Mena High School
Address
700 South Morrow St Mena , Arkansas 71953 United States
Coordinates	34°34′49″N 94°13′16″W / 34.58028°N 94.22111°W / 34.58028; -94.22111
Information
Type	Public secondary
Established	August 1922 (101 years ago) (1922-08)
School district	Mena School District
NCES District ID	0509750[3]
CEEB code	040650
NCES School ID	050975000713[1]
Principal	David Maxwell
Faculty	47.35 (on FTE basis)[1]
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	511 (2016-17)[2]
Student to teacher ratio	11.89[1]
Campus type	Rural[1]
Color(s)	Black and red
Athletics conference	4A Region 7
Sports	Football, Marching Band, Volleyball, Golf, Cross Country, Bowling, Basketball, Cheer, Baseball, Softball, Soccer, Tennis, Athletics
Mascot	Bearcat
Team name	Mena Bearcats
Accreditation	Arkansas Department of Education AdvancED (1930–)
Affiliations	Arkansas Activities Association
Website	hs.menaschools.org

Mena High School is an accredited public secondary school located in Mena, Arkansas, United States. The school provides comprehensive education to more than 550 students annually in grades nine through twelve. Mena High School is the largest of four public high schools in Polk County and is the sole high school administered by the Mena School District.

History

In 1975, two female students were expelled from Mena High School after spiking the punch at a party with two bottles of beer. Feeling the punishment was excessive, the students took legal action, and the case was eventually heard by the Supreme Court of the United States, which ruled that school boards have a responsibility to assure that the constitutional rights of students are upheld.^[4]

Academics

The assumed course of study for students is to complete the Smart Core curriculum developed by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), which requires students complete at least 22 units for graduation. Students complete regular (core and career focus) courses and exams and may select Advanced Placement classes and exams with opportunities for college credit via AP exam. As of 2008–09, Mena High School offered 14 programs of study in career and technical education in 12 career pathways as determined by the Arkansas Department of Career Education.^[5] The school is accredited by the ADE and has been accredited by AdvancED since 1930.^[6]

Fine arts

Students may participate in various musical and performing arts including: band (e.g., concert band, jazz band), choir (e.g., a cappella, barbershop quartet, beautyshop quartet) and theater (e.g., competitive speech, drama, stagecraft). Students may participate in Art Club. The high school conducts on and off campus performances including at Mena's Ouachita Little Theatre.^[7]

Athletics

The Mena High School mascot is the Bearcat with the school colors of red and black.

For the 2012–14 seasons, the Mena Bearcats participate in the 4A Classification within the 4A Region 4 Conference as sanctioned by the Arkansas Activities Association with student-athletes competing in football, volleyball, baseball, basketball (boys/girls), cross country (boys/girls), bowling (boys/girls), cheer, golf (boys/girls), soccer (boys/girls), softball, tennis (boys/girls), track and field (boys/girls).^[8]

• Football: Home football games are played at Randall Whorton Field at Boyd Stadium. The Mena Bearcats won a state football championship in 1976, and were state runner up in 2014.

Notable alumni

• Norris "Tuffy" Goff (1924)—Comedian in radio and film known for his portrayal of Abner Peabody on the rural comedy Lum and Abner.
• Chester Lauck (1920)—Comedian in radio and film known for his portrayal of Lum Edwards on the rural comedy Lum and Abner.