Dr. Phillips High School
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| Motto | "Never less than the best!" |
| Principal | Eugene Trochinski |
| School type | Public |
| Religious affiliation | None |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Location | Orlando, Florida |
| Enrollment | 3,700 (approx.) |
| Campus surroundings | Urban Fringe of Large City |
| Mascot | Panther |
| School color(s) | Navy Blue & Carolina Blue |
Dr. Phillips High School is a high school located in Orlando, Florida. The school opened in fall of 1987 and was built for approximately 2,500 students. The booming Doctor Phillips, Florida area of Southwest Orange County, Florida quickly made it one of the largest high schools in Florida. Enrollment peaked in the 2000-2001 school year at over 4,200 before neighboring Olympia High School opened in the fall of 2001.
The area of Doctor Phillips, Florida is named after Dr. Philip Phillips, a physician who later became a Central Florida citrus magnate. He was responsible for several key innovations in the processing and packaging of orange juice. He owned thousands of acres of groves, stretching across nine Central Florida counties. One of his biggest groves extended from present-day Conroy Road on the north to the south end of the Sand Lake Chain, encompassing all of what is now Bay Hill, Orange Tree, Sand Lake Hills and Turkey Lake Park.
Dr. Phillips High School is perhaps best known for the fact that it is located directly across the street from Universal Studios Florida. Students can actually hear screaming roller coaster riders through the windows of some of the classrooms on campus.
The school's first Principal, Bill Spoone, went on to be elected to the School Board for Orange County Public Schools. The football stadium is named after him. The school's gymnasium is named after its second Principal, Dr. Larry Payne, and is nicknamed "The House of Payne."
Dr. Phillips is home to the Orange County Public Schools' Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and Center for International Studies (CIS) magnet programs. The VPA program consists of art, dance, music, theater, and television-production departments. The CIS program places an emphasis on awareness of global issues, an understanding of other cultures, and the attainment of multilingual abilities necessary for international business and diplomacy.
[edit] Athletics
The mascot for Dr. Phillips is the Panther; specifically, the Florida panther. The Panthers have won Florida High School Athletic Association state championships in the following sports:
- Baseball 1996
- Basketball (Women's) 1992
- Golf (Men's) 1990, 1991, 1997, 1999
- Golf (Women's) 1993, 1994
- Swimming (Men's) 1995
- Swimming (Women's) 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
[edit] Famous Alumni
Enterainment/Pop Culture
- Joey Fatone, singer for the group 'N Sync
- Wayne Brady, an improv actor on the ABC television show Whose Line is it Anyway, talk show host and Miss America host
- Valery Ortiz, an actress who starred in the 2006 film Date Movie.
Athletics
- Johnny Damon, star from the Boston Red Sox 2004 World Series Championship team and current New York Yankees team member
- A.J. Pierzynski, star from the Chicago White Sox 2005 World Series Championship team
- Doug Gabriel, NFL player for the New England Patriots
- Damien Wilkins, NBA player for the Seattle Supersonics and son of former NBA player Gerald Wilkins
- Ike Charlton, NFL player for the New England Patriots
- Dan Miceli, pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
- Mark Ruiz, diver at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Patrick Damron, PGA golfer
- Ty Tryon, PGA golfer
- Robert Damron, PGA golfer
- Braniff Bonaventure, who played for the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League.
Politics/Government
- Tiffany Moore, Orange County, FL, Commissioner-Elect, District 6
