The construction for the first school to be explicitly known as Gainesville High School was completed in 1923 near the intersection of SW 7th Street and West University Avenue. The school lasted at this location for over thirty years with Rhodes Scholar Principal, F.W. Buchholz at the helm for almost all of this period. With the construction of the present day campus at 1900 NW 13th Street in 1955, the former high school building served as Buchholz Junior High School until the roof collapsed in the mid-1960s. From 1906 until 1970 Gainesville High School was the only public high school serving the city of Gainesville. However, because of large growth in the city throughout the 60's the capacity of GHS became strained forcing the school district to plan for a new high school. Because of the complications surrounding integration in the 1969-1970 school year, two new high schools opened in the city for the 1970-1971 school year. These two schools, F.W. Buchholz High SchoolBuchholz and Eastside High School (Gainesville, Florida)Eastside continue to be arch-rivals of Gainesville High to this day. In the mid-1990s, construction of a new wing on the Northwest corner of the campus was undertaken to ease further over-crowding and foster better integration of incoming 9th grade students. The new wing, referred to as the "9th Grade Center", houses 4 full-service computer labs, nearly 20 state-of-the art classrooms and science labs, and a large multi-purpose room which functions both as a meeting place and a cafeteria. The new facility also helped to bolster the school's new magnet program, the Institute of Health Professions (IHP), which is housed in the building. In 2004, the school took on a new academic magnet program aimed at attracting top academic talent from the county's middle schools. The Cambridge Program offers academically capable students an international, pre-university curriculum and examination system, emphasizing the value of broad and balanced studies. The Cambridge curriculum aims to encourage the skills of independent research and investigation, the use of initiative and creativity, and the application of knowledge and skills. A range of assessment techniques is used; emphasis is placed upon the use of externally scored examinations, known as "papers," which are administered by the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), as well as upon compulsory practical work where appropriate. The first GHS Cambridge class will be awarded its diplomas in 2008. As of the 2006-2007 school year, GHS is the only high school in the district teaching the Cambridge curriculum. GHS has a student-run school newspaper called Eye of the Storm; the publication's former titles included Hurricane Herald and Hurricane Watch". GHS also has a Web site on the Internet. In the 1980s and 1990s, the school boasted an award-winning television production lab that attracted national awards and acclaim. In 2005 the Purple Hurricane Marching Band won twin Grand Championships within the Florida Marching Band Tournament. At the "Southern Showcase of Champions" competition, the band defeated their rival Port Charlotte with an 87.50. At the Azalea Marching Band Festival, the program soundly triumphed over rivals Lincoln, Santa Fe, and Winter Park High Schools. They achieved not only the highest score in their history, a 92.50, but also received the highest finals score out of any FMBC competition during the 2005 FMBC season. Later that year, they received second place in Class AAA at the FBMC State Championships, with scores of 89.00 for their preliminary performance and 83.55 for their finals performance. They concluded their season by attending the ABC Channel 6 Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, PA. The 2006 Purple Hurricane Marching Band continued its newly-formed tradition of placing Grand Champion at "Southern Showcase of Champions" for the second year in a row. A http://www.gainesvillehighschoolband.com website was launched at the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year. Overall, the school's performing arts programs are thriving, with recent graduates entering prestigious programs at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, the Chicago College of Performing Arts, and the School for Film and Television in New York. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gainesville_High_School%2C_Florida