About Valley High School
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A Message from Principal Maxwell
Valley High School (VHS) is located in West Des Moines, a suburb of Des Moines with approximately 69,000 residents. VHS is a three-year comprehensive high school with approximately 2,100 students. It emphasizes the Four A’s of education: Academics, Activities, Arts, and Athletics. The four A’s system is designed to give students a wide range of experiences and knowledge while in high school. Valley strives to provide students with a high-quality education that includes exciting and unique opportunities and challenges that will stretch their minds and abilities. A Parent-Teacher Organization and active athletic, music, debate, theater, and drama booster clubs support our students.
David Maxwell, principal
Valley High School Important Contacts
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- Shannon Campbell

- Lorena Cuevas

- Josh Griffith

- Elizabeth Horn

- Amy Hurst

- Melissa Johnson

- Stacey Karnowski

- David Maxwell

- Brooke McTavish

- Chris Novak

- Brad Rose

- Biak Thang

- Megan Thomsen
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Four As Overview
Valley has a long tradition of excellence in the 4 A’s—academics, activities, arts, and athletics. This comes from a strong work ethic of students with the support and encouragement of their families.
Academics
Academics are the foundation of Valley’s vibrant tradition of success. Valley High School students consistently outpace their peers nationwide on qualitative and quantitative assessments. Twelve curricular departments offer more than 200 courses, 35 of which are dual credit courses (offered for both high school and college credit). Math, science, social studies, and language arts form the core of Valley’s rigorous academic program. These, in conjunction with five world languages and strong programs in computer science, business education, technology education, visual and performing arts, family and consumer science, and physical education, round out the academic experience at Valley High School.Twenty-one Advanced Placement courses further challenge Valley’s students and give them another opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school.
Activities
Activities are the heart of Valley’s tradition of success. A majority of the student body participates in activities outside the classroom. Our students have access to a wide variety of activities, including speech and debate, mock trial, student government, world language clubs, literary magazine, newspaper, yearbook, radio, and much more.
Arts
Arts both performing and visual, reflect the soul of Valley’s strong tradition of success. The study of Art History, Art Criticism, Art Production and Aesthetics guides the curriculum in the Visual Arts Department. Many student artists receive both recognition and scholarships when they submit portfolios to colleges and art schools across the nation. The Valley Music Department was honored with the first GRAMMY® Signature School award in 1999. The 240 member Valley Marchmasters were selected to perform in the 2004 Tournament of Roses Parade. The Valley Orchestra has completed concert tours in Austria and Italy. Our vocal groups and jazz ensembles have performed in several national and international festivals from Carnegie Hall to Disney World. Drama participants have been selected as Iowa High School Speech Association All-State performers and have received the All-State Sweepstakes Trophy, as well as the Critic’s Choice Award.
Athletics
Athletics are the muscle of Valley’s robust tradition of success. Having the opportunity to participate in 20 different sports brings out the best in student-athletes. Students learn the importance of training, discipline, dedication, and teamwork. Appearances at state tournaments are a common occurrence for Valley athletic teams, despite stiff competition in the Central Iowa Metropolitan League.
Valley Contact Information
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Address
3650 Woodland Ave.
West Des Moines, IA 50266-2053
Contact
MAIN OFFICE: 515-633-4000
ATHLETICS/ACTIVITIES: 515-633-4264
COUNSELING: 515-633-4130
School Times
HOURS: 8:20 a.m.-3:20 p.m..
COLLABORATION SCHEDULE: Wednesday 8:20 a.m.-2:35 p.m.
Grades Served
10-12
Principals
David Maxwell, principal
Shannon Campbell, associate principal
Joshua Griffith, associate principal
Chris Novak, associate principal
Megan Thomsen, associate principal
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History of Valley High School
The first high school in Valley Junction opened in October 1895 at 415 Seventh Street. Valley Junction’s first graduation was held May 31, 1901.
By 1916, the population had grown and a bond issue was passed for a new high school. Construction on the three-story, $50,000 structure at Eighth Street and Hillside Avenue was completed in 1917.
When Valley Junction changed its name to West Des Moines in 1938, the school district changed too, becoming the West Des Moines Independent School District. At this time, one high school, a junior high school, and three elementary schools served the needs of the community. Thanks to a grant from the Public Works Administration, a new concrete stadium was built that year just north of the high school on Eighth Street.
In 1962, 38 acres of farmland near 35th Street and Ashworth Road were purchased by the School Board for $116,000 as a site for a new high school. Construction of Valley High School was completed in four phases from 1963 to 1970. Valley became a four-year high school during the 1971-72 school year. Costing nearly $5.5 million dollars, Valley High School stretched almost one-quarter of a mile from end to end. Valley opened the Metropolitan Conference’s newest and largest gymnasium in 1971. Additional classrooms, science labs, and other student spaces were added over the years.
Valley’s new all-weather track, adjacent to the high school, was dedicated April 2, 1985. Additional renovations were made throughout the years at the baseball and softball complexes.
In the fall of 1997, freshman students began attending a new ninth-grade facility known as Valley Southwoods Freshman High School at 625 S. 35th Street. Valley High School became a building for grades 10 through 12.
A $31.5 million Valley High School renovation began in October 2004. The construction occurred in three major phases and was completed in 2007.
An enhanced physical-plant addition contained new heating and cooling systems, an electrical power service entrance, and curriculum space for the automotive and electrical technology programs. A two-story, 72,595-square-foot classroom addition provided flexible support spaces for individualized, small-group, project-based, and team-based learning. Another project created a student commons that opened in the fall of 2006. The commons included a new media center, business education labs, and new administrative and counseling offices. It also provided a space for students to gather, a coffee bar, and a student store.
A team of community members, parents, faculty, and administrators began work on a district-wide facility plan in 2008. Improvements to Valley were included in a 10-year facility master plan approved by the School Board in 2010. The $62.6 million project at Valley increased the school’s footprint from 349,567 square feet to 456,630. A three-story addition accounted for about one-third of the project’s overall cost. Money for the work came from a combination of state sales-tax revenue and the district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL).
Demolition and earth work to prepare for the addition began in June 2011, along with renovations to the west parking lot, a new building mechanical center and stormwater detention projects. Construction of the addition started in November 2011 on the southwest corner of the school. The addition included new lab space for science classes as well as family and consumer science courses, the Cafe V culinary-arts restaurant, a larger cafeteria, and a FEMA-approved safe shelter that doubles as a fitness area and weight room. The three-story addition opened in January 2013.
Renovations to the north academic wing began in 2012, including updates to math, science, and social studies rooms along with special education areas. In 2013, the old cafeteria was demolished and a new auditorium began to take shape in its place on the east side of the school. The auditorium and the renovations to Valley’s north wing were completed in 2014.