Pasadena High School

The History of Pasadena High School

Imagine a one room "chicken-shack" standing right about where the Shaver underpass is. Hard to imagine that both sentences describe Pasadena High School. The "chicken-shack" was the beginning of the history of Pasadena High School. This Pasadena High School accommodated 20 students and one teacher. As the population of Pasadena increased, and the prized crop, strawberries, kept growing in season, the school year became adjusted to the growing season of strawberries. Additionally as the city population increased, so did the number of students enrolling in school. Students who wanted to receive high school training would have to be bussed to nearby Milby High School in Harrisburg. This presented a problem for the Pasadena Independent School District. In 1924, construction on the new Pasadena High School began. PHS was dedicated in 1924, while construction continued until it was completed in 1925. In 1929, a Girl's gymnasium was added as well as an auditorium. In 1931, expansion continued as a Home Economics building, which is still in use today, was added. 1935 marked the addition of a Manual Training building to PHS. This Manual Training building was used during World War II to aid in the war effort. This building was torn down in 1972, however. In 1945, a band hall was built and dedicated to Mr. Gene Stuchberry, first director of bands at Pasadena High School, as well as the beginning of construction on PHS's new cafeteria. When 1947 rolled around, a $329,000.00 Vocational Building and a $100,000.00 budgeted Boys' gymnasium was added to Pasadena High School. In 1950, the Science building was built as an addition to the PHS campus. Pasadena High School had begun taking shape.

1952 saw much expansion throughout the Pasadena High School campus. The Vocational, Science, and Boys' gym were all expanded to accommodate the growing number of students. A new auditorium was built in 1957, and in the early 60's, the Main building of PHS (at that time), was torn down so construction of a new Main building could begin. The new Main building was opened in 1963, but completed in 1965. The last major expansion of Pasadena High School, before the campus was expanded in the 90's, was the addition of a $2,500,000.00 three-story building. This building housed the current cafeteria and classrooms. The 90's saw major reform at Pasadena High School. Property surrounding Pasadena High School was acquired by the Pasadena Independent School District and expansion of Pasadena High School continued. A new vocational building, main building, gymnasium, and vocational annex were added to Pasadena High School. The population of Pasadena keeps growing and enrollment at PHS continues to rise. What does the future hold for PHS? Only time will tell.