Congratulations to the Red Dragon Players!  A big shoutout to the Austin High Theatre Department for advancing to the Area competition at the UIL One Act Play Bi-District contest! The Area contest will be held on Saturday, April 12th at Dripping Springs High School Auditorium. Individual awards include:

Chris Carrara – All Star Technician

Jacob Baird – Honorable Mention All Star Cast

Sharky Meehan – All Star Cast

Tanner Cole – All Star Cast

Congratulations to our Maroon Band for achieving All Division I Ratings in both Concert and Sight-Reading at this year’s UIL Evaluation! These talented students have shown tremendous dedication in transitioning from marching season to the Full Orchestra UIL and now to Concert Band UIL. Go Band, Loyal Forever!

Bravo to the Austin High Choir! Our Maroon Choir Non-Varsity Treble and Varsity Mixed Choirs also excelled at the UIL Concert & Sight-Reading Evaluation, earning “Sweepstakes” Superior ratings in both categories. Their hard work in languages including English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Swahili truly paid off. Please join me in congratulating our AMAZING choir singers for their outstanding commitment to musical artistry!

Way to go, Golf Team! The Austin High Maroons Golf Team continues to make waves, advancing past District for the first time since our move to the UIL 6A Conference! Special shoutout to Braydon Pratt, who finished in 4th place as the Regional Alternate with an impressive score of 154. The Varsity team also set a record at Lost Pines, shooting a fantastic 298. Great job, team!

Mark your calendars for The Gran Show de Primavera 2025:  Vueltas  on Friday, May 2nd at 7 PM in the Austin High School PAC! Our talented dancers will perform pieces from 18 different regions/styles, accompanied by live music from Mariachi de Oro from Crockett High School. Admission is by donation at the door.

On Saturday, Sept. 29, the Austin High Band won their class at the Cap City Marching Contest hosted by LASA HS at Burger! After advancing to the finals competition, they placed 2nd overall and won 1st place overall in music performance. Congrats Maroon Band!
@AISDFineArts

The Austin High School PTSA
(Parent Teacher Student Association)
has four different fundraisers:

1) PTSA Membership & Designated Donations – opened August 1
Funds collected for PTSA membership go to the Texas PTA and ACPTA.
You will also be given the opportunity to donate directly to Teacher Appreciation, Community Programs, the Endowment Fund and Grounds Beautification.
2) Custodian Appreciation – November
All funds raised go directly to the AHS Custodial Staff.
3) All In Excellence Fund – Spring Semester
The funds benefit and support the AEF (Austin Excellence Funds) Grants and supplement PTSA operational expenses, the college career center, Campus and Community Outreach, Teacher and Staff Appreciation, Parent/Student Programs & Meetings, the Vertical Team, and other various approved expenses.
4) Spirit Wear and Gear continues through the year or until inventory is depleted.

Funds go to the merchandise expense and supplement all PTSA programs.

Mrs. Ana Solis-Herrera has been named the Stephen F. Austin High School Teacher of the Year. She has taught orchestra at Austin High for 21 years. With a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Violin Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Music Education from the University of Texas at Austin; she brings a symphony of experience and expertise. Mrs. Solis-Herrera has performed inter- nationally with many orchestras in Asia, Latin America, and the United States. She was invited to speak at music education conferences in Italy, Sweden, and Latin America for her research on the music preferences of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the United States. Continue reading “Teacher of the Year” »

Trent Gray, a senior here at Stephen F. Austin High School in the Academy of Classical Studies, has consistently distinguished himself in both athletics and academics. From those early days on the field to this pivotal moment, Trent stands as a testament to his dedication, perseverance, and outstanding character. Continue reading “Austin High senior officially commits to U.S Naval Academy” »

ARE YOU AN INCOMING NEW STUDENT OR PARENT AT AUSTIN HIGH?

Meet some current AHS students, administrators and PTSA members and enjoy some Kona Ice!

Wednesday, June 26 or Wednesday July 17 from 7:30-8:30 pm

This story was printed in the Maroon on April 17, 2024. Written by Penn Smith, Franciso Sanchez-Celestino

Walking our halls today is eighty-four-year-old Roosevelt Nivens, a living legend here at Stephen F. Austin High School. With a remarkable tenure of 19 years as a coach and an additional four years as a substitute teacher, Nivens has left a mark on the hearts and minds of thousands within the Austin High community and beyond.

