Mesquite High School

Mesquite High School (MHS) is a public high school located in Gilbert, Arizona, USA. It was built in August 1998 and is part of the District of Gilbert Public Schools. It is divided into grades 9–12 and in 2017, the school had a student body of 1,779.

Mesquite's colors are Royal Blue and Silver, and the teams are called Wildcats. The school is a member of the Arizona Interscholastic Association's 4A-Desert Sky Conference and competes in Division II and Division III sports.

History

The school was opened in August 1998 with only freshmen and sophomore students, while part of the school had not yet been completed. The first senior graduated in May 2001, followed by the first senior graduate to attend all four years of Mesquite High School in May 2002. Since the opening of Mesquite in 1998, the school has maintained a class of 5A or 5A-I with students well above 2,000 and sometimes even more than 3,000. However, the opening of Campo Verde High School has significantly reduced the enrollment of the school. Both Mesquite and Campo Verde have about the same student population as in 2012. Campo Verde and Mesquite High are rivals to each other.

Extra Curricular Activities

The School's Digital Communications Class (ROOTS) builds yearbooks that are nationally recognized and awarded throughout the year, usually released in early May. There are over 30 clubs in the school, including the Japanese Club, the National Honor Society, the Key Club, the FBLA, the Drama Club, the Ecology Club, the European Club and the FFA chapter. The school also offers the Speech and Debate Team and the Student Council (StuCo), which has been awarded the Distinction Council a number of times by the Arizona Association of Student Councils. The school is composed of four orchestras, six choirs and six bands (including marching and jazz bands).

Bands

Mesquite High School's concert bands, including Symphonic Band, Symphonic Winds and Wind Ensemble, are year-long programs and have four concerts throughout the school year.

In November 2014, the marching band won the ABODA Division III State Championship after performing "Every Which Way." The marching band repeated their Division III State Championship in 2015 with the show "Luna Mysterium." They defended their title for the third time in a row in 2016 with the show "Beyond Limits."

On the morning of 24 October 2007, Assistant Band Director Christopher Rainer was killed in a car accident. On 11 May 2011, a piece commissioned by Richard L. Saucedo was performed to commemorate Rainer at Mesquite High by the top concert band Wind Ensemble. The majority of students in this group were juniors and seniors at the time of this tragedy. Sean Dennison was hired to fill his position.

The Rainier Marching Classic Marching Band Competition was founded by the school in 2009 as a tribute to Chris Rainer's memory, impact and legacy in the Mesquite High School Band Department. This has become a major, well-established competition in the area, attracting many schools from the region. In 2017, 19 different band groups participated in the "10th Anniversary Rainer Marching Classic" competition.

About The Logo

In addition to its own school logo, Mesquite frequently uses Kansas State University's Powercat symbol. As part of the licensing agreement between Mesquite and Kansas State, the student council donates $500 to the university every two years.