Austin High School (Minnesota)

Austin High School
Location
301 3rd St NW

Austin
,
Minnesota
55912

United States
Coordinates43°40′06″N 92°58′45″W / 43.6683°N 92.9791°W / 43.6683; -92.9791
Information
School typePublic High School
Established1869
School district492
SuperintendentJoey Page
PrincipalMatt Schmidt
Staff78.44 (FTE)[1]
Grades9–12
Number of students1,408 (2023-2024)[1]
Student to teacher ratio17.95[1]
Hours in school day7
ColorsScarlet and White   
SongAustin High Gives Hail to Thee
Fight songAHS Fight Song;[2] Scarlet and White
Athletics conferenceBig 9 Conference
MascotPackers
NewspaperThe Sentinel
YearbookAustinian
Feeder schoolsEllis Middle School
WebsiteAustin High School

Austin High School (originally called Franklin School when constructed in 1869) is a public high school in Austin, Minnesota, United States.[3] It is part of Austin Public Schools, established in 1857. The home of the Packers, the school has over 1,250 students. The school colors are Scarlet and White, and the sports team is the Packers. AHS is a member of the Big 9 Conference.

Austin High School. Shown here is the 1919 building and the main entrance to the 1939 addition, which continues to the left.

School layout

The original (north) block and first addition (south block) are laid out in a fashion where the classrooms all have exterior windows; the only exception being what was the original south hall of the original (north) block which currently overlooks the commons area.

The interior of the north block of the building houses the school's library/media center and the original auditorium, named Christgau Hall. The interior of the south block / first addition houses Knowlton Auditorium and Ove Berven gym. Across Fourth Street to the west of the main building, by underground walkway, is the school's Annex building. It is home to industrial arts, child care, music programs, the school's weight room and a small auditorium.

During the 2025-26 school year, the weight room underwent a renovation with new equipment and changes to the interior. Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen arrived to celebrate the new renovations.[4]

Exterior architectural detail of the school's 1911 section
Pool

Annex Building

The Annex received a second floor addition which houses the MacPhail Center for Music, music rooms, and tech/shop classes. Construction in winter of 2019 and was opened in the spring of 2020.[5] The MacPhail Center for Music is not a part of AHS classrooms, though they are located in the same building.

Music Rooms:

The first floor of the Annex includes the choir room and has the 'Learning Steps' towards the MacPhail side. The second floor includes both band and orchestra rooms, along with multiple rehearsal rooms and a music library.

All three music rooms and practice rooms feature products of Wenger® Corporation, and include Wenger's VAE® Rehearsal System which helps students understand the environment where they will perform.[6]

Sports available

Packer Dome, a seasonal athletic facility located at Haas Stadium/Wescott Field and managed by Austin Public Schools.
  • Dance Team (Girls)
  • Cheer Team (Girls)
  • Gymnastics (Girls)
  • Softball (Girls)
  • Basketball (Boys/Girls)
  • Soccer (Boys/Girls)
  • Tennis (Boys/Girls)
  • Golf (Boys/Girls)
  • Wrestling (Boys/Girls)
  • Hockey (Boys/Girls)
  • Bowling (Boys/Girls)
  • Cross Country (Boys/Girls)
  • Track and Field (Boys/Girls)
  • Swimming/Diving (Boys/Girls)
  • Football (Boys)
  • Baseball (Boys)
  • Volleyball (Boys/Girls)
  • Clay Target Shooting (Co-ed)

Clubs

Austin High School is home to over 100 different clubs, including:[7]

  • Theater
  • Go Green Club
  • Student Council
  • Art Club
  • STAND
  • Robotics
  • Austinaires and Choralaries
  • La Fiera
  • Jazz Band & Pep Band

Miscellaneous

On November 3, 2006, around 94 juniors assembled to perform one of the remarkable pranks of AHS history. Students, in a line, exited out door #6 (which led out Fourth Street), crossed the crosswalk, entered the Annex, then returned to the same door via tunnel to continue the 'never-ending' line of students. This resulted in a large traffic jam with cars and busses lined up along the street. Some students wore costumes which can be spotted in the viral Youtube video titled "Crosswalk Madness"[8] by sixthhourproductions. The prank and video caught the attention of news outlets, the Minnesota Public Radio, and content creator Andy Jiang.

Other information

Austin is a member of the Big Nine athletic and music conference.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ a b c "AUSTIN SENIOR HIGH". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
  2. ^ "AHS Fight Song".
  3. ^ Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn (1911). The History of Mower County, Minnesota (Illustrated). H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Company. p. 275.
  4. ^ Hulne, Rocky (November 4, 2025). "A new hope: Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen helps celebrate renovated weight room". Austin Daily Herald. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
  5. ^ Yang, Hannah (June 27, 2018). "Annex addition construction eyeing winter 2019 start; Officials anticipate opening in spring 2020". Austin Daily Herald. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  6. ^ "Austin High School: Building Community Through Music". Wenger Corporation. November 23, 2020.
  7. ^ "APS Activities Office".
  8. ^ "Crosswalk Madness".
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