06/12/2026
Great Bend: America 250 Series 🇺🇸
1952 – The only high school in the city, the present-day Great Bend High School was built in 1952 as a modern facility to accommodate the growing educational needs of the community.
Before relocating, Great Bend High School was located at 2100 Broadway that is now home to the Central Kansas Dream Center. The school moved from that address over Easter weekend in 1952 and completed the school year in the new building.
Prior to the Broadway location, two other sites in Great Bend were also used for education. These included District No. 1, the first Barton County school, located east of the present-day Great Bend Public Library, and another at the current library location on the corner of Stone and Forest.
Additions to the current GBHS building were made in 1965, 1970, 1982, and 2010. Home of the Panthers, GBHS had an enrollment of 878 students for the 2025-26 academic year.
GBHS has produced notable alumni who have left worldwide impacts including:
– Jack Kilby (1941) – Inventor of the integrated circle and 2007 Noble Prize Winner
– James Calcara (1961) – Architect who helped design the H&R Block World Headquarters, New York Giants Stadium, New York Jets Stadium, and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium
– Celia LaBranche (1977) – Chemist who helped develop clinical trials to detect HIV antibodies and viral antigens
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