Awkward

I encountered this phrase in a newspaper story about a mid-size town (population 45,000) that has only one high school.  The phrase I've embedded above was used several times in the text and is quite comprehensible, but seems to me maddingly awkward.  As I scan the text, my mind seems to linger over the meaning of "one-high" that gets clalrified immeditely, but leaves an unpleasant aftertaste for an English major.

My first thought was that it should have been "one-highschool town", but of course high school is not conventionally used as one word.  A search reveals usages like that (or as HighSchool), but all the grammar guides emphasize that the term should only be written as two words.

The headline and text could have been revised to "a town with one high school," of course, but as written it is reminiscent of "one-horse town" or "one-trick pony" and has a certain charm.  I've tried to think of other awkwardness where a pair of words is thought of as one word, but then fail as such when modified.

I'm too busy to think this morning.  Someone think for me...