 members
TMEA Region Jazz Band – 2 members
ATSSB Region Band Results – 17 in Region Band
Area Auditions – 10 members
All-State Band Members – 4 members
UIL Solo / Ensemble Contest – 22 1st Division
Winter Guard: 8th place in NTCA Championships
UIL Full Orchestra Concert and Sight-Reading: I, I, I and I, I, I
UIL Band Concert and Sight-Reading: I, I, I and I, I, I
Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps – 4 membersnium
Music in the Parks Festival - I, I, I, Best in Class, Best Overall
Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra – 2 members
2009–2010
UIL Marching Contest: I, I, I
Tournament of Champions: Best in Class, Conference IV
Aubrey Marching Festival: Grand Champion, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Percussion
Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra – Wind Symphony – 2 members
Las Colinas Symphony Youth Orchestra members – 7 members
TMEA Region Band – 3 members
ATSSB Region Band – 20 members
Area Band Auditions – 8 members
Texas All-State Band Results – 5 members
United States Marine Band Concerto Competition: Matt Solis – Euphonium – runner up
UIL Concert and Sight-Reading: I, I, I, & I, I, I
TMEA Honor Band Hearings: 1st place in region, advanced to area
Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps members – 3 members
Peak Music Festival – I, I, I; Best in Class
Gulf Coast Festival of Music – I, I, I; Best in Class; Grand Champion