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York High School (Virginia)
Encyclopedia
York High School is a York County School Division
high school located in Yorktown
in York County
, Virginia
. The school is located near the Yorktown Battlefield, where the last, decisive battle of the American Revolutionary War
was fought in October 1781. Yorktown Day, October 19th, commemorates the day on which British General Lord Corwallis formally surrendered to American General George Washington.
The school was opened in 1954 and currently enrolls over one thousand students. Athletic teams compete in the Virginia High School League's AA Bay Rivers District
in Region I
. The school is the home of the school division's television station and offers television production courses in the curriculum. The school is also the home of the York River Academy (a charter school that focuses on collaborative education teaching computer repair, cabling, and web design) and is the YCSD site for the International Baccalaureate Programme.
York High School was also home to the most powerful high school radio
station in the United States, WYCS 91.5.
From 1955 to 1970, an avalanche of over 5,000 pupils descended upon the York County school system. Families were moving out of the cities and many came from other states as some were returning after having been stationed in the county during their military service. Many changes to the schools came during that period as well. 1964 would be the last year for funds to be received from the district school levy. As of 1964, integration of YCSD schools began and the fall of 1967 marked the end of segregation. The James Weldon Johnson School, built on the same floor plan as YHS under the "separate but equal" emphasis during Segregation, became Yorktown Intermediate School.
Several additions were added to York High School within its first few years as the building would need to provide space for more than a thousand students in grades 6 through 12. As new schools opened, the school's population was reduced to consist of students of grades 9 through 12. The school served the entire county until Tabb High School opened in 1972 and Bruton High School opened in 1976.
and has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
since 1966.
Seaford Elementary School, Yorktown Elementary School, Dare Elementary School. All residents zoned to Yorktown Middle School are zoned to York High School.
York County School Division
The York County School Division or YCSD is a school division in York County, Virginia, United States. Currently the superintendent is Eric Williams, Ed.D...
high school located in Yorktown
Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
in York County
York County, Virginia
York County is a county located on the north side of the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Situated on the York River and many tributaries, the county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The school is located near the Yorktown Battlefield, where the last, decisive battle of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
was fought in October 1781. Yorktown Day, October 19th, commemorates the day on which British General Lord Corwallis formally surrendered to American General George Washington.
The school was opened in 1954 and currently enrolls over one thousand students. Athletic teams compete in the Virginia High School League's AA Bay Rivers District
AA Bay Rivers District
The AA Bay Rivers District is one of the four districts of AA Region I of the Virginia High School League which typically holds schools in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area...
in Region I
AA Region I
Region I is one of the four AA regions of the Virginia High School League. It is made up of four districts: the AA Battlefield District, the AA Bay Rivers District, the A/AA Eastern Shore District, and the AA Southside District...
. The school is the home of the school division's television station and offers television production courses in the curriculum. The school is also the home of the York River Academy (a charter school that focuses on collaborative education teaching computer repair, cabling, and web design) and is the YCSD site for the International Baccalaureate Programme.
York High School was also home to the most powerful high school radio
High school radio
High school radio within the United States is almost as old as radio broadcasting itself. Simply defined as a radio station, with its studios located at a high school and usually operated by its students with faculty supervision, stations fitting this description existed in the mid-1920s...
station in the United States, WYCS 91.5.
History
Located on U.S. Route 17 about 3 miles south of Yorktown, York High School opened in 1954 as the public school for grades 6 through 12 for the white children of the area, while the York County Training School in the Grafton area of York County would be used by black students. Before York High School opened, students attended other neighboring schools: Poquoson, Magruder in Williamsburg, and Morrison in Newport News, later to be known as Warwick High School. Black students in Grades 1 - 12 attended the newly constructed James Weldon Johnson School.From 1955 to 1970, an avalanche of over 5,000 pupils descended upon the York County school system. Families were moving out of the cities and many came from other states as some were returning after having been stationed in the county during their military service. Many changes to the schools came during that period as well. 1964 would be the last year for funds to be received from the district school levy. As of 1964, integration of YCSD schools began and the fall of 1967 marked the end of segregation. The James Weldon Johnson School, built on the same floor plan as YHS under the "separate but equal" emphasis during Segregation, became Yorktown Intermediate School.
Several additions were added to York High School within its first few years as the building would need to provide space for more than a thousand students in grades 6 through 12. As new schools opened, the school's population was reduced to consist of students of grades 9 through 12. The school served the entire county until Tabb High School opened in 1972 and Bruton High School opened in 1976.
Bailey Field
The athletic field was named in honor of B. Herman Bailey, a locally prominent family physician, who was widely considered to be a hero within the county. A successful doctor, Dr. Bailey was also an ardent supporter of YHS athletics for many years, providing sports physicals twice a year and was a faithful attendee of YHS football games. The field is now used by 3 out of the 4 high schools in the county with Tabb High School and Grafton High School also playing their home football games there.John P. Wornom Auditorium
The Auditorium is named for John P. Wornom, a York County native born in 1909 who owned a successful hardware store and was a long-time member of the York Couny School Board. An ardent supporter of childcare and education, Wornom worked to improve teacher pay and benefits, school facilities, and other measures to enhance the academic programs in the school division. He died from Lou Gehrig's Disease on September 4, 1978.Accreditation
York High is fully accredited by the Virginia Department of EducationVirginia Department of Education
The Virginia Department of Education is the state education agency of The Commonwealth of Virginia. It is headquartered in the James Monroe Building in Richmond. The department is headed by the Virginia Secretary of Education, a position that is appointed by the Governor of Virginia...
and has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
since 1966.
Feeder patterns
The following elementary schools feed into YHS :Seaford Elementary School, Yorktown Elementary School, Dare Elementary School. All residents zoned to Yorktown Middle School are zoned to York High School.