Heritage High School (Maryville, Tennessee)

Updated on Jan 04, 2024

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Type Public Secondary School district Blount County Schools Staff 59 District Blount County Schools Colors Scarlet, Columbia blue		Opened 1977 Principal Jake Jones Phone +1 865-984-8110 Number of students 1,535
Coordinates 35° 45' 47.6748",-83° 51' 43.9266" Address 3741 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Maryville, TN 37804, USA

Heritage High School is a public high school located approximately 3.5 miles outside the city of Maryville, Blount County, Tennessee which opened in 1977. The school was created through the consolidation of four community high schools (Townsend, Walland, Porter and Everett) into a comprehensive high school.

Heritage High School is one of two secondary schools operated by Blount County Schools. There are two other public high schools in Blount County that are operated by the cities of Maryville and Alcoa respectively.

The school provides educational opportunities primarily to students from Townsend, Walland, Louisville, Rockford, Maryville and Alcoa communities.

In the 2009–2010 school year, the student population at Heritage was characterized as 94.62% White, 2.84% Latino, 1.87% African-American, 0.06% Native Hawaiian-Pacific Islander, and 0.42% Asian.

Campus

The high school occupies a 99 acres (40 ha) campus within 15 miles (24 km) of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

There are scenic views of the park's peaks and nearby Walland Gap that divides the Chilhowee Mountain range into two sections.

Heritage High School occupies two main educational buildings. The Main school building consists of three, two-story academic wings; counseling and office suites; sizable common area; theater; gymnasium with locker rooms and additional class space for physical education, art and band along the gymnasium perimeter.

A covered walkway leads to the vocational education building with large class space for various vocational training programs.

Athletic facilities include James D. Lillard Field/Jack Renfro Stadium utilized for football, and track & field. Additional athletic facilities include a soccer field; side-by-side baseball and softball facilities; exterior hard tennis courts as well as a large gymnasium used for basketball, volleyball and wrestling competition. Located adjacent to stadium is the Wilbur Shoun Athletic Fieldhouse used primarily for weight training.

Also present on campus is the Heritage Planetarium whose programs were utilized by local schools and general public. The Planetarium is attached by breezeway to main school building.

The planetarium was closed on September 23, 2010 following conflict between Director Thomas Webber and Blount County School Board on the Planetarium's direction, budget and the director's salary reduction. There are no current plans to reopen the facility as Mr. Webber resigned his position.

Faculty

Heritage's faculty consists of 104 members. 1% of the faculty possess Ed. D. Degree, 16% have an Ed. S. Degree, 5% have earned master's degree+45, 47% have a Master's Degree, and the remaining 31% have a Bachelor's Degree.

Student life

Most students begin their class day at 8:30 A.M. As Heritage utilizes block scheduling, there are five 70-minute class periods per school day. Before the school year of 2011- 2012, the block schedule used four 90- minute class periods.

There is an early class option for seniors who wish to graduate early or need extra credit to graduate on time. These early classes begin at 7:00 a.m. and end at 8:00 a.m.

In 2006, Blount County Schools created a freshman academy at Heritage High School that affords faculty and administrative personnel solely devoted to first-year student development.

The Heritage High School Marching Band, also known as the Marching Mountaineers, earns superior ratings at most competitions. The band program hosts the annual "Volunteer Classic Band Festival" every October at James D. Lillard Field/Jack Renfro Stadium.

Heritage High School choral groups have garnered superior ratings at state and national-level competitions and have prospered under the direction of Chris Clift, the President of the ETVA.

Sewing Needle Assault

On September 27, 2013, three female students assaulted nearly 60 students with sewing needles. Heritage High School was criticized for not reporting the incident to parents. Most found out about the assault from their children upon return from school. Several parents had their children taken to the hospital for blood tests. An initial fear of spreading hepatitis among students that had been stabbed with the same needle was reported by physicians.

Athletics

Heritage competes primarily in the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association in the largest division in each sport. The Mountaineers and Lady Mountaineers field teams in: