Poquoson High was founded in 1910 as the high school for York County. It was housed in a wooden building that resembles a large house. In 1932, the High School was moved into 965 Poquoson Avenue, which was next door to the first building. The High School continued to grow along with the rest of the area, even after the Town of Poquoson was incorporated in 1952. As Langley Air Force Base and the NASA Langley Research Center grew into prominence, the High School's enrollment grew. Poquoson became an independent city in 1975 primarily to gain more local control of its schools, including Poquoson High. Poquoson High moved from the single-A to double-A level in high school athletics in the late 1970s and gained a reputation for quality academics.
Poquoson High was ranked 781st in the most recent U.S. News & World Report ranking of America's Top 1000 High Schools in 2013. The school was ranked 712th in 2007, 798th in 2006, and 635th in 2005.
Poquoson was also ranked amongst the top 100 communities for music education by the American Music Conference in 2006.
Enrollment history
Athletics and interscholastic competition
Poquoson High School competes in the Virginia High School's AA Division, Region I, Bay Rivers District. The school competes in the following sports: Poquoson High School also fields competitive teams in these areas: Scholastic Bowl - Poquoson High won the AA state championship in 2001. Debate Forensics One-Act Theatre
Sailing
Poquoson High is one of 54 schools in the Mid-Atlantic states and one of three public schools in Hampton Roads to sponsor a varsity level sailing team.
Wrestling
Poquoson High School has a distinguished history in wrestling, winning state titles in 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1999, 2018, and 2020. Additionally, the school placed second in the state tournament many times in the 1980s and 1990s to Grundy Senior High School which produced an intense rivalry between the schools which are eight hours or about 425 miles driving distance apart. The program has produced over 70 individual state titles and one wrestler for the U.S national wrestling team. Three former wrestlers have won four state titles during their times with the team - Charles "Butch" Backus, Mike Akers and Patrick McCormick.
Poquoson High, like its feeder schools, has had a positive history with its Odyssey of the Mind. Teams from the school have won numerous district and state titles. This decade, Poquoson teams have also won in the World Tournament and placed in 2002, 2004, and 2005.
Poquoson High School now occupies its third building in its history. Poquoson High's second building, which housed the school from the 1930s to 1976 , now houses Poquoson Middle School. The school moved into its current facility in 1977, and the building has undergone two additions and renovations, one in 1977 and one in 1998. The football stadium, where football and soccer games are played, is located off campus at Poquoson Middle School. Facilities for the wrestling team are located adjacent to the football stadium.
