Braxton County High School
| Braxton County High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
|
200 Jerry Burton Drive Sutton, WV, 26061 United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| School district | Braxton County School District |
| Principal | Tony Minney |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Color(s) | Green and Gold |
| Nickname | Eagles |
| Website | http://edline.net/pages/Braxton_County_High_School |
Braxton County High School (BCHS) is a high school located in Sutton, West Virginia, United States. Its address is officially Sutton, since it is directly off the Flatwoods exit on I-79. The school offers grades 9–12, and serves all of Braxton County.
School history/enhancements
BCHS has undergone many changes in its long history. The school replaced three smaller high schools in the county, Sutton High School, Gassaway High School, and Burnsville High School, thereby consolidating both Braxton County's students and its educational resources. Back then, the school consisted of three 'wings' known as A, B, and C. 'C' Wing was the academic wing, two stories tall, which hosted classrooms for academic classes such as Chemistry, Math, and English. 'B' Wing was the vocational wing, also two stories, which hosted various vocational classes, such as typing, cooking, building construction, electrical and welding. 'A' wing consisted of an administrative offices, a cafeteria and a gymnasium, also two stories tall to contain a higher level of bleachers, including a training area behind that second level.
All of the wings were connected by a ground floor central area that included the main offices, cafeteria, library, and band room. In the summer of 1991, a wooden-covered bridge was built that connected the second floors of 'B' and 'C' wing to help students transition from classes more quickly. In the 90's, the open area where the bridge had previously been built was enclosed to create more classrooms, and to fully connect 'B' and 'C' wings.
In the summer of 2006, the entire front area of the school was expanded to accommodate Fairmont State University, filling in the previously open walkway to the school entrance and closing the gap between the B wing, and the gymnasium. A ribbon cutting ceremony for these changes was held on August 15, 2006. Students of junior level and adults were able to enroll in college classes at Braxton County High School, through Fairmont State University and Glenville State College.[1]
School grounds
The school grounds include a large parking lot, and large amounts of open hillside on three sides, as it sits on top of a hill. Jerry Burton Drive, named after a much-loved coach who died from leukemia in the 1980s, runs along the edge of the hill, circling the school. In 2006, a second parking lot was created in the lot below the high school.
There is a football field with various athletic buildings nearby. In 1991, a new Braxton County Middle School was built on the other side of the parking lot, placing both these schools within walking distance of each other. This new middle school, located on Carter Braxton Drive, also replaced the same three middle schools (Burnsville, Gassaway and Sutton), therefore making only one consolidated high school and one consolidated middle school in the county.
In the late 90's, a walkway was built going down the hill from the high school towards the main road. This area accommodates underclassman parking, affectionately known as the "bottom parking lot." Traditionally, seniors were the only students who were permitted parking on the upper level. The walkway allows students easy access to a variety of fast food restaurants in the area.
Beginning drivers often use the school's driver education vehicles in the school's parking lot before advancing to the public highway.
Statistics
As of the 2006–2007 school year [2] [3] : (although the statistics are very typical and have not varied much)
737 students are in attendance: 9th and 10th grade class size are around 200 and the 11th and 12th grade class sizes are around 150 to 180. This is due to having an approximately 26% dropout rate when students turn 16. The students are 99% Caucasian. The student-teacher ratio is 14.3:1. Up to 45% of students are from low-income homes and eligible for Free or Reduced lunches. For current school statistics you can visit here: [2]
Mascot and colors
The school's mascot is the Eagle[3] and the school colors are green and gold (Although traditionally the gold is always displayed as a dark yellow).
Interesting facts
- Braxton County is ranked an AA team in sports, and participates in Golf, Football, Basketball, Women's Basketball, Baseball, Women's Softball, Track, Wrestling, and Women's Volleyball. The baseball team was WV AA state champions for the 2010 baseball season. The high school previously had a successful Cross Country team (in 2003, it was ranked 3rd in the state at the "AA" level).
- BCHS now offers a special 'GPA Ranking System' for advanced/honors/AP classes. Therefore, it often has multiple people tying for valedictorian and salutatorian. For example, in the 1992 graduating class, there were 6 valedictorians with straight A averages, and 2 salutatorians who had both received straight A's with one B. In 2001 the graduating class had 10 valedictorians.