Homewood High School
| Homewood High School | |
| |
| Established | 1972 |
|---|---|
| School type | Public |
| District | Homewood City Schools |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Principal | Kevin Maddox |
| Enrollment | c. 1,000 (2005) |
| Colors | Red, white, & blue |
| Mascot | Patriots |
| Location | 1901 S. Lakeshore Dr. Homewood |
| Website | www.homewood.k12.al.us/hhs |
Homewood High School is a four-year public high school in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood located at 1901 South Lakeshore Drive. It is the lone high school in the Homewood School System.
Enrollment in grades 9-12 for the 2005-06 school year was approximately 1,000 students. The principal is Kevin Maddox.
History
When the Homewood School System was founded in 1970, the system did not have a high school. Instead, students paid tuition to attend Shades Valley High School, if they paid tuition. In 1971, a five-mill tax was passed by voters to pay for a city high school. The city then swapped 15 acres of Samford University land for a strip owned by the city and purchased an additional ten acres, all along South Lakeshore Drive. The school was completed quickly at a cost of $3.5 million and opened in December 1972. Michael Gross, principal of Homewood Junior High School, was appointed as the high school's first principal.
Sports
Homewood's athletic teams are called the "Patriots" and school colors are red, white and blue. The football team, coached by Dickey Wright, plays at Waldrop Stadium in West Homewood.
Homewood High School has won six state football championships. The 1974 team won the Class 4A championship (the highest class at the time) and, more recently, the 1995, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2005 teams, coached by Bob Newton, dominated 5A competition. Starting with the 2006-07 season, Homewood moved up from Class 5A to Class 6A. Homewood had played in Class 5A since 1985, when the Alabama High School Athletic Association expanded from four classes to six.
Band
The Homewood Patriot Marching Band has a reputation for excellence. They have performed in the Rose Bowl Parade and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade multiple times. The band's first director was Freddie Pollard, who started in 1972. Pat Morrow took over in 1975 and directed the band until the spring of 1996. Ron Pence has directed the band since the fall of 1996.
Accomplishments
- United States Department of Education "Blue Ribbon School"; 1983-84.
- United States Department of Education Secondary School Recognized for Excellence, 1984.
Principals
- Michael Gross (1972–1978)
- Jack Farr (1978–1992)
- Mike Hathorne (1992–1998)
- John Draper (1998–1999)
- Dyer Carlisle III (1999–2006)
- Vic Wilson (2006–2008)
- Kevin Maddox (2008–present)
Notable graduates
- Samantha Shaw (née Slimp) (1975), Alabama State Auditor
- Eric Ramsey (1986), Auburn football player
- Chris Gray (1988), professional football player
- Jay Roberson (1990), sportscaster and businessman
- John Zimmerman (1992), professional figure skater
External links
- Homewood High School official site
- Homewood High School athletics official site
- Homewood High School football history from ahsfhs.org website
References
- Summe, Sheryl Spradling. (2001). Homewood: The Life of a City. Homewood, AL: Friends of the Homewood Public Library.