J. P. McCaskey High School

J. P. McCaskey High School is a public high school located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. Located on the east side of Lancaster, it is named after John Piersol McCaskey, a local educator. The McCaskey campus consists of two buildings: J. P. McCaskey, which is usually referred to either as "JPM" or simply "JP"; and McCaskey East, which is referred to as "East". Also on the McCaskey campus are a number of playing fields (for soccer, baseball, softball, and field hockey), tennis courts, and a stadium. Nearby are Wickersham Elementary School and Lincoln Middle School.

J. P. McCaskey High School
Location
445 N Reservoir St Lancaster County , Pennsylvania United States
Coordinates	40.04704°N 76.29081°W / 40.04704; -76.29081
Information
Type	Public high school
Established	1938
School district	School District of Lancaster
Superintendent	Keith Miles[1]
Principal	Justin Reese[2]
Teaching staff	179.85 (FTE)[3]
Enrollment	2,620 (2022–2023)[3]
Student to teacher ratio	14.57[3]
Color(s)	Red and black
Mascot	Red Tornado Tornado Man
Website	J. P. McCaskey

History

John Piersol McCaskey High School opened on 3 May 1938,^[4] accepting Lancaster city's first gender-integrated class of students. The high school was named for John McCaskey, a local educator, composer, and politician.^[5]

The construction is a product of the post-Depression Works Progress Administration. While the main building was subsequently extended, the original façade, lobby, and auditorium are set in Art Deco style. In 2021, The outside of the JP McCaskey Building was used in an episode the Disney Channel TV show Bunk'd, as well as a trailer for the 2023 film “Bottoms”.

Notable alumni

• Madeline Anderson (1945), filmmaker, first African-American woman to direct a documentary film, first African-American woman to executive produce a nationally distributed television show.^[6]
• Barney Ewell, sprinter, 1948 Summer Olympics silver medalist
• Jennifer Gareis (1988), actress^[7]
• David Greene, 1994, NPR Morning Edition Host
• Jerry Johnson, professional basketball player
• Mindy Myers, campaign manager^[8]
• John Parrish, former MLB pitcher
• Lamar Patterson, National Basketball Association (NBA) player and second round draft pick
• Franklin J. Schaffner (valedictorian Class of 1938), film director (Planet of the Apes, Patton, Nicholas and Alexandra)^[9]
• Matt Watson, former MLB outfielder
• Kris Wilson, former NFL tight end