Berkeley Springs High School

Berkeley Springs High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, USA. It houses 9th through 12th grade and currently has about 747 students in attendance.^[2] It is a Morgan County school.

History

Aerial view of the campus and the four buildings

Berkeley Springs High School was founded in 1913 in the town of Berkeley Springs, which is the seat of Morgan County, West Virginia. Originally located at 187 South Green Street and named Bath District High School, the school moved to its current campus in the Berryville neighborhood and began using its current name in 1939. The 1939 building is now called the Main Building, or Building A.

In 1963, a junior high school was built next to the high school building. When the junior high school closed, it became the high school's Arts and Humanities Building (Building B). It now holds the school's Social Studies, art, and special education classrooms.

In the mid-70's, a new athletic building (Building C) was constructed next to Building B and diagonal to Building A. A kitchen was added to one side of the 1939 building and the old gymnasium became the cafeteria. Building C now has the gymnasium, athletic offices and training rooms, weightlifting room, band room, choir room, and dance room.

In 1985, the Vocational Building (Building D) was built on the hill between buildings B and C and Highway 522. This part of the school contains health, cooking and agriculture classes, an extra media center, a long-distance learning room, and an alternative education room.

In 2002, multiple additions were added and renovations performed on Building A, more than doubling its size. The most prominent addition is the new main office, library/media center, and conference rooms on the first floor and four science classrooms and a teachers' lounge on the second floor. Dressing rooms and a prop room were added to the back of the auditorium, and an extra cafeteria room was added. The school's front entrance was moved to the opposite side of the building, giving it a more central position among the four buildings. The first floor girls' restroom was moved to the location of the original reception desk, making room for a hallway to the new cafeteria room. Old windows were replaced and HVAC was installed throughout the building.

In 2007, an addition was added to the south side of Building D, adding two Spanish classrooms, two extra science classrooms, and a driver's education classroom.

In May 2013, the Morgan County Schools' excess tax levy was voted down by the citizens of Morgan County,^[3] and several programs at Berkeley Springs High School, including driver's education, alternative education, advanced-placement history, and Psychology were planned to be stopped for the 2014-2015 school year. However, the school board held a new vote in May 2014 for a new levy rate at 70% of the original, and it was voted up, allowing these programs to continue.^[4]

In Fall 2014, the Girls' Cross Country Team became state champions.^[5]

Organizations and Athletics

Main website: http://www.berkeleyspringsathletics.org/

Sports

• Football
• Soccer
• Wrestling
• Cheerleading
• Baseball
• Softball
• Cross Country
• Track and Field
• Golf
• Swimming
• Fishing

Arts

• Marching Band
• Concert Band
• Show Choir
• Concert Choir
• Dance

Clubs and Activities

• FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America)
• FFA (Future Farmers of America)
• National Honor Society
• Color Guard
• Book Club
• Chess Club
• Anime Club

Note: These lists may not be complete.

Notable Alumni

Berkeley Springs High School has been home to several notable alumni. Amongst these are:

• James William-Fitzpatrick
• Wallace Allen
• Ivory Brown
• Ashley Tomlinson
• Kathy Hadley
• Steve Rogers
• Peter Pecker
• Snoop Dogg Voice Pack
• Antone Belt

References