Ballard High School is a high school in the eastern suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky, and is a part of the Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) school district. The school opened in the fall of 1968. The first students were in grades 7-9, and a grade was added each year as the building was expanded. This kept the school system from having to transfer upper class students from other high schools. The first class (consisting of the original freshmen) graduated in 1972. From its founding until the mid-1980s the principal was Patrick Crawford. Sandy Allen served from the mid-1980s to the 2003–2004 school year. The principal from 2004 through 2013 was Jim Jury. Staci Edelman was the 4th and shortest standing principal, from 2015-2017, with a term marked by racial tension and controversy. The current principal is Jason Neuss. The school offers grades 9-12. Ballard participates in the Jefferson County Public Schools Advanced Program, a program designed to provide accelerated instruction for academically gifted and talented students. The school also offers over 20 Advanced Placement) courses. Campus The campus at Ballard High School consists of the main school building as well as the fine arts building. The main building is referred to by students and faculty as four separate buildings (North, South, East, and West), although all four sections are connected to each other by overhead walkways. The South and North buildings house the majority of the classrooms at Ballard High School as well as the North and South offices. The West building's first floor is the home of Ballard's famed art department and the 2nd floor houses the Library. The East building's 1st floor contains the three cafeterias, the Ballard Bank, and the Ballard Student Guidance Center (College Counselor.) The East building second floor is the home of Ballard's award-winning Music department as well as both the large and small gymnasiums. The Sandy Allen Fine Arts Center is a performing arts facility on the Ballard High School campus. The . facility, which opened in 1998, seats 900. The fine arts center is used for musical and theatrical productions put on by the school's fine arts department. In 1999, it was awarded the AIA KY Merit Award of Excellence for its design. In Kentucky, care must be taken not to confuse this school with Ballard Memorial High School, the public high school that serves Ballard County in the far-western Jackson Purchase.