Capital High School (Charleston, West Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Capital High School is a public high school
located in Charleston, West Virginia
.
, with the west side of town attending the new Stonewall Jackson High School
(The Wall). In 1965 after the decision in Brown v. Board of Education
the wealthy South Hills neighborhood carved out a new, virtually all white, district George Washington High School
, ostensibly due to overcrowding. However within 8 years, the Board of Education was making plans to consolidate Charleston and Stonewall Jackson, now supposedly due to low enrollments.
The first site considered was near Laidley Field
, which is next to the state capital building, which is near where the "Capital" name comes from. This was however abandoned in favor of a Track and Field Hall of Fame (which was never built) and a second site was selected on Greenbrier Street near the airport, however when an airplane crashed on this site, it was abandoned and today is an office park. The Board then decided on a location on a hilltop about 5 miles from town (and nowhere near the Capital the school was named for) that was formerly a country club
for golfing and had a swimming pool. Thus lthough located in a rural setting, it is typically considered an inner-city school due the majority of its students from an inner-city environment. This system of busing from an urban location to a closed campus in a remote setting was successful in controlling many urban problems and was later copied by Huntington High School
.
It is a modern school, built in 1989 and has a closed campus . It has a student population of around 1,300. Capital High School is Kanawha County's Magnet School for the Performing Arts. It is the only high school in Kanawha County to offer a performing arts class every period of the day.
Theatricals as one of six pilot schools to perform The Phantom of the Opera
. The schools were chosen to determine how well amateur groups could perform the musical. The Capital Performing Arts Centre hosted five shows from May 1 to May 4, 2008. Members of each performing arts group were involved in the production.
The Capital High Theatre Department is directed by Kristopher G. Corbett. The theatre department has won numerous awards throughout the schools history.
The Capital High Dance Company, accompanied by the Capital High Jazz Band, was selected to perform at Arts Alive: The Best of West Virginia held on April 28, 2008 at the Maier Foundation Performance Hall at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences. The Capital High Dance Company has also performed at the WV Dance Festival, the WV Secondary Dance Alliance Weekend Celebration, SCORES, and for Festivall 2009. They have also won numerous awards over the years. The director is Ms. A. Michelle Legg.
The Capital High V.I.P.s and Show Choir have won numerous grand championships and awards since the schools opening in 1989. The director is Mrs. Cathleen G. Corbett who has been the Director of Vocal Music since the school's opening in 1989.
The Capital High Orchestra, combined with the South Charleston High School
Orchestra, took First Place High School Orchestra and Best Overall Orchestra at Music in the Parks competition. They were also invited to the 2009 National Orchestra Festival held March 18–21, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia
. The director is Mrs. Colleen Tan.
"The Pride of Capital High" Marching Band has won over 60 grand championships since the schools opening in 1989. "The Pride of Capital High", along with the seven other public high schools in Kanawha County, compete in the Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival
held every year at the end of September. 2007 marked the tenth win for the band at the festival and also marked the Class of 2008 the first class in the schools history to win the festival every year (that's including when the school had grades 10 through 12). In 2008, the band won the festival again and became the first band since 1984 to have won the festival for five consecutive years. They broke this record in 2009 and, as of 2011, currently have eight consecutive wins making their overall wins fourteen (1989–90, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2004–11). The band has had four girls named Miss Kanawha Majorette at the festival (Sarah Lang in 1991, Laura Hanna in 1999, Ashley Parsons in 2002, and Casey Jarvis in 2009). In the 2006–2007 academic school year, "The Pride of Capital High" went undefeated, with a 5-0 winning streak, the first time the band went undefeated. The band has also performed numerous times out of the state including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios
in Orlando, Florida
, the Epcot Center, on Big Red Boat Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, the 2005 Chicago State Street Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the Indianapolis 500
. The band has also performed for former Vice-President Al Gore
, numerous times for the governors of West Virginia, and in 2008 for former Senator Hillary Clinton. The Director of Bands is William Robert "Bobby" Jenks. The former director, Robert M. "Bob" Scott, had been the Director of Bands at the school since the school opened in 1989 until his retirement in 2011.
The Concert Band has received superior ratings at the Region IV High School Adjudications (which is also hosted by the school) since the schools opening in 1989. In 2010, the concert band served as the Honor Band for the West Virginia Music Educators Association All-State Conference festival held in Charleston that year.
The Jazz Band plays numerous times throughout the school year for community and school events and have won several awards. In 2008, the Jazz Band was the accompaniment for the Capital High Dance Company at Arts Alive: The Best of West Virginia. The two pieces they played for the Dance Company were "Got to Get You into My Life
" and "Bandstand Boogie". The Jazz Band meets after school once a week after the marching season has ended and during the club/activity period.
