Homewood High School

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Homewood High School
HHS crest.gif
Established 1972
School type Public
District Homewood City Schools
Grades 9-12
Principal Zack Barnes
Enrollment 1,177 (2016)
Colors Red, white, & blue
Mascot Patriots
Location 1901 S. Lakeshore Dr.
Homewood
Website hhs.homewood.k12.al.us

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 Zack Barnes.

History

When the Homewood School System was founded in 1970, the system did not have a high school. Instead, Homewood students paid tuition to attend Shades Valley High School, the Jefferson County system high school which served Homewood prior to the changeover. 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.

In 2016, plans began to be made to move Homewood High School to a new parcel on West Oxmoor Road as the student population is expected to grow beyond the current school's capacity by 2023.

Programs

Athletics

Homewood's athletic teams are called the "Patriots" and school colors are red, white, and blue. The school fields teams in football, baseball, softball, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, volleyball, wrestling, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls cross country, golf, and boys and girls track & field.

When it opened in 1972, Homewood was placed in the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 4A, the highest class at the time. In 1985, when the AHSAA expanded from four classes to six, Homewood was placed in Class 5A. In 1996, the school was moved up to 6A. It then returned to Class 5A in 2000. The school was promoted to Class 6A again in 2006 before returning briefly to Class 5A in 2012. In 2014, the AHSAA expanded the class system up to 7A and Homewood was placed in class 6A.

The varsity football team, coached by Dickey Wright, plays at Waldrop Stadium. 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 prior to their move to 6A.

The boys soccer team were state champions in 2003, 2005, and 2006. The boys track & field team were 2006 5A indoor champions. The boys wrestling team has had several state champions, including Forrest Millsap who won four state championships.

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

  1. Michael Gross (19721978)
  2. Jack Farr (19781992)
  3. Mike Hathorne (19921998)
  4. John Draper (19981999)
  5. Dyer Carlisle III (19992006)
  6. Vic Wilson (20062008)
  7. Kevin Maddox (20082012)
  8. Zack Barnes (2012–present)

Notable graduates

External links

References