Lloyd V. Berkner High School
 | The neutrality of this article is disputed. |
| Lloyd V. Berkner High School | |
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| School logo. | |
| Location | |
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| Information | |
| Type | High School/secondary school |
| Established | 1969 |
| School district | Richardson Independent School District |
| Principal | Ron Griffen |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Color(s) | Green and White |
| Mascot | Rams |
| Website | School Website |
Lloyd V. Berkner High School is a high school in Richardson, Texas with a 2005 enrollment of 2,202 and a student/teacher ratio of 16.7. It was honored by the Texas Successful School Awards System in 2000 and 2001 and is one of four high schools in the Richardson Independent School District.
The school opened in 1969 and is named for the U.S. physicist Lloyd Berkner. It served grades 10-12 from its opening until the end of the 2004-2005 school year. A massive expansion and renovation gave way to the addition of ninth grade in the 2005-2006 school year.
Berkner prides itself on its fine arts programs. The marching band has received 29 consecutive first Division ratings in University Interscholastic League marching contests. The choir, under the direction of Glenda Casey from 1983-2000, won first division ratings in each year as well. The Orchestra Program has won the TMEA Honor String Orchestra award in 1984 under Ruth Kurtis - and most recently winning the same award in 2007 under Craig Needham. The theatre program provides one of the area's only technical theatre programs. The school's student newspaper is the Berkner Rampage. The inter-school radio and television station is KRAM-FM and KRAM-TV Channel 4.
Berkner's mascot is the Rams and the team shares Ram-Wildcat (or Wildcat-Ram, depending on which football team won the previous season) Stadium (capacity 11,000) with Lake Highlands High School. The athletics program has improved in recent years, as in 2005 BHS had the best football season in school history, finishing 12-1 after a loss to A&M Consolidated High School in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A division. In the spring of 2006 the boys basketball team made the state finals for the first time in school history.
The "Mighty Ram Band" has approximately 400 students in its program. In the 2005-2006 season, the competition band of about 250 kids won 2nd place at PESH and at Sam Houston Marching Festival. They marched to Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. In the spring semester, the band spilts into six bands. Symphonic I, Symphonic II, Concert I, Concert II, Freshmen Symphonic, and Freshmen band. The bands have won many awards. The band was honored by the John Philip Sousa Foundation with the Sudler Flag of Honor in 1984 and 2004 to recognize its high standards of excellence in its concert activities over several years.
The school is also notable for hosting an annual battle of the bands held in the auditorium. It is one of the larger BOBs held in the area that include rap and hip hop. Despite the requirement of having a band member be a Berkner High student to compete, bands from across the metroplex have performed. One notable guest band includes Bowling For Soup. The event is held typically in April or May. It is sponsored by Peer Helpers and the Foreign Exchange Club.
Berkner began one of the first Crimestoppers programs in the district after three of its students were victims of violent crime. On Nov. 6, 1992, Berkner student Sean Cooper, 17, was shot and killed near the school by gang members after they fired into a crowd after a football game. Seven gang members were convicted of crimes related to his murder and the theft of his car. On Nov. 25, 1992, student Fred Banzhaf and recent graduate Justin Marquart, both 18, were killed during the robbery of the Herman's World of Sporting Goods store in Richardson where they worked.
The most recent shooting occurred after the Berkner vs. Lake Highlands football game in late 2005. A brawl started outside of a Target near Berkner, which then moved to a Sonic Drive-In location in the same parking lot. There were around 50 teenagers involved. The results were five students injured and one fatally wounded.
Past Principals
- Smith Marcum
- Ron Parks
- Don Skaggs
- Dave Casey
Notable alumni
- Jensen Ackles, actor
- Ben and Skin, Hosts on KTCK
- Rogers Cadenhead, author
- Jeremy Coon, film producer
- Ryan Miller, singer/guitarist for band Guster
- Frank Ticheli, composer
- Everson Walls, NFL defensive back
- Joel Heyman, actor
- Mr. Pookie, rapper
Trivia
- It is common for 7 male students of the school to enter the football stadium with a letter from the phrase "Go Rams!" painted on their stomach. Mid-game, they are rearranged to spell "orgasm!" [citation needed]
References
- Parsons, Jay (October 8, 2005) "17-year-old dies after Richardson brawl" The Dallas Morning News [1]