Spartanburg High School
The current principal is Andrew McMillan, former principal of Chapman High School in Inman, South Carolina.
History
Spartanburg High School began operations under the name of Converse Street High School in 1897. The institution was run in a six-classroom building near Spartanburg's downtown. The original student body numbered less than 200, with ten faculty members in charge. A new wing was added to the facility facing South Dean Street in 1921, and was concurrently renamed Frank Evans High School in honor of a district superintendent. This building became a middle school in 1959 after the high school was relocated to a new building located at 50 Emory Road in Spartanburg. The former site of Evans Junior High is now the Downtown Campus of Spartanburg Community College; the property at 50 Emory Road is the current location of McCracken Middle School.
In 1970, integration of public schools was ordered by federal courts. Carver High School, a former Spartanburg educational facility and historically black institution, closed, merging with Spartanburg High School; the Carver High School campus is now the location of Carver Middle School. Following integration, Spartanburg High School's mascot, the Viking, and school colors, blue and gold, were chosen. To accommodate for the influx of new students, the school was renovated, with 41 new classrooms, a media center, and student center being among the additions to the campus.
Relocation and current building
On March 15, 2016, residents of Spartanburg County School District 7 voted on a bond referendum allocating $185 million for three building projects, one of which proposed relocating Spartanburg High School onto a former country club property situated along U.S. Route 29 in Spartanburg. Construction of a new high school building on the site would be funded by a tax increase of 10 mills. The measure passed with 63% of 7,191 voters in favor of the plan.
On December 14, 2016, ground was broken on the site of the future Spartanburg High School campus at a ceremony with about 200 attendees. Work on the site commenced early in 2017, with as many as 200 personnel following an "aggressive" completion schedule for the project. During this period, construction went over-budget by around $10 million as a result of preparation of the property for building. However, work was completed in time for the 2019-20 school year, with doors opening at the new Spartanburg High School at 2250 East Main Street on August 19, 2019.
Campus
The current campus of Spartanburg High School measures nearly 200 acres, a ~300% increase in size from the previous site on Emory Road in Spartanburg. The main academic building contains 124 classrooms across two stories and four wings. Two outdoor wings exist as courtyard spaces, and a basement wing serves as the athletic department. Attached to the academic building is the District 7 Fine Arts Center, which possesses a seating capacity of 1,000, and the Viking Arena, which can seat up to 2,500 people.
Outdoor features of the school's campus include the Viking Stadium, which has 7,500 seats. Numerous other athletic areas support track and field, baseball, softball, and tennis. Spartanburg High School's walking trails, outdoor classroom, wetlands, and irrigation system, alongside the property's energy efficiency measures, resulted in the school receiving two Green Globe Awards from the Green Building Initiative in 2020; it is the ninth such institution nationally to receive this distinction, and the first in South Carolina.
Programs
Academics
School performance
As of 2022, Spartanburg High School's on-time graduation rate was 85.4%, equivalent to that of Spartanburg School District 7 and 1.6% higher than the state average. 5.4% of students at the school dropped out, up 2.7% from the year prior. The number of students facing grade retention was 4.5%, and the rate of chronic student absenteeism increased 16.1% from the previous term to 34.3%. Gifted and talented program participation decreased from the 2021 rate by 2.9% to 17.1%. Spartanburg High School received an "Average" rating of 57/100 on their 2022 SCDOE School Report Card, indicating the institution's performance met criteria enabling all students to fulfill state graduation requirements.
Accolades
- Washington Post: "America's Most Challenging High Schools" (5 times, consecutively)
- National Blue Ribbon School (4 times, non-consecutively)
Arts
Spartanburg High School hosts classes for band, choir, orchestra, theatre, and visual arts.
In 2022, Spartanburg High School won exclusive South Carolina school rights to stage the musical Frozen, marking the non-Broadway-affiliated premiere of the work in the state. The institution was picked as a representative for the state as part of the "United States of Frozen: Love is an Open Door" competition, which resulted in the selection of one high school from every American state and territory to produce the work as part of the first-ever school performances of the musical. With contributions from musicians, staff, stage crew, and 287 student actors from across Spartanburg County School District 7, the school ran two free and four ticketed, sold-out showings in the District 7 Fine Arts Center.