Every year, Capital High students have been selected, by audition, to be in one of several honors groups including, the West Virginia All-State Chorus, the West Virginia All-State Orchestra, the West Virginia All-State Band, the Kanawha County All-County Chorus, the Kanawha County All-County Orchestra, the Kanawha County All-County Band, the Kanawha County All-County Jazz Band, the WVU
Honor Band, the WVU Honor Orchestra, the Virginia Tech Honor Band, as well as other honors groups throughout West Virginia.
Fall sports
Winter sports
Spring sports
with standards high, a place where all boldly find their own special way.
Oh, Alma Mater, Oh, Alma Mater, we sing,
Of thee we proudly sing our praise to thee.
Oh, we'll give our best through all the years with hearts held high for you.
Oh, Capital, our Capital, the silver, the silver, the gray and blue.
With joyful hearts we sing our praise to the silver gray and blue.
We stand as one to proudly raise our pledge of faith so true.
Oh, Alma Mater, Oh, Alma Mater, we sing of thee;
We proudly sing our praise to thee.
Oh, we'll give our best through all the years with hearts held high for you.
Oh, Capital, our Capital, the silver, the silver, the gray and blue.
Scale: % proficient or above
2006 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) math statistics:
2006 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reading statistics:
Enrollment by Grade
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity
Enrollment by Gender
Free Lunch Eligible: 400
Reduced-price Lunch Eligible: 64
selected Capital as her first high school to visit. The school received national recognition and was featured by several major national news networks and on the AOL.com homepage.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
.
History
The original high school in the city was Charleston High School, locally known as "The High" serving the entire city. In 1940 the school had become overcrowded and the district was divided at the Elk RiverElk River (West Virginia)
The Elk River is a tributary of the Kanawha River, long, in central West Virginia in the United States. Via the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.-Course:...
, with the west side of town attending the new Stonewall Jackson High School
Stonewall Jackson High School (Kanawha County, West Virginia)
Stonewall Jackson High School is a former high school in Kanawha County, West Virginia. It opened in 1940 and closed in 1989. It was located on the West Side in Charleston, West Virginia. In 1989, Stonewall Jackson High School and Charleston High School consolidated to become Capital High School...
(The Wall). In 1965 after the decision in Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
the wealthy South Hills neighborhood carved out a new, virtually all white, district George Washington High School
George Washington High School (Charleston, West Virginia)
George Washington High School is a public high school in Charleston, West Virginia, USA. GWHS opened in 1965 to accommodate students in South Hills and Loudendale ostensibly because Charleston High School was overcrowded. Prior to this time students in Charleston were divided between Charleston...
, ostensibly due to overcrowding. However within 8 years, the Board of Education was making plans to consolidate Charleston and Stonewall Jackson, now supposedly due to low enrollments.
The first site considered was near Laidley Field
Laidley Field
The University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field, is an 18,500-capacity stadium located in downtown Charleston, West Virginia, near the state Capitol complex. It features a FieldTurf playing field for football and facilities for track and field competitions.The stadium was finished in 1979,...
, which is next to the state capital building, which is near where the "Capital" name comes from. This was however abandoned in favor of a Track and Field Hall of Fame (which was never built) and a second site was selected on Greenbrier Street near the airport, however when an airplane crashed on this site, it was abandoned and today is an office park. The Board then decided on a location on a hilltop about 5 miles from town (and nowhere near the Capital the school was named for) that was formerly a country club
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
for golfing and had a swimming pool. Thus lthough located in a rural setting, it is typically considered an inner-city school due the majority of its students from an inner-city environment. This system of busing from an urban location to a closed campus in a remote setting was successful in controlling many urban problems and was later copied by Huntington High School
Huntington High School (West Virginia)
Huntington High School is a four year high school located on top of a hill just outside of Huntington, West Virginia. It was established in 1996 through the consolidation of the old Huntington and Huntington East High Schools. The school has a student body of approximately 1600 students. Huntington...
.
It is a modern school, built in 1989 and has a closed campus . It has a student population of around 1,300. Capital High School is Kanawha County's Magnet School for the Performing Arts. It is the only high school in Kanawha County to offer a performing arts class every period of the day.
Achievements
Capital High has obtained many awards, including:- State Science Bowl champions in 2006 and 2008 and third runner up in 2007.
- S.C.O.R.E.S, a competition involving a multitude of subjects ranging from basic academic subjects to physical conditioning, champions in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Schools from all over the state participate.
- First place winners of the Marshall Math Examination in 2007, a three-hour exam using extended reasoning and critical thinking. Schools from West Virginia and the surrounding area participated.
- Fourth place state quizbowl team in 2007 and First place in 2008.
