Spotsylvania High School is a public high school in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. It serves the southern half of the county. The Knights are the least densely populated of the schools in the area. The Army JROTC program for the Knight Battalion which consist of cadets from both Massaponax High School and Spotsylvania High School attend courses here. The Knight Battalion as of 2008-2009 school year is an Honor Unit with Distinction. Spotsylvania County also hosts a CGS site. The Original Spotsylvania High School opened in 1940 and three schools hosted the name of Spotsylvania High School. As of the 2017-2018 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,152 students and 80.1 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 14.1:1. There were 371 students eligible for free lunch and 92 eligible for reduced-cost lunch.
About the building
Spotsylvania High was the county’s first consolidated high school for students who had previously attended much smaller schools in tiny rural communities including Marye and Margo. Spotsylvania High, on Courthouse Road, was considered state of the art when it opened; when numbers of students grew, the next Spotsylvania High School was built across the street in 1967. Black students from segregated John J. Wright High School began attending Spotsylvania High when schools became fully integrated in 1968. The third and current Spotsylvania High opened in 1994. Construction started on the school in May, 1992 and occupied in January, 1994. The cost of the project was reported to be $23.7 million. A total of were developed for the school. Within the building there is of space. Total capacity is 1583 students in 79 classrooms. The auditorium can seat 1300, the gymnasium seats 2000, and the stadium seats 4000 people. Massaponax High School, built in 1998, was constructed from the same blueprint as Spotsylvania High School.
Administration
Mr. Kelly Guempel is the current principal of Spotsylvania High School. Assistant principals include Mr. Robert Marchetti, Mrs. Cassandra Crawford, and Mr. Reitha Abed. Other administration staff include Ms. Michelle Hart, Instructional Coordinator, Mr. William Swink, Activities Director, and Ms. Rachel Bentley-Goode, School Counseling Director. Following the 2015-2016 school year, Principal Rusty Davis and Athletic Director Buddy Herndon were reassigned to different positions in the school system for unknown reasons.
The Advanced Placement Program gives students the opportunity to pursue college-level studies while still at Spotsylvania County. Upon completion of the courses, students may receive advanced placement and/or credit when entering college. Academically oriented students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Advanced Placement Program. Students take these courses at high school. Advanced Placement courses follow the suggested College Board course curriculum and serve to prepare students for the AP examinations in May. AP Courses listed below are offered based on enrollment. However, depending on how many students sign up for an AP class, depends on which course is offered. So some of the courses may not be offered because there are not enough students that sign up for it. Grades earned carry weighted credit in the GPA calculation. The International Baccalaureate Programme is a new program to SHS, with the Class of 2018 seeing its first graduates. Currently, Spotsylvania High School offers the Diploma Programme. The International Baccalaureate® offers a continuum of international education. The programmes encourage both personal and academic achievement, challenging students to excel in their studies and in their personal development. The programme aims to develop students who have excellent breadth and depth of knowledge – students who flourish physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically.
Athletics
Spotsylvania High school has won 4 State championships since their existence. The most recent State Championship is the 13-8 win in extra innings against Abingdon High school on June, 9th, 2018. Football: 1991, 1994, 1997 Baseball: 2018 Track & Field: -Indoor High Jump State Champion 2018- Limiah Coleman -Indoor High Jump State Champion 2019- Limiah Coleman
Band, Choir, and Orchestra
Spotsylvania High School is known for its strong fine arts department. In 2018, the school re-established itself as a Blue RibbonSchool of Music, led by Mr. Brian Jacobs and Ms. Joanna Peters.
On October 23, 2015, two Spotsylvania High School students were sexually assaulted in the locker room by other members of the football team prior to a football game.