Athletics
Spartanburg High School offers the following seasonal sports:
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Notable alumni
- Julie Story Byerley, Pediatrician and Vice Dean for Education for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
- John Cannady, former National Football League player
- Landon Cohen, former National Football League player
- Ralph Coleman, former National Football League player. Graduated from Carver High School
- Stephen Davis, former National Football League player
- Tavien Feaster, former National Football League player
- Art Fowler (1922–2007), pitcher and pitching coach in Major League Baseball
- Steve Fuller, former National Football League player
- Trey Gowdy, Republican U.S. Congressman representing South Carolina's 4th congressional district from 2011 to 2019
- T. J. Johnston, Anglican bishop
- Bud Moore, NASCAR team owner and member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame
- Kris Neely, artist and educator
- Trip Payne, puzzlemaker
- Anthony Simmons, former National Football League player
- Laura Story, contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter
- Pete Tinsley, former National Football League player
- Sid Tinsley, former National Football League player
- Wayne Tolleson, former baseball player
- General William Westmoreland, commanding general during the Vietnam War
- Howie Williams, former National Football League player. Graduated from Carver High School
See also
References
- ^ "Spartanburg High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ "Spartanburg High School". M. B. Kahn Construction Company, Inc. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
- ^ "Spartanburg High School". South Carolina High School League. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "Zoning Map" (PDF). City of Spartanburg. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
Compare to the address: 2250 E Main Street Spartanburg, South Carolina - Despite an outdated Google Maps view, the school is in the city limits. - ^ Rollins, Asia. "Spartanburg High gets a new principal". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ "Our Story / School History". www.spartanburg7.org. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ Jill H. Rodgers (May 2012). "Frank Evans High School" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
- ^ "Frank Evans High School, Spartanburg County (142 S. Dean St., Spartanburg)". National Register Properties in South Carolina. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
- ^ "Spartanburg Community College shows off new downtown campus". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ "Location, Map and Directions / Overview". www.spartanburg7.org. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ "Carver High School celebrates 80 years of history". 7 July 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ "The Early Years". Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ "Second set of Tolbert twins continues family legacy at SHS".
- ^ "Spartanburg voters say yes to District 7 building plan". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ "Ground-breaking ceremony held for new Spartanburg High School". WSPA 7NEWS. 2016-12-14. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ Lavender, Chris. "Spartanburg High School construction on schedule". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ "Inside look at new $134 million Spartanburg High School". WSPA 7NEWS. 2019-08-20. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ "The NEW Spartanburg High School / The New Spartanburg High School". www.spartanburg7.org. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ Swann, Samantha. "New Spartanburg High School recognized for being energy efficient school". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ "Graduation Rate - SC School Report Card". screportcards.com. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
- ^ "School Climate - SC School Report Card". screportcards.com. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
- ^ "Overview - SC School Report Card". screportcards.com. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
- ^ Staff Writer. "Spartanburg High named onet of America's Most Challenging High Schools". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
- ^ "National Blue Ribbon Schools Program". South Carolina Department of Education. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
- ^ "The Arts / Home". www.spartanburg7.org. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
- ^ Rollins, Asia. "Spartanburg school wins rights to perform Disney's 'Frozen' musical". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ "The United States of Frozen Contest - Educational Theatre Association". schooltheatre.org. 2022-06-15. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ "Upstate school district lands 'Frozen' musical". WSPA 7NEWS. 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ "All shows are now sold out!". Facebook. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ^ "Spartanburg High School". Spartanburg High School. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
- ^ "Byerley appointed Vice Dean for Education". Vital Signs. UNC Health Care News. 2013-09-12. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
- ^ "John Cannady Stats". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Landon Cohen Stats". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Ralph Coleman Stats". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Stephen Davis". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- ^ "Tavien Feaster Stats". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Art Fowler Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- ^ "Steve Fuller". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- ^ "U.S. Congressman Trey Gowdy". Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ^ "Anthony Simmons". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- ^ "Pete Tinsley Stats". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Sid Tinsley Stats". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ 1989 Topps baseball card # 716
- ^ "William Childs Westmoreland Papers". Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ^ "Howie Williams Stats". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2022.