- First place local ACS (American Chemical Society) Competition winners in 2008.
Phantom of the Opera Production
In 2007, Capital High was chosen by Rodgers and HammersteinRodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
Theatricals as one of six pilot schools to perform The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
. The schools were chosen to determine how well amateur groups could perform the musical. The Capital Performing Arts Centre hosted five shows from May 1 to May 4, 2008. Members of each performing arts group were involved in the production.
Performing arts
Capital High is Kanawha County's Magnet School for the Performing Arts offering a class in performing arts every period of the day. These include The Capital High Dance Company, the Capital High Theatre Department, the Capital High V.I.P.s (Voices In Perfection) Show Choir, the Capital High Orchestra, and "The Pride of Capital High" Marching and Concert Band as well as the Capital High Jazz Band. Each group has won numerous awards throughout the state of West Virginia, as well as outside of the state.The Capital High Theatre Department is directed by Kristopher G. Corbett. The theatre department has won numerous awards throughout the schools history.
The Capital High Dance Company, accompanied by the Capital High Jazz Band, was selected to perform at Arts Alive: The Best of West Virginia held on April 28, 2008 at the Maier Foundation Performance Hall at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences. The Capital High Dance Company has also performed at the WV Dance Festival, the WV Secondary Dance Alliance Weekend Celebration, SCORES, and for Festivall 2009. They have also won numerous awards over the years. The director is Ms. A. Michelle Legg.
The Capital High V.I.P.s and Show Choir have won numerous grand championships and awards since the schools opening in 1989. The director is Mrs. Cathleen G. Corbett who has been the Director of Vocal Music since the school's opening in 1989.
The Capital High Orchestra, combined with the South Charleston High School
South Charleston High School
South Charleston High School is a public high school grades 9 through 12 located on the southern half of the Kanawha River, west of the city of Charleston, in the city of South Charleston's Spring Hill neighborhood. The School mascot is the Black Eagle and the enrollment is approximately 1,200...
Orchestra, took First Place High School Orchestra and Best Overall Orchestra at Music in the Parks competition. They were also invited to the 2009 National Orchestra Festival held March 18–21, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. The director is Mrs. Colleen Tan.
"The Pride of Capital High" Marching Band has won over 60 grand championships since the schools opening in 1989. "The Pride of Capital High", along with the seven other public high schools in Kanawha County, compete in the Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival
Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival
The Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival is an annual festival dedicated to high school bands and majorette corps in Kanawha County, West Virginia. The event is held at the University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field in Charleston, West Virginia at the end of September of...
held every year at the end of September. 2007 marked the tenth win for the band at the festival and also marked the Class of 2008 the first class in the schools history to win the festival every year (that's including when the school had grades 10 through 12). In 2008, the band won the festival again and became the first band since 1984 to have won the festival for five consecutive years. They broke this record in 2009 and, as of 2011, currently have eight consecutive wins making their overall wins fourteen (1989–90, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2004–11). The band has had four girls named Miss Kanawha Majorette at the festival (Sarah Lang in 1991, Laura Hanna in 1999, Ashley Parsons in 2002, and Casey Jarvis in 2009). In the 2006–2007 academic school year, "The Pride of Capital High" went undefeated, with a 5-0 winning streak, the first time the band went undefeated. The band has also performed numerous times out of the state including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios
Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort is a theme park resort in Orlando, Florida. It is wholly owned by NBCUniversal and its affiliates. The resort consists of two theme parks , Universal CityWalk , and three Loews Hotels...
in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, the Epcot Center, on Big Red Boat Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, the 2005 Chicago State Street Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
. The band has also performed for former Vice-President Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
, numerous times for the governors of West Virginia, and in 2008 for former Senator Hillary Clinton. The Director of Bands is William Robert "Bobby" Jenks. The former director, Robert M. "Bob" Scott, had been the Director of Bands at the school since the school opened in 1989 until his retirement in 2011.
The Concert Band has received superior ratings at the Region IV High School Adjudications (which is also hosted by the school) since the schools opening in 1989. In 2010, the concert band served as the Honor Band for the West Virginia Music Educators Association All-State Conference festival held in Charleston that year.
The Jazz Band plays numerous times throughout the school year for community and school events and have won several awards. In 2008, the Jazz Band was the accompaniment for the Capital High Dance Company at Arts Alive: The Best of West Virginia. The two pieces they played for the Dance Company were "Got to Get You into My Life
Got to Get You into My Life
"Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by The Beatles, first released in 1966 on the album Revolver. Written by Paul McCartney , it made prominent use of a brass section...
" and "Bandstand Boogie". The Jazz Band meets after school once a week after the marching season has ended and during the club/activity period.
