Frank W. Cox High School is a secondary school located in the Great Neck subdivision of Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was founded in 1961 as the Northeast Junior High School, but upon opening, it was named after a former superintendent of Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Frank Woodard Cox, who led the school division from 1933 to 1968. A replacement building, also designated as a primary hurricane shelter, was built nearby, at 2425 Shorehaven Drive. The high school was moved into the new building in the fall of 1983. The original building at 1848 N. Great Neck Road became Great Neck Junior High and then Great Neck Middle School. The original building was demolished in 2012.
Academic and athletic honors
Frank W. Cox has an academically advanced student body with an 80% annual passing rate on Advanced Placement Tests, with two out of three graduating students passing with an advanced diploma. The school has been recognized by major organizations such as Newsweek, which named the high school as a "top" public high school. As far as extracurricular activities go, Cox has an excellent array of sports teams to choose from. Also, its music program, student newspaper, and student yearbook all won Blue ribbon awards in 2018. The high school, which has won 50 state athletic titles. Which 49 out of the 50 have been awarded in the athelic fields. Also, Cox has been awarded the Virginia High School League Wachovia Cup for outstanding academic and athletic achievement eight out of 17 times, more than any other school. Cox High School is also known for its ModelUN and World Affairs Clubs. Their WorldQuest team has won the regional WorldQuest competition more than any other school in Hampton Roads, most recently the 2011 WorldQuest competition hosted by the World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads. The school no longer hosts WorldQuest, however. Cox is one of five Virginia Beachhigh schools ranked in the top 2600 in Newsweek's 2006 ranking of American high schools.
Music honors
The school's marching band competed in the 2011 USSBA Group II open national championships, and placed 1st overall with a score of 95.738, with captions in visual performance, overall effect, and colorguard. The band is also a current three-time state championship program, winning the 2010 USSBA group I open Virginiastate championships, as well as the 2011 USSBA group II open Virginia state championships, and the 2012 USBANDS group III open Virginia state championships, and the 2015 USBANDS Group 3 State Championships. In addition, they received 7th place at nationals with their show entitled "The Mission".
