View source for Wiki143:High schools

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{{Notability essay}}
{{shortcut|WP:HS|WP:HIGHSCHOOL}}
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Schools are a frequent subject of divergent opinion when [[Wikipedia:Articles for deletion|considered for deletion]]. Opinions presented at school AfDs in general range from the claim that all schools are inherently notable<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Fort_Hill_High_School&diff=138983345&oldid=138798569  AfD for Fort Hill High School], "inherently notable"</ref> to the opposite claim that no schools are notable.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Alton_C._Crews_Middle_School&diff=138841003&oldid=138803264 AfD for Alton C. Crews Middle School], "schools are inherently nn"</ref> Between these extreme—and unsupported—opinions, lies a broad middle ground: some schools are notable, some schools are not. 

While claims are often made at AfD that all/no schools are notable, there is no school AfD that has demonstrated a consensus of retention or deletion based primarily on these arguments. It is those in the middle ground who make the effort to distinguish between notable and non-notable school articles who are the ones who carry the argument, either way. It is teasing out the characteristics of those high school articles that reach a consensus to '''Keep''' among this middle ground that will be the subject of this proposed guideline.

[[Wikipedia:Notability (schools)]], an earlier effort at defining notability for schools, failed, largely because agreement could not be reached on establishing a standards-based definition of notability for schools. In contrast, this effort will seek to identify the characteristics of those high schools that have established a consensus of '''Keep''' at AfD and to contrast it to those articles that end AfD as '''Delete'''. Rather than attempt to achieve an agreement on predefining notability, this proposed guideline will use an evidenced-based approach at summarizing the consensus of participants in AfDs for high schools.

==Why high schools and not all schools?==
A broad-consensus has emerged that all [[school district]] articles are notable; few such articles are proposed for deletion, and only a small fraction have ever reached a consensus for deletion. Among schools themselves, few [[middle school]]s, and fewer [[elementary school]]s have been able to generate articles that demonstrate the characteristics that are likely to establish a consensus of notability.

While all schools are frequently important to their communities, it is high schools that are most often the subject of the sort of [[WP:V|verifiable]] and [[WP:RS|reliable published sources]] that are specified in [[Wikipedia:Notability|Wikipedia's guidelines on establishing notability]].  Wikipedia articles about high schools very often have available to editors the press coverage of the school—and awards the school has received, and the achievements of it sports teams, extracurricular groups and alumni— to allow for the creation of a complete article that will reach a consensus of notability.

==Evidence==
To be added.
==See also==
*[[Wikipedia:Notability (high schools)]]
*[[Wikipedia:All high schools can be notable]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:WikiProject Schools|High schools]]