Bethel High School, founded in 1952, is the oldest of the Bethel School District's four comprehensive high schools and serves about 1,690 students in Spanaway, just south of Tacoma in Pierce County. The campus on 38th Avenue East draws students from the Frederickson and Spanaway communities and serves a substantial population of military-connected families from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Academic offerings include a broad Advanced Placement catalog covering English, history, math, computer science, biology, environmental science, and chemistry, alongside the district's CTE pipeline. The school is also widely studied in U.S. constitutional law as the school in Bethel School District v. Fraser, the 1986 Supreme Court ruling that addressed student speech.
The Bison, a name adopted in 2021 after Washington's law restricting Native American mascots, compete in the South Puget Sound 4A division. Notable alumni include NFL guard Ezra Cleveland, NBA player Corey Belser, longtime MLB broadcaster Mike Blowers, NASCAR driver Derrike Cope, and UFC fighter Rick Story. The school's crimson, gray, and black colors continue traditions that predate the rebrand.
Source: WA ERDC Graduate Outcomes.
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