About Our Campus

  • History

    In 1918, Southwest Texas Normal School (SWT) built the Education Building “intended in large part as a demonstration and laboratory school.” San Marcos High School was originally built on the block of Comanche and Hutchison. In 1939, the Auditorium-Laboratory School Building was completed by the college and all public school students, kindergarten through 6th grade, were housed there. By 1941, all the public school students were located on the college campus.

    By 1949, the college and the public schools were so full that the last of the Coronal Buildings were destroyed to build a new high school on the site. In the fall of 1951, the first students moved into the brand new school, which consisted of grades 10-12. In the fall of 1952, grades 9 through 12 were housed in the high school.

    Bonham Elementary opened in 1951, Travis Junior High School and Bowie Elementary opened in 1954, and Crockett Elementary in 1964. By 1965, all San Marcos Public Schools were gone from the Southwest Texas campus. In the following years, San Marcos CISD continued to construct new campuses. This included the San Marcos High School, which today is the Lamar Annex. It was used as the high school campus from 1951 until 1958. A newer high school was built in 1958 on Highway 123 and remained there for 45 years.

    In 2003, San Marcos voters approved a multimillion-dollar bond to construct new district facilities, which included funds to construct the newly completed campus on McCarty Lane.

    Pride & Tradition

    Alma Mater: Hail to dear old S.M High School, High upon a hill. We have never lost our spirit, and we never will. Hail to Rattlers, Dear old Rattlers, loyal always be. Hail to thee, our Alma Mater, our hearts belong to thee.

    Fight Song: Fight, Fight, Fight for San Marcos High; We have the spirit never to die. See our colors purple and white. We're out to win this game tonight. We are the Rattlers, best in the land. We play the game as best as we can. All you Snakes of S.M High, we're out to Fight, Fight, Fight. Yea Purple! Yea White! Yea Rattlers! Fight! Fight! Fight! Snakes fight! Snakes Fight! Yea Snakes Fight! (similar to the Notre Dame Fight Song melody)

    Mascot: Rattler (Western Diamondback Rattlesnake)

    Colors: Purple, Black and White

    Hand Sign: Hold index and middle finger up and bend them slightly to represent Rattler fangs.