Bridgeport High School (West Virginia)


Bridgeport High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in Bridgeport, West Virginia, in Harrison County that operates as part of the Harrison County School District.
The current BHS building opened in 1963 and sits on a campus. Since then, several major additions have been added to accommodate the increasing enrollment. The first addition was completed in 1992. The second addition was completed in 1997 which included two state of the art computer labs. That brought the building to a total area of approximately.

Awards and recognition

During the 2005-06 school year, Bridgeport High School was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive.
In academic competitions for the 2006-2007 school year, BHS took 1st in State for Science Bowl, Quiz-Bowl and Scholastic Chess.
In 2007 the Science Bowl team won first place in the National Science Bowl Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model Car Challenge King of the Hill administered by the United States Department of Energy.
During the 2007-2008 school year the school was ranked as the number one high school in the state of West Virginia by WV Report and had a total of 8 National Merit Scholars.

Feeding pattern

Bridgeport High School students come from a three-feeder school area. Johnson Elementary School and Bridgeport Middle School are located adjacent to BHS on a campus, and the third feeder is Simpson Elementary. Students enrolled in these four schools live in Bridgeport, Anmoore, and surrounding unincorporated areas, such as Quiet Dell, Johnstown, Maple Lake, Corbin Branch, Oral Lake, Brushy Fork, and Romines Mills.

Athletics and Academics

Bridgeport High School has a total of 49 State Championships, in Academics and Athletics, and 1 National Championship. 3 State Championships in Academics in Science Bowl, which also won Nationals, T.E.A.M.S and in Quiz Bowl. 47 State Championships in Athletics in Football, Boys' Golf, Cheerleading, Girls' Swimming, Boys' Basketball, Baseball, Boys' Cross Country, Girls' Soccer, Girls' Basketball, Boys' Swimming, Girls' Tennis, Boys' Tennis Boys' Track and Field, Girls' Track and Field and Girls’ Volleyball.
Bridgeport has also placed state runner up a total of 38 times.
The High School also participates in Softball, Danceline and Wrestling but are yet to win or place runner up in any of these sports.
Bridgeport will move from competing in the AA to the AAA class starting in the 2020-2021 school year.

State Championships

Boys' Track and Field :
2014
2018
Girls' Track and Field :
2014
2016
2018
Football :
2019 - 21-14, Bluefield
2015 - 39-0, Tolsia
2014 - 43-7, Frankfort
2013 - 14-13, Wayne
2000 - 14-6, Wayne
1988 - 29-28, Winfield
1986 - 10-7, Tucker County
1979 - 20-7, St. Albans
1972 - 16-14, Dupont
1955 - 39-13, Webster Springs
Quiz Bowl :
2013
Boys' Cross Country :
2013
2014
2016
Girls' Soccer :
2012 3-2, Fairmont Senior
Girls' Basketball :
2013 44-27, Westside
Boys' Swimming :
2019
2010
Girls' Swimming :
2008
2000
1999
Science Bowl :
2007
2010
Golf :
2003
1994
1993
1992
1990
Cheerleading :
2019
2001
1998
1996
1995
Boys' Basketball :
2001 - 68-57, Tug Valley
1993 - 59-50, Oceana
Baseball :
2019 5-2, Frankfort
2018 17-15, Wayne
2017 14-3, Weir
2016 9-4, Pike View
2015 5-0, Chapmanville
2014 - 5-2, Independence
2000 - 7-2, Wyoming East
1993 - 11-4, Pineville
Girls' Tennis :
1995
Boys' Tennis :
2015
Girls' Volleyball :
2018 defeated Philip Barbour in 5 sets.

Runner's Up

Baseball :
2010 - 0-6, Nitro
1994 - 0-1, Wayne
1992 - 1-2, Wayne
Boys' Basketball :
1994 - 61-68, Oceana
Boys' Cross Country :
2015
Girls' Cross Country :
2018
Girls' Basketball :
2012 47-52, Greenbrier East
Cheerleading :
2014
2013
2007
2006
1999
1997
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
Football :
2001 7-21, Poca
Golf :
1989
1988
2014
Girls' Soccer :
2013 0-1, Sissonville
2014 0-5, Charleston Catholic
Boys' Swimming :
2013
2012
2011
2009
2008
Girls' Swimming :
2019
2007
2002
Boys' Tennis :
2013
Girls' Tennis :
2013
Girls' Track and Field :
2019
2015
2013
Volleyball :
2016

Controversy

The school was the subject of controversy over a print of artist Warner Sallman's portrait, Head of Christ, that has hung outside the principal's office since the 1970s. Two parents filed a lawsuit against the school in federal district court in Clarksburg, charging the principal, superintendent, and school board with endorsing Christianity over other religions. The parents were represented by the West Virginia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The school board accepted an offer from the Alliance Defense Fund to represent the school board, superintendent and the principal of the high school.
The portrait was stolen from the school on August 17, 2006, after someone broke a window and snatched the picture. The person broke through a window located in the Tech Ed department of the building. The portrait had not been located and the perpetrators were not identified as of November 2006, despite fact that video surveillance footage, fingerprints and DNA evidence were identified at the scene.
On October 6, 2006, the Harrison County School District Board of Education agreed to drop their defense of the case and settle with the case with the ACLU. The settlement ensures that school officials will not restore the portrait or post any other unconstitutional pictures, paintings, posters or other items with religious content.
The school also gained national attention in February 2009 when a theater production of the High School version of the musical "Rent" was canceled due to homosexual content and other themes that families would not find appealing.

Notable alumni