Nivens’ journey began in poverty, growing up in Muskogee, Oklahoma with his mother and five sisters. Despite humble beginnings, he found solace and mentorship in high school through basketball, forming a profound bond with his coach, who assumed the role of a surrogate father figure. This compassionate guidance inspired Nivens to pursue a career in coaching later in life.

Before his coaching career, Nivens earned a full scholarship to Langston University, where he excelled as a defensive tackle in football while also playing as a center for the basketball team and participating in track. “My experience as a student-athlete at Langston University was amazing, we were winners.” During Nivens’ time at Langstone University, the Langston Lions football team won three consecutive titles as champions of the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference in 1959, 1960, and 1961.

He said, “It helped me to become a coach, giving knowledge of the game. And built my character as a man, taught me how to get up when I fell down, and let me know I am important and loved.”

His collegiate years spanned from 1959 to 1963, a time marked by the pervasive grip of segregation, which denied him admission to the University of Oklahoma.

Following his college tenure as a student-athlete, Nivens transitioned into the educator role, a path unexpectedly accelerated by an injury to the head coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Idabel, Oklahoma. Thus, in his inaugural year as a teacher, Nivens found himself thrust into the role of head coach for the football team, a daunting challenge that he persevered in amidst much adversity. “It was very unexpected but there were already a few good athletes there, and we ended our season 5-5.” He was there for three years as the head coach for the football, basketball, and track teams.

His journey led him to Austin, Texas, where he embarked on coaching girls’ softball at Austin High, a program he initiated. His dedication and prowess soon saw him coaching all three levels of basketball, affectionately christening the team as “The Running Maroons.”

Nivens’ unwavering compassion and perseverance within the Austin High community culminated in a crowning honor, as the gymnasium was named after him in his honor. Overwhelmed with emotion upon receiving this honor, he fondly recalls the moment he learned of the gym’s dedication, prompting him to invite his entire family to witness the unveiling of the maroon-lettered tribute. So profound was his attachment to the gym that he chose it as the venue for his wedding to his second wife, Oleander Thomas, in 2021, a testament to the deep significance of Austin High in his life.

Today, Nivens continues to impact Austin High, sharing wisdom, spreading smiles, and leaving a remarkable legacy of compassion, perseverance, and loyalty in his wake. With plans to substitute for two more years before retiring, he remains an unwavering supporter of Austin High.

Our 55th Class Reunion is planned for August 3, 2024. Check back–more information to follow!!!

We are proud of our AHS Band students who made

ALL-REGION BAND.

Wind Ensemble

Aidan Herrera – Flute

Sara King – Bb Clarinet

Sebastian Blanco – Bb Clarinet

Jack Hebert – Trumpet

Tommy Bryant – Tuba

Symphonic Band

Molly Liao – Bb Clarinet

Julimar Otero-Figueroa – Bb Clarinet

Hudson Hall – Tenor Saxophone

Justis Garza – Trumpet

Eliud Pozos – French Horn

Luke Salinas – Tenor Trombone

Luke Bone – Euphonium

LaFalco “Corkey” Robinson, longtime band director in the Austin school system, passed away on June 20, 2021, at the Lantana Lodge at Longhorn Village just outside of Austin, TX. Corkey was born to William Wallace and Geneva Walker Robinson on August 11, 1927 in Cooper, Texas, where he grew up and graduated from Cooper High School, playing saxophone in the high school band. When the school’s high school band director was drafted into the Armed Services, Corkey became director of the dance band, and began his career as a conductor at a very young age.
He entered The University of Texas at Austin in September 1944, where he played briefly in the Longhorn Band before entering the U.S. Navy in 1945. He attended the Navy School of Music, and was later assigned to a Navy dance band in the Pacific theater.
Following his discharge from the service in 1949, Corkey re-entered U. T. Austin in 1950 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1953 and a Master’s degree in Music Education in 1956. Later that year, Corkey became the band and orchestra director at O. Henry Junior High School in Austin. Continue reading “Thank you LaFalco “Corkey” Robinson” »