Bridgeport High School (West Virginia)

Bridgeport High School
Address
515 Johnson Ave
Bridgeport, West Virginia, 26330
United States
Information
School type Public, high school
Founded 1963 (present location)
School district Harrison County Schools
Superintendent Mrs. Susan Lee Collins
Principal Mr. Mark DeFazio
Assistant Principal Mrs. Mary Frances Smith
Mr. Matt DeMotto
Staff 65
Grades 9-12
Enrollment 850  (2008-09)
Language English
Color(s)           Red and White
Athletics conference Big Ten Conference
Mascot Indians
Rival Robert C. Byrd High School
Feeder schools Bridgeport Middle School
Website

Bridgeport High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in Bridgeport, West Virginia, in Harrison County that operates as part of the Harrison County School District.

The current BHS building opened in 1963 and sits on a 22-acre (8.9 ha) campus. Since then, several major additions have been added to accommodate the increasing enrollment. The first addition was completed in 1992. The second addition, completes in 1997 and which included two state of the art computer labs. That brought the building to a total area of approximately 98,000 square feet (9,100 m2).

Contents

Awards and recognition

During the 2005–06 school year, Bridgeport High School was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education,[1] the highest award an American school can receive.[2][3]

In academic competitions for the 2006–2007 school year, BHS took 1st (in some form) in State for Science Bowl, Quiz-Bowl and Scholastic Chess.

In 2007 the Science Bowl team won first place in the National Science Bowl Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model Car Challenge King of the Hill administered by the United States Department of Energy.[4]

During the 2007–2008 school year the school was ranked as the number one high school in the state of West Virginia by WV Report and had a total of 8 National Merit Scholars.[5]

Feeding pattern

Bridgeport High School students come from a three-feeder school area. Johnson Elementary School and Bridgeport Middle School are located adjacent to B.H.S. on a campus, and the third feeder is Simpson Elementary. Students enrolled in these four schools live in Bridgeport, Anmoore, and surrounding unincorporated areas, such as Quiet Dell, Johnstown, Maple Lake, Corbin Branch, Oral Lake, Brushy Fork, and Romines Mills.

Athletics

State Championships

Football (6):

1955 (A) - 39-13, Webster Springs
1972 (AAA) - 16-14, Dupont
1979 (AAA) - 20-7, St. Albans
1986 (AA) - 10-7, Tucker County
1988 (AA) - 29-28, Winfield (4OT)
2000 (AA) - 14-6, Wayne

Girls' Swimming (3):

1999
2000
2008

Boys' Basketball (2):

1994
2001

Baseball (2):

1992
2000

Boys' Golf (2):

1995
2004

Boys' Swimming:

2010

Girls' Tennis:

1995

Science Bowl:

2007

Cheerleading:

2001

Controversy

The school was the subject of controversy over a print of artist Warner Sallman's portrait, Head of Christ, that has hung outside the principal's office since the 1970s. Two parents filed a lawsuit against the school in federal district court in Clarksburg, and were represented by the West Virginia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The school board accepted an offer from the Alliance Defense Fund to represent the school board, superintendent and the principal of the high school.[6]

The portrait was stolen from the school on August 17, 2006, after someone broke a window and snatched the picture. The portrait had not been located and the perpetrators were not identified as of November 2006, despite fact that video surveillance footage, fingerprints and DNA evidence were identified at the scene.[7]

On October 6, 2006, the Harrison County School District Board of Education agreed to drop their defense of the case and settle with the case with the ACLU. The settlement ensures that school officials will not restore the portrait or post any other unconstitutional pictures, paintings, posters or other items with religious content.[8][9][10]

The school also gained national attention in February 2009 when a theater production of the High School version of the musical "Rent" was canceled due to homosexual content and other themes that families would not find appealing.[11]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ 2006 Blue Ribbon Schools, accessed December 9, 2006
  2. ^ CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department, Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
  3. ^ Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post, September 29, 2005. "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
  4. ^ "High School Teams from Connecticut and West Virginia Win DOE’s National Science Bowl Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model Car Challenge", United States Department of Energy press release dated April 30, 2007. Accessed October 17, 2007. "Teams of high school students from Edwin O. Smith High School in Storrs, Connecticut and Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, West Virginia won first place in their events today at the annual U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model Car Challenge at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center."
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ ‘Why can’t other people respect my religion?’ - Queen: Battle over Jesus portrait about religious liberty, Times-West Virginian, August 20, 2006
  7. ^ No arrests made three months after Jesus painting theft, Charleston Daily Mail, November 30, 2006
  8. ^ W.Va. board abandons fight for Christ portrait, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 7, 2006.
  9. ^ Americans United Succeeds In Challenge To Religious Display At West Virginia School: Watchdog Group Lauds School Officials For Agreeing Not To Display Picture Of Jesus Or Other Unconstitutional Religious Displays, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State press release dated October 6, 2006
  10. ^ ACLU Calls Bridgeport High School Settlement a Victory For Freedom of Religion, American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia, press release dated October 20, 2006
  11. ^ Tamer ‘Rent’ Is Too Wild for Some Schools, New York Times, February 20, 2009.
  12. ^ Nancy Jacobs profile, Maryland Senate. Accessed June 21, 2007. "Born in Charleston, West Virginia, October 27, 1951. Attended Bridgeport High School; West Virginia University, B.S. (journalism & speech), 1973."
  13. ^ [2] Accessed November 5, 2009. Scott Simons artist profile at www.last.fm.

External links