Herndon High School is a fully accredited four-year public high school in Herndon, Virginia, United States. Herndon serves grades 9-12 and is a part of the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system. Herndon High School serves the town of Herndon and the northern part of the unincorporated community of Reston. Herndon's mascot is the Fighting Hornet and school colors are red, black and white.

Mission Statement

• All Hornets are capable of success, No Exceptions!    

History

Herndon High School opened in 1911 on Locust Street. In 1930, seventy-one students enrolled, with classes such as economics, agriculture, and business education offered, with classes in industrial arts later offered. In 1942, the school opened the first school cafeteria in Fairfax County. Herndon High School becomes the first Fairfax County public school to have a cafeteria. Meals cost five cents. Also in 1945, the first football team was organized, and played its first game against Leesburg High School. In the early 1950s, the building was expanded to support more students.

In 1946 The first high school band in Fairfax County is formed at Herndon High School.

In 1961, Herndon Intermediate School began within the Herndon High School building. In 1967, the High School moved to its current Bennett Street location, leaving Herndon Intermediate School at Locust Street with 650 students and 39 teachers.

By the start of the 1970–71 school year, that number grew to approximately 2,300 students. Roughly that same number of students attend Herndon High School today.

At the start of the 2018–2019 school year Herndon boasted a student enrollment of 2,242 students and approximately 250 staff members.

Herndon High School Band is Virginia's ambassador at the 2023 Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade, Honolulu, Hawaii. This march pays respect to the Pearl Harbor survivors, veterans, and active duty military and takes place each year in Hawaii on the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7.

Demographics

In the 2018–2019 school year, Herndon High School's student body was 32.43% White, 43.22% Hispanic, 12.62% Asian, 7.49% Black and 4.24% Other.

Sports

In 2009 the school's baseball field was named Alan McCullock Field for retiring baseball coach Alan McCullock, whose father has the same honor at Falls Church High School.

State Champions

Source:

Basketball (boys): 1951

Cross Country (girls): 2003

Football: 1965 (1B)

Gymnastics (boys): 1977, 1990, 1991, 2000

Soccer (boys): 1986

Track & Field (boys): 1965, 1966, 1967

Notable alumni

• Tanya Biank (1989), journalist, author, Army Wives
• Bill Butler (1965), former MLB player (Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins)
• Jon Carman (1994), former professional football player for the Buffalo Bills. All-American for Georgia Tech
• Ronnie Dove (1954), pop music singer in the 1960s, had hits such as Right or Wrong
• Angie Goff (1997), television news anchor for WTTG, formerly on Today
• Brandon Guyer (2004), former Herndon High and professional baseball player. Played college baseball at UVA.
• Don Handfield (1989), filmmaker, producer and author
• Dave Lavery (1977), NASA Program Executive, FIRST Robotics Executive Advisory Board
• Doug Kammerer (1993), chief meteorologist for WRC-TV
• Austin Miller (born 1993), pole vaulter
• Scottie Reynolds (2006), former point guard for Villanova University Wildcats, named a McDonald's All-American, Reynolds was named the 2006-07 Big East Rookie of the Year
• Mark Riddick (1994), illustrator, musician
• Duncan Stroik (1980), Architect and Academic.
• PFT Commenter, former Herndon High football player and James Madison University Rugby player, co-host of the most popular sports podcast in the US, Pardon My Take, for Barstool Sports
• Sara Kain Gutowski (1994), author, The Familiar
• Amy Schwab (1994) photographer, producer, ESPN "Pardon the Interruption", writer Ka Wai Ola, Office of Hawaiian Affairs