| Wells High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 200 Sanford Road (ME-109) Wells, Maine, 04090 United States |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Motto | "Striving For Excellence" |
| Established | 1901 |
| School district | Wells-Ogunquit Community School District |
| Principal | James Daly |
| Asst. Principal | Eileen M. Sheehy |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Number of students | 432 (2011-2012)[1] |
| Hours in school day | 6.5 |
| Color(s) | red, white, and black |
| Fight song | Down the Field |
| Athletics | football, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, wrestling, track and field, lacrosse, field hockey, tennis, golf, cheerleading |
| Athletics conference | Western Maine, Class B |
| Mascot | Warrior |
| Accreditation(s) | New England Association of Schools and Colleges |
| Newspaper | 'Wells Street Journal' |
| Yearbook | Abenaki |
| Performing Arts | chorus, concert band, jazz band, marching band, percussion ensemble, color guard, winter guard |
| Website | whs.k12wocsd.net |
Wells High School is a public school located in Wells, Maine. It has an enrollment of 432 students in grades 9 through 12.[1] The school primarily serves students from Wells, as well as a small number of students from Ogunquit, which was part of the town of Wells until 1980 and has never had its own high school.[2] From 1968 until 2006, Wells High School also served students from the town of Acton, which has also never had a high school of its own.[2]
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Wells High School traces its origins back to 1873, when the state of Maine enacted the Free High School Act. The law gave towns the ability to establish public high schools which would receive 50% of their funding from the state. Classes were held at the existing one-room schools located throughout the town.[2]
By the mid-1890s, it became clear that holding high school classes in several locations was not an optimal arrangement. In 1901, voters at the annual town meeting were asked whether they wanted to build a standalone high school. The vote passed. Later that same year, constructed at a cost of $3,650, Wells High School opened its doors. The first class graduated in 1903, with all nine students — seven girls and two boys — receiving diplomas.[3] The graduation ceremony was held at the Second Congregational Church (today known as the Wells Congregational Church, UCC), in what was considered an extraordinarily special and historic event. The class motto was Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum — Latin for "no footsteps backward."[3]
In 1909, Wells High School suffered an extensive fire. A new, larger building was immediately built on the same site. The high school would suffer yet another fire in 1922. Classes were held at the town hall while the building was repaired and enlarged. That building would serve as the high school until 1937 when a new, much larger high school was built a few hundred feet north, and the 1909 building was turned into an elementary school. The 1937 building, located at 1470 Post Road (US-1) across from Ocean View Cemetery, was the first school in Wells to be constructed out of brick, and cost $90,000 to build.[3] In 1939, the 1909 building was completely destroyed by fire, and was not rebuilt.[2]
The fourth (and current) Wells High School was constructed in 1977 at 200 Sanford Road (ME-109) at a cost of $2.9 million. The 1937 building became a junior high school that same year.[2] The 1977 building vaguely resembles the letter "W" when viewed from the air.
Wells High School celebrated its 100th graduating class in 2003 — which was also the 350th anniversary of the town's incorporation.[2]
The school mascot is the Warrior and the title of the yearbook is Abenaki. Both names reflect the significance of Native Americans in the history of Wells.[2] The school colors are red, white, and black.