Perry High School is a public high school in Perry Township, Ohio, United States near Massillon. It is the only public high school in the Perry Local School District in Stark County.
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Academics
Perry High School ranks within the top 50% of all 3,241 schools in Ohio (based on combined math and reading proficiency testing data).[1] Perry High School offers AP courses, Dual-Enrollment, Technical Certification Courses, and Honors Education Courses. Perry High Schools boasts a 96% graduation rate, higher than the 87% state average.
Athletics
Perry High School competes in the Federal League, offering a variety of Athletics including:
Baseball
Basketball (Girls & Boys)
Bowling (Girls & Boys)
Cheerleading
Dance
Football
Golf (Girls & Boys)
Gymnastics
Soccer (Girls & Boys)
Softball
Swimming (Girls & Boys)
Track and Field
Tennis (Girls & Boys)
Wrestling (Girls & Boys)
Athletic achievements
Federal League
8 Federal League Baseball Champions
18 Federal League Football Champions
District
2012 - District Baseball Champions
2025 - District Basketball Champions
OHSAA
1991 - Division I Boys Basketball State Semi-Finalists
2010 - Division I Softball State Champions
2014 - Division I Wrestling State Champions
2015 - Division II Football State Finalists
2016 - Division II Football State Finalists
2018 - Division I Softball State Champions
2021 - OHSAA Division I Softball State Champions
2025 - OHSAA Division II Basketball State Runner-Up
Nationally
#13 Nationally Ranked Wrestling Program
Fine Arts
Band
The Perry High School Marching Band has qualified for OMEA State Finals in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. The marching class of 2017 was the first to receive superior ratings all 4 years at states. The Perry High School Marching Band has earned consistent superior ratings since 2013.
Perry High School also offers Concert Band, Symphonic Winds, Jazz Ensemble, and Percussion Ensemble. The Symphonic Winds have earned superior ratings in Class AA and A over 37 times. In 1991, The Perry Symphonic Winds performed at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra clinic and performed at the OMEA State Convention in 2015.
Choir
Perry High School currently has multiple different choirs including Bel Canto, Lyrics, Kinsmen, Treblemakers, and Symphonic. These choirs perform numerous concerts ranging from classical to popular music throughout the school year, including school sanctioned events. Multiple choirs have performed at OMEA sanctioned events and competitions.
Theatre
The Perry Theatre was christened the "Little Broadway" of Stark County by the Canton Repository. The term was highlighted as part of a feature article reporting the yearly successes, sell-out crowds and continued demand for tickets that the Perry Theatre had established over the years. Theatre Students, along with their directors as well as school administrators accepted the title. With that acceptance the Perry Theatre established a yearly mission and commitment to uphold the honor. The Perry Players perform at the Louie Mattachione Theatre at Perry High School and were under the direction of Louie Mattachione for over 50 years until his retirement.
The Perry Theatre performs a 3 shows per year: a Fall show, a Winter Children's show, and a Spring Musical.
Speech and Debate
The Perry Speech and Debate Team won the Ohio Speech and Debate Association State Title in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2018, 2019, and 2020. They were inducted into the 500 club for at least 500 NSDA letters and degrees. They have had multiple individual state champions as well. The team was coached by Mrs. Kathy Patron until her retirement in 2024, where the team was taken over by current head coach Mrs. Melody Woodson.
Notable alumni
Matt Campbell: head football coach at Penn State University
David Carr: Team USA wrestling gold medalist
Tyler Light: professional golfer
Steve Luke: NCAA wrestling champion at Michigan
Onya Nurve: drag queen and winner of the seventeenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race
Dustin Schlatter: NCAA wrestling champion at Minnesota