With work, politics, and dedication, Chase High School was born near its present location. On May 19, 1910, the voters indicated that a larger school was needed in Chase to replace a smaller one located on the west side of town. William Kenton donated two lots north of the City Park; in return, the City worked on improving the park area. Sidewalks were added, trees were removed, and holes were filled in. From there, work was started on a spacious two story building.
On September 19, 1911, the building opened its doors for a new school year. The senior class, two girls and four boys, were the first to graduate from the new, accredited high school. With the new school, students also gained many activities and new experiences. Football, basketball, and baseball teams were organized for the boys; the girls played three basketball games as well. Music groups were also formed, and the first annual was published.
Later in the 1920s, the community decided that two buildings were needed. Up until that point, grade school and high school classes had been held in the 1911 building. The new high school was built in 1923 and remains part of the present day school. Students moved in midterm in early 1924. With the move, they gained space and a new gym.
In 1928, work began on finding a mascot. Drawings and suggestions were accepted for the emblem. The Student Council presented three choices to the student body. They chose "Felix the Kat" on October 4, 1928. The name originated from a popular comic character. Felix was a silent movie cartoon in 1914, but he also became a newspaper comic strip in 1923. From there, his popularity grew into comic books, toys, books, games, etc. He was also being seen in movie theaters in addition to the main feature. By 1930, the silent Felix cartoon came to an end, but in the late 1940s, Felix moved to the TV screen where he appeared in 260 short cartoons. This little cat faced adventures, enemies, and travels in his many cartoons. The district has received legal permission to use this copyrighted character for its mascot.
Over the years, the Chase schools continued on, educating the students of the area. In 1966-67, Unified School District 401 was created as Alden, Chase, and Raymond consolidated. Raymond and Alden had consolidated prior to that in 1959 after due to declining enrollment. The three communities came together for three years. During that time, the district was 235 square miles with a total enrollment of around 460 students, and multiple schools. In 1969-70, the Alden community made the decision to leave the district, joining the Sterling school district. This reduced the district down to its present size of 196 square miles in the counties of Rice, Reno, and Stafford. Enrollment for the district during the school year of 1969-70 was around 370 students and the valuation was $14,665,560. The Chase Grade Schools and the Raymond Grade School were consolidated, and as the Alden High School was no longer part of our district, a number of students chose to come to Chase High School. At this time, grades 1-6 attended the Chase Grade School, grades 7-8 attended Raymond Junior High, and grades 9-12 attended Chase High School. It was not long before Raymond Junior High housed all the sixth through eighth grade students. The district had Chase Grade School, Raymond Junior High, and Chase High School.
The district did not change much over the next few years. Then in 2002-2003, the Raymond Junior High building in Raymond was closed. The junior high students moved to the southwest part of the Chase Grade School building. The seventh and eighth grade students were soon moved to the Chase High School building as a number of teachers were teaching in both the Raymond Junior High and Chase High School. The sixth grade students remained in the grade school but are still part of the junior high, participating in sports and joining the seventh and eighth grade students for parts of the day. The district has remained in this configuration for the last several years. In 2017-18, the sixth grade was moved into the junior high - high school building so that they would truly be part of the Raymond Junior High again.
Some information from Kloxin, Florence. Chase, America. North Newton, Kansas: Mennonite Press, Inc, 1979.