Every year, Capital High students have been selected, by audition, to be in one of several honors groups including, the West Virginia All-State Chorus, the West Virginia All-State Orchestra, the West Virginia All-State Band, the Kanawha County All-County Chorus, the Kanawha County All-County Orchestra, the Kanawha County All-County Band, the Kanawha County All-County Jazz Band, the WVU
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
Honor Band, the WVU Honor Orchestra, the Virginia Tech Honor Band, as well as other honors groups throughout West Virginia.
Sports
Capital High offers a number of sports throughout the fall, winter, and spring seasons.Fall sports
- Cross country
- Football
- Soccer boys
- Soccer girls
- Volleyball
- Golf
- Baseball
Winter sports
- Boys basketball
- Girls basketball
- Swimming
- Wrestling
Spring sports
- Baseball
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track & field
Alma mater
Traditions born from two great schools, we've made both proud today;with standards high, a place where all boldly find their own special way.
Oh, Alma Mater, Oh, Alma Mater, we sing,
Of thee we proudly sing our praise to thee.
Oh, we'll give our best through all the years with hearts held high for you.
Oh, Capital, our Capital, the silver, the silver, the gray and blue.
With joyful hearts we sing our praise to the silver gray and blue.
We stand as one to proudly raise our pledge of faith so true.
Oh, Alma Mater, Oh, Alma Mater, we sing of thee;
We proudly sing our praise to thee.
Oh, we'll give our best through all the years with hearts held high for you.
Oh, Capital, our Capital, the silver, the silver, the gray and blue.
School statistics
WESTEST resultsScale: % proficient or above
| 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | State Average (2007) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 75% | 68% | 78% | 75% | 75% |
| Science | 81% | 83% | 86% | 80% | 86% |
| Mathematics | 64% | 60% | 71% | 60% | 68% |
2006 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) math statistics:
| Students Tested : | 283 |
|---|---|
| White: | 189 |
| Black: | 88 |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 128 |
| Met Standard : | YES |
|---|---|
| White: | YES |
| Black: | YES |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | YES |
| Participation Rate : | 98.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | 98.0% |
| Black: | 98.0% |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 98.0% |
| State average from 664 schools: | 99.3% |
| Novice (%) | 11.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | 6.0% |
| Black: | 25.0% |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 15.0% |
| State average from 226 schools: | 6.8% |
| Below Mastery (%) | 23.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | 12.0% |
| Black: | 39.0% |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 31.0% |
| State average from 549 schools: | 19.9% |
| Mastery (%) | 49.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | 54.0% |
| Black: | 105.0% |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 44.0% |
| State average from 656 schools: | 45.8% |
| Above Mastery (%) | 13.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | 16.0% |
| Black: | 98.0% |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | Information Not Available |
| State average from 614 schools: | 23.6% |
| Proficient (%) | 65.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | 73.0% |
| Black: | 47.0% |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 52.0% |
| State average from 663 schools: | 77.6% |
2006 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reading statistics:
| Students Tested : | 282 |
|---|---|
| White: | 189 |
| Black: | 87 |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 126 |
| Met Standard : | YES |
|---|---|
| White: | YES |
| Black: | YES |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | YES |
| Participation Rate : | 98.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | 98.0% |
| Black: | 97.0% |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 97.0% |
| Novice (%) | 7.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | Information Not Available |
| Black: | 13.0% |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 9.0% |
| Below Mastery (%) | 17.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | 11.0% |
| Black: | 30.0% |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 27.0% |
| Mastery (%) | 39.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | 38.0% |
| Black: | 44.0% |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 39.0% |
| Above Mastery (%) | 32.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | 16.0% |
| Black: | 13.0% |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 21.0% |
| Distinguished (%) | 10.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | 14.0% |
| Black: | Information Not Available |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | Information Not Available |
| Proficient (%) | 76.0% |
|---|---|
| White: | 84.0% |
| Black: | 57.0% |
| Low Socioeconomic Status: | 64.0% |
Enrollment Statistics
Source: CCD Public school data 2005–2006 school yearEnrollment by Grade
| PK | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 12 | 399 | 318 | 301 | 258 |
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity
| Amer. Ind./ Alaskan |
Asian | Black | Hispanic | White | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 1 | 17 | 366 | 5 | 899 |
Enrollment by Gender
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Students | 648 | 640 |
Free Lunch Eligible: 400
Reduced-price Lunch Eligible: 64
2008 Presidential campaign
On Wednesday, March 19, 2008, then New York Senator Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
selected Capital as her first high school to visit. The school received national recognition and was featured by several major national news networks and on the AOL.com homepage.
Sources
- Capital High School Website
- greatschools
- City-Data.com
- National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Education