Banks High School

Banks Middle School (originally L. Frasier Banks High School) is a 400-student middle school in the Birmingham Public School System that feeds into Woodlawn High School. Banks occupies six buildings in a residential area on on 86th Street South in the South East Lake neighborhood.

The high school's first graduating class matriculated in 1961. In the early part of that decade, a U. S. Air Force F-86D "Sabre" [1] painted in the school colors of Columbia Blue and Scarlet was installed as a mascot and landmark in front of the school. The current principal is Jesse Daniel Jr.

In December 2000 a fire caused by arson caused extensive damage to the auditorium, destroying approximately $30,000 worth of band instruments which, because of ever-tightening public school budgets, have been only partially replaced. In February 2006, the South East Lake Neighborhood Association voted to appropriate $5,000 of their neighborhood funds to go toward new band instruments.

Banks High School alumni

• David Cutcliffe (1972), football coach (Coached Banks HS in 1980-81 with 17-4-1 record)
• Bill Carden, engineer
• Jeff Herrod (1983), NFL linebacker
• Bobby Kerley, Alabama Power executive
• Bobbie Knight, Alabama Power executive
• Robert R. McCammon, writer
• Johnny Musso, College Football Hall of Fame player
• Jeff Rutledge, (1974), NFL quarterback
• Boyce Smith, founder of Southeastern Youth Camp
• Greg Shaw, Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals Judge
• Mike Shaw, pastor of 1st Baptist, Pelham
• David Lee Smith, actor
• Beth Thornley, singer

Reference

• Jordan, Phillip. (March 23, 2006) "Hitting the right note: Can neighborhood associations help fill the funding gap for city schools?" Birmingham Weekly.

External links

• Banks Middle School profile at www.bhm.k12.al.us
• BanksJets.com alumni website