This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (April 2009) |
Bluefield High School (BHS) is a public secondary school in Bluefield, West Virginia, United States. It is part of Mercer County Public Schools and is located at 535 West Cumberland Road. As of the 2018-2019 school year, enrollment was 609 students.
| Bluefield High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
535 West Cumberland Road , 24701 | |
| Coordinates | 37°14′55″N 81°13′04″W / 37.24867°N 81.21783°W |
| Information | |
| School type | AA |
| Motto | "We Believe" |
| Founded | 1903 |
| School board | Mercer County Public Schools |
| Superintendent | Deborah Dale Akers |
| School number | 5100 |
| Administrator | Sabrina Morrison |
| Principal | Michael Collins |
| Staff | 35.00 (FTE)[2] |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 608 (2022-2023)[2] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 17.37[2] |
| Language | English |
| Color(s) | Maroon and white [1] |
| Mascot | Beaver |
| Team name | Bluefield Beavers |
| Website | http://bhs.merc.k12.wv.us/ |
The school built a new library in 1998, which was later named after longtime librarian Mary Chmara.[citation needed]
History
editOriginally Beaver High School, named for the Beaver Pond District and the future mascot, the downtown high school was established in 1903, in the fast-developing Bluefield, West Virginia. Its first graduate was in 1907, Mary Aaron. The first class, composed of ten students, graduated in 1910. The current Bluefield High School was built on West Cumberland Road and opened to students in the fall of 1957. The former Beaver High School building served as Central Junior High School for several decades. BHS, the home of the Beavers, is the oldest high school building in Mercer County.
Sports
edit- Sports teams currently play in the WVSSAC at the AA level.
State championships
edit| State championships[citation needed] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Number of championships | Year | |
| Football | 11 | 1959, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1975, 1984, 1997, 2004, 2007, 2009, and 2017 | |
| Bowling | 1 | 1992 | |
| Golf | 2 | 1996 and 1997 | |
| Boys basketball | 4 | 1995, 1996, 2013, and 2014 | |
| Boys tennis | 4 | 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2002 | |
| Girls tennis | 1 | 2007 (first girls state championship won by a Mercer County school) | |
| Wrestling | 1 | 2007 (Brandon Eldridge was the first wrestling state champion in school history) | |
| Total | 24 | ||
Bluefield High School has won more state championships for all sports combined than any other AA school in West Virginia.[citation needed] The girls swim team was the 1999 runner-up in the state championship meet. In 2012, the boys soccer team was regional champions for the first time since 1985, where they made it to the state semifinals. From 1959 to 2017, the Bluefield High School football team had a winning percentage of .728.[3]
The classic Beaver/Graham football game is the biggest event each year for the two Bluefields. This game between cross-city rivals Bluefield High School and Graham High School is held at Mitchell Stadium. In 1991, the two schools were featured on the ESPN show Scholastic Sports America for having one of the largest high school football rivalries on the East Coast.[citation needed] The Beavers hold a winning record over Graham in the series, 62-24-2.[citation needed]
The Bluefield Beaver Band has won many awards.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "Bluefield High School". West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ a b c "BLUEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ Hypes, Larry (March 19, 2021). "Beavers honored with new black Jordan football uniforms". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Bluefield.