Temple High School (Texas)

Temple High School is a public high school located in Temple, Texas, United States. As of the 2024–2026 biennial realignment, it is classified as a 6A school by the UIL. It is part of the Temple Independent School District located in central Bell County. For the 2021–2022 school year, the school was given a "C" by the Texas Education Agency.

As of 2024, Temple High School has a student population of 2,490. The student body is 79% minority. 

Temple High School became an International Baccalaureate authorized school in 1992 and is currently one of 46 IB authorized high schools in Texas. To date, Temple High School has awarded over 100 IB diplomas.

History of racial segregation in Temple education system
The "Temple Colored School" was established in 1885, and in 1912 a two-story building was erected with eleven classrooms, a science lab, and a principal's office. The first high school was organized in 1915, and in 1925 was renamed Dunbar High School. In 1952, the Dunbar High School campus was opened and served as a high school until 1968, when mandatory desegregation was implemented and the school was merged with Temple High School. The former Dunbar High School campus was renamed to Meridith Junior High in memory of G. C. Meridith who served as principal for more than 2 decades, and in 1970 Meridith-Dunbar became an elementary school.

In a 2014 article from the Killeen Daily Herald, a former Dunbar High School student recalled the inequalities that existed in resources between the two schools. She remembered receiving second-hand textbooks from Temple High School and being shocked by how black senators were depicted in the social studies books. “The sad thing is that our teachers, who were very capable, were not picked up by the system," she remarked about the transition to desegregation.

The Dunbar Panthers football team was coached by Curtis B. Elliott, and they won the state championship in 1939. Coach Elliott coached at Dunbar High School for 36 years.

Arts
The Temple High School theater department is a program with a 30-year streak as district UIL One-Act Play champions. The department has advanced to the UIL 5A State One-Act Play competition 7 times, winning in 2007 and 2016.

Athletics
The 11,500-capacity Wildcat Stadium is the main stadium. The Temple Wildcats compete in the following sports:


 * Baseball
 * Basketball
 * Cross country
 * Football
 * Golf
 * Powerlifting
 * Soccer
 * Softball
 * Swimming
 * Tennis
 * Track and field
 * Volleyball
 * Marching Band

State titles
Temple (UIL)
 * Football
 * 1979 (4A), 1992 (5A/D2)
 * Boys' basketball
 * 1932 (All)
 * One-act play
 * 2007 (5A), 2016 (5A)

Temple Dunbar (PVIL)


 * Boys' basketball
 * 1958 (PVIL-3A)
 * Boys' track
 * 1953 (PVIL-2A)

Football history
The Temple Wildcats have a history in football. As of the end of the 2017 football season, the school is ranked fourth behind Highland Park, Amarillo, and Plano in the state of Texas for total games won with 753.

State Championships (2): 1979 (4A), 1992 (5A Div. 2)

State Championship Game Appearances (9): 1940 (2A), 1941 (2A), 1951 (3A), 1952 (3A), 1976 (4A), 1979 (4A), 1992 (5A Div. 2), 2014 (5A Div. 1), 2016 (5A Div. 1)

Additional Football Statistics
 * State Quarterfinalists (10)
 * Regional Champions (13)
 * Area Champions (13)
 * Bi-District Champions (23)
 * District Champions (34)
 * Playoff appearances (41)

Notable alumni

 * Ki Aldrich, first pick of the 1939 NFL Draft, NFL center for the Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins
 * "Mean" Joe Greene, Hall of Fame NFL defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers (attended racially segregated Dunbar High School)
 * Jonathan Bane, football player
 * Bryan Burrough, American author and journalist
 * Daniel Lee Corwin, American serial killer executed in 1998
 * Kenneth Davis, NFL running back for the Buffalo Bills
 * Bobby Dillon, Hall of Fame NFL safety
 * Danny Dunn, a mayor of Temple, Texas
 * Brad Dusek, NFL linebacker for the Washington Redskins
 * Rufus Granderson, AFL defensive tackle for the Dallas Texans
 * Tre Hawkins III, NFL cornerback for the New York Giants
 * Jennifer Hopens, a two-day Jeopardy champion
 * George Koch, American football player
 * Dan Pope, 35th mayor of Lubbock (2016–2022)
 * Brian Floca, American writer and illustrator of children's books, Caldecott Medal Award winner
 * Britt Daniel, co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the alt-rock band Spoon
 * Ta'Quon Graham, NFL defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons
 * Quentin Johnston, NFL wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers
 * Lache Seastrunk, former NFL running back
 * Taurean York, college football linebacker for the Texas A&M Aggies
 * Jared Wiley, NFL tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs