On behalf of the students and staff of Urbandale High School, greetings and welcome to our website. We invite you to explore our website thoroughly as it will provide you with a glimpse of the many great opportunities available to our students and parents.

Urbandale offers a wide range of course selections, including unique special interest and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. UHS students have access to coursework at Central Campus in Des Moines and area colleges through the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Act program. ESL programs are vibrant, given our excellent instruction and growing population of refugee students. A Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program is available through Hoover High School in Des Moines.

Students excel in competitions involving athletics (a full complement of boys and girls sports), art, music, drama, speech, Destination Imagination, Academic Decathlon, and Mock Trial. A number of clubs-Pep Club and the Outlook Leadership group against substance use, as examples-engage students in the positive life of our school. Programs are also available in Conflict Management, Teacher Assistants, independent studies, student journalism publications, and an active Student Senate. Numerous awards ceremonies and national Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society recognize the accomplishments of exemplary students.

Some quick facts about Urbandale High School

• 73% of UHS students taking the ACT exam scored 20 or above, which is the probable indicator of success. The figure is above the state (72%) and national (59%) average.
• UHS students average scores on the ACT (22.5) and the SAT (592 verbal and 608 math) were above the state and national average scores.
• 72.5% of the 2001-2002 UHS seniors attended post-secondary education or training.
• 96% of the Class of 2002 completed graduation requirements.
• 39% of our students make the honor roll.
• 2002 graduates were awarded $1,086,763 in scholarships.
• The class of 2002 included 13 State of Iowa Scholars.

Urbandale High School operates under a modified block schedule. All seven periods meet on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays for fifty minutes each. The even periods (2-4-6) are blocked for 90 minutes on Wednesdays, and the odd periods (1-3-5-7) for a similar schedule on Thursdays. Such differentiated scheduling allows for unique educational activities.

If you are interested in touring our facilities, please do not hesitate to contact us at (515) 457-6800 and we will arrange a tour for you. We would also be happy to have guest students come spend a day with one of our student ambassadors to get the full flavor of a day in the life of a UHS student. We welcome your comments and questions. Moreover, we welcome you to come visit us. We are proud of our students and our school.

For additional information, please call the Urbandale Senior High School office at 515/457-6800.

Richard Hutchinson, High School Principal
Brian Coppess, High School Associate Principal