Sumner Academy of Arts and Science
*On this date in 1905, the Sumner Academy of Arts and Science is affirmed. This was a segregated high school, and now it is a magnet school in Kansas City, Kansas, operated by the Kansas City USD 500 school district.
The original school was named Manual Training High School and was built at the corner of 9th and Washington Boulevard. Now named for abolitionist Charles Sumner, it started in 1905 during a period of racial tension as a segregated school for black ("Negro") students, which offered vocational training, but emphasized college-preparatory training. Now located at 1610 N. 8th Street, the segregated Sumner High School closed in 1978, converting to its present high-challenge magnet program.
The Sumner Academy Competitive Speech team (Forensics) has won 12 KSHSAA state championships. They won the 4A Speech state championships in 1998, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, and the 5A Speech state championships in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. The Sumner Forensics team added a KSHSAA 4A Debate championship in 2015 and placed 2nd in the K.S. Class 5A State Debate Championship tournament in 2024.
In 2005, Sumner Academy was named to the National Register of Historic Places and the Register of Historic Kansas Places. In 2010, a new wing was built, including all-new technology. The addition was built over the west parking lot, replacing the old temporary classroom units. The rooms are spacious, with carpeted floors, and can hold up to 40 student desks. The west wing also has new lockers and bathrooms and is equipped with some of the latest classroom technology.
