Fort Benton High School

Fort Benton High School
Fort Benton High School
Address
	1820 Washington Street; Fort Benton, Montana; United States
Coordinates	47°49′23″N 110°40′03″W / 47.82306°N 110.66750°W
Information
Type	Public
Established	1921
Principal	Pat Hould
Staff	6.35 (FTE)
Number of students	107 (2022–2023)
Student to teacher ratio	16.85
Campus	Rural
Color(s)	White, red and gold;
Sports	Football, girls’ volleyball, boys' basketball, girls' basketball, girls' & boys' wrestling, track & field, boys' & girls' golf, girls' & boys' tennis, cross country
Mascot	Longhorns
Affiliations	Cheerleading, majorettes, speech & drama, band, choir, newspaper/annual, B club, student council, National Honor Society, Spanish club, and pep club
Website	fortbenton.k12.mt.us

Fort Benton High School is a high school in Fort Benton, Montana.

The district serves students living in Fort Benton, Loma, and Carter, with total population nearing 2,000 people. The sports teams are called the Fort Benton Longhorns.^[4]

History

Fort Benton's first school opened in 1868, over twenty years before statehood. Upon statehood in 1889, the Enabling Act attempted to set aside sections 16 and 36 in each township to financially support education. If section 16 or 36 were already claimed, another selection was made in lieu. The tract on which the Eagle Butte School is located is such a tract. Chouteau County established the Eagle Butte School District in 1912. That year, approximately 27 children attended school for one to two months in abandoned homestead shacks. School construction began in 1914. A storm demolished the partially completed building, but this clapboard-sided school was ultimately ready for students in August of 1915. After 1918, drought and agricultural depression led to declining enrollments. The school remained open by merging with South Eagle Butte School in 1924. By 1964, Geraldine Elementary annexed the Eagle Butte district. ^[5]

Athletics

The Fort Benton Longhorns have had to move with the economy with what District, Division, and Classification they are placed in. Being one of the original founding schools in the MHSA, Classifications:

Class AA 1891-1931
Class A 1932-1977
Class B 1978-1982
Class A 1983-1988
Class B 1989-2008
Class C 2009-Spring 2025
Class B Beginning Fall 2025^[6]
Central A
Northern A
Northeast B
Northern B
Southern B
South/Central B
Northern C
District 1B
District 6B
District 7C/8C
District 9C

Football

The Longhorn Football team holds the longest running state playoff record out of all Class A' B' and C' Schools 20 state playoff shows from the Longhorns.

State Championships: 2002,
State Runner-Up: 2003, 2004

Volleyball

Fort Benton Volleyball

State Champions:
State Place:
Division Champions: 2019, 2010, 1993, 1992
Division Place: 4th-2009, 4th-2008, 3rd-2007
District Champions: 1993, 1992, 1991
District Place: 2nd-2019 3rd-2010 2nd-2009, 4th-2008, 3rd-2007, 2nd-2006

Boys' Basketball

State Champions: 1953, 1952, 1951
State Place: 3rd/4th-2020 3rd-1973, 2nd-1972, 2nd-1956, 2nd-1955, 2nd-1954, 2nd-1950
Division Champions: 2020, 1973, 1972, 1956, 1955, 1954, 1953, 1952, 1951, 1950
Division Place: 4th-2006
District Champions: 2020, 2010, 2006,
District Place: 2nd-2019 3rd-2018, 3rd-2009, 4th-2008, 2nd-2007, 2nd-1996, 2nd-1992, 2nd-1991,

Girls' Basketball

First Girls Basketball State Championship 2020-2021 State C Champions^[7]

State Place: 3rd-2003, 2nd-2000
Division Champions: 2002, 2000
Division Place: 3rd-2020 3rd-2017, 2nd-2003, 2nd-1999, 3rd-1998
District Champions: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2014, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999
District Place: 2nd-2017, 4th-2010, 4th-2009, 3rd-2007, 2nd-1998

Wrestling

State Championships: 2013

Boys' and Girls' Track

Boys' State Championships: 2003, 2001, 1987, 1986, 1985
Boys' Divisional Championships: 2019
Boys' District Championships: 2019
Girls' State Championships: 2017, 1997, 1983, 1982
Girls' State Place: 3rd-2019 2nd-2018
Girls' Divisional Championships: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016
Girls' District Championships: 2019, 2018, 2017

Golf

Boys' State Championships: 2011, 2010, 2000
Girls' State Championships: 2011, 2010, 1997, 1996, 1994, 1993, 1992

Tennis

State Champions:
State Runner-up: 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996

Gymnastics

Program Retired
State Championships: 1973
State Runner-ups: 1972 1974 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980

Activities

Cheerleading
B Club - creates banners supporting the classes and sports teams that are displayed in the gymnasium. They are also responsible for creating locker signs for participants in athletics and activities.
National Honor Society
Band - Pep band plays at almost all FBHS athletic events
Choir
Speech and Drama - Divisional Championships: 2014, 2013, State Championships: 2010, 1953
Newspaper/Annual -This group is responsible for the production and quality of the Annual yearbook.

Chouteau County High School

Fort Benton High School was originally named back in 1891 when the first building was built Chouteau County High School which served all towns in Chouteau County which the high school first had about 200 students and then after the first building burnt to the ground in 1920 and the new building currently housing the high school was built the school split into 4 high schools Highwood, Geraldine, Big Sandy, and Fort Benton.

Currently Fort Benton has two buildings. Big Sandy two, Highwood one, and Geraldine has one.

References

^ "Fort Benton High School". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Fort Benton High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Fort Benton High School". Montana High School Association. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
^ "Athletics". FORT BENTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
^ Program, The Montana National Register Sign. "Eagle Butte School". Historic Montana. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
^ Sports, 406 MT (2024-04-25). "Movin' on up (and down): MHSA approves Class B status for Plentywood, Fort Benton". 406 MT SPORTS. Retrieved 2024-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ RACHAC 406mtsports.com, GREG (2021-03-13). "State C girls basketball: Fort Benton caps dream season with first title in program history". 406 MT SPORTS. Retrieved 2024-08-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[1] "Fort Benton High School". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

[NCES-2] "Fort Benton High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved November 1, 2024.

[colors-3] "Fort Benton High School". Montana High School Association. Retrieved 2024-04-07.

[4] "Athletics". FORT BENTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Retrieved 2024-08-15.

[5] Program, The Montana National Register Sign. "Eagle Butte School". Historic Montana. Retrieved 2024-08-15.

[6] Sports, 406 MT (2024-04-25). "Movin' on up (and down): MHSA approves Class B status for Plentywood, Fort Benton". 406 MT SPORTS. Retrieved 2024-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[7] RACHAC 406mtsports.com, GREG (2021-03-13). "State C girls basketball: Fort Benton caps dream season with first title in program history". 406 MT SPORTS. Retrieved 2024-08-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

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