Kinston High School is a high school located in Kinston, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest school in the Lenoir CountyPublic School System. Kinston High was built in 1970 as an integrated high school to serve the city. The International Baccalaureate program started at Kinston High during the 2003-2004 school year. In fall 2004, Kinston High School was the first school in Lenoir County to start up a program called Advancement Via Individual Determination. This program began in California and from there it went around the world. Kinston High School graduated the first AVID class of Lenoir County in 2008 with 25 students receiving AVID diplomas. The 2007-08 Kinston boys' basketball team won the NCHSAA Class 3-A state championship, the Vikings' first title since the 1960s. The 2013-2014 Kinston boys' basketball team won their 3rd NCHSAA Class 2-A state championship in a row, the title is the 10th in school history for Kinston/Grainger High School in the 100th year of the NCHSAA. Former NBA player Jerry Stackhouse attended Kinston High School until his senior year and was on its basketball team.
History
After the loss by fire in 1924 of the Kinston High School located between Vernon Avenue and Lenoir St. at their intersections with East St., a replacement project was initiated. A new site was selected on land previously owned by Jesse W. Grainger at the corner of what was then Independent Street and Park Avenue. Grainger had been a prominent leader/provider for much of Kinston's growth in the late 19th century and early 20th century. He had generously paid for one-half of the cost of Kinston's first major high school destroyed by a fire. It was decided that the new high school would be named Grainger High School. Boney architects of Wilmington were selected for design and Palmer-Spivey construction company of Charlotte for construction, both firms having recognized experience in the design and construction of institutional buildings in North Carolina. The general contract for the project was $182,340. Sub-contracts for plumbing, heating and electrics made a total of $219,217. The final payment was made on January 3, 1926. Grainger High School served Kinston until 1970 as a segregated school. After that time, Grainger High and Adkin High schools were combined as an integrated Kinston High School under one roof until 1979 when faculty and students relocated to the current north Kinston campus, 2601 North Queen Street. The Grainger High School mascot was the Red Devil. After Grainger became Kinston High School, the mascot was changed to the Viking. Kinston High School was originally a 10-12 grade school. The 9th grade class was added to the campus during the 1987-1988 school year.
