Hoover High School (Alabama)


Hoover High School is a four-year public high school in the Birmingham, Alabama suburb of Hoover. Hoover replaced the former W.A. Berry High School. It is one of two high schools in the Hoover City School System and one of three International Baccalaureate schools in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area. The school colors are orange, black, and white, and the athletic teams are called the Buccaneers. Hoover competes in AHSAA Class 7A athletics.
Hoover is the largest high school in the state of Alabama, with an enrollment of 2,770 students. It is known for being featured in 2006 in the MTV reality television series, Two-A-Days.

Student profile

Enrollment in grades 9-12 for the 2013-14 school year is 2,770 students. Approximately 59% of students are white, 27% are African-American, 7% are Asian-American, 5% are Hispanic, and 2% are multiracial. Roughly 25% of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch.
Hoover has a graduation rate of 94%. Approximately 94% of its students meet or exceed proficiency standards in reading, and 96% meet or exceed standards in mathematics. The average ACT score for Hoover students is 26 and the average SAT composite is 1860.

Athletics

Athletic teams

Hoover competes in AHSAA Class 7A athletics and fields teams in the following sports:
Hoover has won a total of over 100 state championships in the following sports:
Hoover's football team has played in the state playoffs 30 times, reaching the semifinals 19 times and the finals 17 times.

Performing arts

Controversy

Hoover High School became embroiled in controversy in the summer of 2007 over allegations that grades for certain athletes were changed to make them eligible for college sports under National Collegiate Athletic Association regulations. The charges center around players on the football team. Rush Propst, the Bucs' head coach, denied any wrongdoing, as did then-principal Richard Bishop. Hoover Superintendent Andy Craig appointed retired federal prosecutor Sam Pointer to investigate the charges. The report was released on October 12, 2007, and found that grades had been changed for two athletes, along with various other issues.
On July 25, 2007, the Hoover School Board voted to not renew Bishop's contract after one year of service. The action was based largely on a less-than-satisfactory performance assessment by a former assistant superintendent. Dr. Ken Jarnagin was named the interim principal; he started the previous month as the school system's chief academic officer.
Hoover High School again came under public scrutiny in October 2007 after reports that a player failed to properly transfer from Hanceville High School. The AHSAA investigation resulted in the forfeiture of all games in which he played, reducing the team record from 6-1 to 2-5 at the time. The Bucs still qualified for the post-season playoffs, however.
The state director of K-12 accreditation for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools announced his concern with the leadership at Hoover High. SACS asked for and received an outline of the changes necessary to fix the problems in order for the school to retain its accreditation.

Notable alumni