by Chris Pearce

Created on: May 02, 2009   Last Updated: May 06, 2012

Newburyport is a coastal city in Massachusetts situated 38 miles northeast of Boston on the south bank of the picturesque Merrimack River. With a population of 17,000, it is the state's smallest city. Newburyport High School was founded as the Latin and English High School in 1831, making it the equal nineteenth oldest public high school in the country. It became the Brown High School in 1851. In 1868, it amalgamated with the Female High School which had been established in 1843 and the Putnam Free School which was set up in 1848, to form the Consolidated High and Putnam School in 1868. It changed its name to Newburyport High School in 1889.

The current school is located at 241 High Street, surrounded by stately homes from the nineteenth century. One of these homes was "Mount Rural," which made way for the school. Designed by Boston architect Edwin S. Dodge, the school was built in 1935 and 1936. It is regarded as one of the city's finest examples of architecture, with its grand entrance overlooking grassed and treed areas sloping down to High Street and Toppans Lane. Playing fields are behind the school.

It is the only public high school in Newburyport and offers a comprehensive set of courses to grades 9 to 12. A total of 730 students are enroled in 2008-2009. School colors are maroon and old gold, and its emblem is a clipper ship. It has a school song and a flag and has accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Recent extensive renovations have given students and teachers the benefit of state of the art facilities.

Newburyport High School strives to meet the diverse needs of its students. It uses various teaching and learning strategies, and aims to create an environment that is challenging, supportive, and safe. The school's mission is "to educate our students to their fullest potential, equipping them with the academic, social, and civic skills necessary for lifelong learning, understanding, and participation in an ever-changing global community." With this is mind, students are expected to develop their writing, reading and other communication methods, as well as their problem solving and decision making skills, learning what it takes to lead a healthy lifestyle, using various information and learning resources, and an ability to participate in the community.

The school has followed the reforms under the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993. This includes the adoption of what is called the parallel A/B block

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