History
Burnsville High School, originally opened in 1957 as a K-12 school with an initial enrollment of about 400 students. In 1966, upon completion of the newly constructed school, students in grades seven through nine started attending Metcalf Junior High. Today, students attending Burnsville's Metcalf, Eagle Ridge and Nicollet Junior High Schools will attend Burnsville Senior High School for grades 10-12.
On April 25, 1994, the largest high school arson in the United States began, which resulted in over $15 million in damages. The same arsonist also started fires at Edina High School and Minnetonka High School. During the restoration, high school students studied at nearby Nicollet Junior High and Sky Oaks Elementary Schools. Around the time of the fire, the school's mascot was changed from the Braves to the Blaze to avoid stigmatizing and stereotyping Native Americans. The name "Blaze" was conceived because of the word "Burnsville" in the school name, and had nothing to do with the fire; it was merely a coincidence. The Braves icon is still widely accepted, and many students still have Brave apparel. Prior to The Braves, the first mascot of Burnsville High School was the Bulldogs.
In September, 2012, the BHS school board started looking towards Burnsville High School becoming a grades nine-twelve school. If done so, they would have to add on a new portion of the school, being a 40,000-square-foot building addition estimated at $12 million. Randy Clegg (The superintendent of District 191,) also recommends closing the Burnsville High School Senior Campus in 2014 and holding all senior classes at the main campus.
In 1997, District 191 bought the Diamondhead Mall and converted the top level into the Senior Campus to handle increasing enrollment. A year later, in 1998, it was opened for use. Students can drive or take a shuttle bus to move from one campus to the other. Many classes available only to 12th grade students are offered at the Senior Campus; including many English, math and social studies classes. Most seniors at Burnsville High School spend half their day at this separate campus. The time needed to travel from one campus to the other is only about 10–15 minutes but many students structure their schedule to consolidate their lunch and travel time.
In 2006 the Beautification Committee, a group of volunteer parents, raised $50,000 from donations and proceeds from 50th anniversary blanket sales to purchase an electronic greeting sign, replacing an old stone one, as part of the school's 50th anniversary. Burnsville was one of the last not to have an electronic sign, as Lakeville, Bloomington, and Eagan already did. This group has also volunteered their time, energy, and resources to help upkeep the gardens and grounds of the school. There was some controversy among students and community members over the cost of the sign, asking if people would raise such money for books, new computers, or technology education equipment. The money for the sign, however, was raised by local businesses and private donors, and not taken from the school's budget.
The original portion of Burnsville High School was constructed in 1969, with additions in 1958, 1962, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1993, 1998 that bring the school's total square footage to 405,553.
A three-year, $13 million renovation commenced during summer 2011. Renovations will include upgrades to the building’s science labs, heating system, bathrooms and classrooms, and making the school more accessible to people with disabilities. Lockers will be replaced, the cafeteria will be enlarged and reconfigured, and a larger, more open commons will be created.
The school also participates in the University of Minnesota's College in the Schools program.
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