What happens when a gym teacher, a counselor and a science teacher walk into a newly built high school in West Lawrence, Kansas? They stay for the next (nearly) two decades. At least that is the story with Nancy Hopkins, Joel Frederick and David Reber, some of Free State High School’s most experienced staff members.

Established in 1997 in response to serious overcrowding at Lawrence High School, Free State was built 4.9 miles away from its new and only crosstown rival. Before any rivalry would begin, however, Free State needed to take about 2,000 students out of LHS’ crowded hallways. The city of Lawrence was tasked with creating its first ever high school boundary line on 15th Street and Bob Billings Parkway. Students south of the line would stay in red and black, and students north would become Firebirds.

Naturally, there was some opposition from the kids being plucked out of their beloved home on Louisiana Street and moving to 6th Street, so the school board attempted to compromise. Members of the graduating class of ‘98 were given the opportunity to decide whether they wanted to finish their high school education at LHS, no matter where they lived, and many did. Less than 100 people graduated from Free State that year. After that, however, the rules were set. Students were not the only ones forced to adjust, however, the Lawrence High School staff had to be split as well.

“I worked at Lawrence High for five years,” Frederick explained. “Then, when the new building opened, they kind of split us in two and I got shipped over here. I’m glad I ended up over here, but I didn’t think I wanted to open a new building.”

Hopkins and Reber were sent to Free State along with Frederick.

Hopkins, who had been teaching at West Middle School since 1973, was already well established in Lawrence when she made the move to Free State.

“I taught at West for 25 years and moved over here to be the volleyball coach,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins’ fondest memory of the first year of Free State was the volleyball season. The gym was only half finished and none of the senior volleyball players had decided to switch schools.

“Our motto that year was, ‘No bleachers, no seniors, no worries,’” Hopkins said.

18 years later, Free State is thriving, with a graduating class that has tripled since 1997. As the students have changed, so has the staff.

Joe Snyder, Free State’s first of three principals, worked as a math administrator in the district before becoming a principal at Turner High School in Kansas City, KS. Then, he applied to Free State.

Snyder remembers the first year the school was open.

“It was a challenge, but it was exciting, and kind of an exhilarating experience,” he said. “I still remember walking down the street for the first homecoming parade.”

He also recalls the effects of the small senior class of 1998.

“Having a very small senior class is not exactly like the high school that most people would’ve thought of, but it went fine,” Snyder said. “We didn’t have any major difficulties, and we worked our way through it. I think the next year we were running like any school was supposed to run.”

Though Free State started to move smoothly shortly after it opened, its creation was challenged by many Lawrencians. LHS had a history the town was proud of. Citizens feared splitting the students in two would ruin the school’s success.

“At LHS, you had students there and their parents had gone there and their grandparents had gone there and there was this whole line of ties to that school all over town, and [Free State] was totally blank and nothing like that,” Reber said.

Reber, who had worked at LHS for one year before being selected to move to Free State, also said those outside the building did not realize how overpopulated the building had become.

“At that time, before Free State opened, Lawrence High was a crowded mess,” Reber said. “We needed a second high school like ten years before we had one.”

Frederick, who initially had been one of many opposed to the new building, now feels the change was necessary.

“There was a big group of people (in the community) who did not want a second school,” he said. “They did not want to break the tradition of Lawrence High and all the sports and the music and all that. But I think people started to realize that it was going to provide more opportunities and that there were just so many people in that building. We needed to split.”

Snyder adds that opinions began to change after the school was completed.

“Once the school opened and the community saw how much it added to the high school education, they were pretty pleased,” he said.

Community members were not the only ones pleased with Free State.

“I just really think this is a great school,” Hopkins said. “I think the teachers genuinely care about the kids, and that’s always been the case from day one.”

Though thousands of students and staff have passed through the doors of Free State since the first day of school in 1997, 16 staff members have stayed.

“It’s been great to be here since the beginning,” Reber said.

As the school continues to grow and change, create new traditions and uphold the old, and excel in everything from athletics to academics, those original 16 continue to work to make it a better place.

“It just continues to be a really, really good school,” Frederick said. “I love the students here. And the faculty is really good too. It’s funny to think back that I didn’t want to come here or open a new building… I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else now.”