Heritage High School (Lynchburg, Virginia)

History

In January, 1975, a steering committee, representative of educators, students, parents, and the community at large, was appointed to begin planning a new high school to accommodate approximately 2,000 students. This committee and twenty-three subcommittees worked under the able direction of Dr. Ernest Martin, Special Assistant to the Superintendent, to draw up the initial specifications for the new school. From this planning merged the architects' design of an ultra-modern structure, beautiful in appearance and functional in use.

The new school had no real identity until the spring of 1976, when a special School Board committee, chaired by Mr. James K. Candler, made the following announcement: "We propose Heritage High School as a fitting name for the city's newest secondary building. The name shall serve to remind this generation and generations to come that the first responsibility in public education is to see that our democratic way of life is preserved through an informed electorate. This name shall call to mind both the pride in achievements in the past and shall hold forth a challenge for greater progress in the future. It shall provide a continuing reminder to Lynchburg educators and citizens of the obligation which is theirs - to mold the future through the education of the youth - to carry on the heritage of free education first established in the city of Lynchburg in 1871 and in the Colony of Virginia in 1634.

The building suffered many structural problems that resulted in the need for higher maintenance costs than comparable schools. In 2007, the Lynchburg School Board hired a firm to suggest ways to either renovate the building, merge the school population to E.C. Glass, or replace it. A task force urged replacement in a September 2011 report. In March 2014, the Lynchburg City Council approved a $63.4 million bid from Barton Malow to build the new school in time for the beginning of the 2016 school year.

The School

Facts

Notable alumni

Central Virginia Governor's School

Marine Corps JROTC

Heritage High School has a Marine Corps JROTC, which teaches its cadets many core values including honor, courage, and commitment. It is a all classroom and the extracurricular activities include Drill team, Rifle team, Cyber team, and Raider Team.

Athletics

Heritage (Lynchburg) has won a number of VHSL Seminole District, Region III, and State Championships at the AAA and AA level.

State Championships

2002

2003

2004

2006

Regionals

1978

2002

2003

2004

2005

Region III Baseball Champions 2006

2007

2008

Theater

Heritage High School is also home to Pioneer Theatre. A student run program with Theatre Director Larry Hart and Associate Director Michelle Velastegui as of Fall 2008. In 2010, the Virginia Theatre Association named Director Larry Hart theatre educator of the year. All sets are built by Applied Technical Theater I & II. The theatre produces around six shows a year. The six plays usually consist of an Acting II Competition Piece, a Theater in the round, a Mainstage Straight Play, a Mainstage Musical, an Acting II Musical or "Straight Play" Dinner Theatre, and the Acting II Original One Acts. While this is the current compilation it does change slightly from year to year.

2006-2007 season

2007-2008 season

2008-2009 season

2009-2010 season

2010-2011 season

2012-2013 season

2013-2014 season

2014-2015 season

2015-2016 season

2016-2017 season