Princess Anne High School

School Administration

Origins

The school was built during a period of rapid expansion of the then Princess Anne County. The cost of construction and equipment was $3,500,000, which included approximately $1,000,000 of federal funds. The school was first occupied in September 1954. Several schools had previously been built and remain in use today, however, they were converted to smaller middle or elementary schools in order to address ballooning class sizes. In 1963, Princess Anne County was incorporated into the newly formed City of Virginia Beach and thus PAHS became the oldest remaining high school in the system.

September 1, 1995 fire

Four days before the opening of school in September 1995 a fire destroyed approximately one-third of the building. The blaze began in the library, destroying numerous valuable records; among them the entire collection of PA yearbooks before 1995 and numerous printed and digital course materials collected by teachers throughout their careers. The exact cause of the fire has never been announced, however many suspected arson by a student. Since the student was likely to be a minor, his/her identity could be withheld from the public record. Alternative theories simply posit accidental causes during burglary.

Throughout both the 1995-1996 school year and the 1996-1997 fall semester, classes were held in a nearby vacant shopping mall known as "Celebration Station," which has since been demolished. Shuttle buses transported students between the temporary location and the remaining, intact portion of the school/portable classrooms on the main campus.

Following the fire, a large portion of the school was entirely rebuilt. As a result, the PA library now maintains one of the most extensive and up-to-date media collections of any Virginia Beach high school. A new wing was also added for art classes and studios. The school reopened in January 1997, with the official re-dedication ceremony held on May 4, 1997.

Academics

The school is part of the Virginia Beach Public School System, which has a reputation of being the best in the Hampton Roads region. Princess Anne maintained its place as the highest ranked high school in Virginia Beach as well as the Hampton Roads region in Newsweek's listing of America's Best High Schools, continuing to place in the list annually (#451 in 2012, #263 in 2011, #123 in 2010, #167 in 2008, and #213 in 2007). In 2012, The Washington Post released its list for "America's Most Challenging High Schools", and all eleven Virginia Beach City High Schools were in the top 1900, but Princess Anne held the highest rank by a significant margin at #250. The only Virginia Beach high school International Baccalaureate program is housed in PA, attracting gifted students from throughout Virginia Beach.

The school has excelled in the VHSL academic competitions, with numerous championships in Forensics and Debate.

Special programs

In addition to serving regularly zoned students and the International Baccalaureate program, the school hosts the Virginia Beach center for students with moderate to severe disabilities (located within the "West Building") and used to host a city-wide center for pregnant teenagers (The "PA Center"), which now is located in the Renaissance Academy . Princess Anne is also one of the few high schools in Virginia Beach featuring an NJROTC program.

Athletics

Princess Anne has won 26 team VHSL State team sports championships and 19 State individual sports championships. 22 of the team titles have come since 1999. PA students participate in the following sports, in accordance with the Virginia High School League(VHSL):

Princess Anne's golf team won the Virginia State High School Golf Championship in 1971 and 1972. The team was notable in that it included Curtis Strange ('73), Allan Strange ('73), Phil Stewart ('73), and Jay Williams ('72). All would go on to become PGA golf professionals.

Princess Anne's women's basketball team won the VHSL State Championship 4 consecutive years, which had never been previously accomplished. The team has won 8 total championships, all since 2002.

Club sports including lacrosse and crew have recently been founded, since the Virginia Beach school system does not formally participate in them. Informal extramural competitions between other local clubs and varsity teams of private institutions are common.

A long-standing club of Athletic Trainers allows students to voluntarily assist local team trainers and physicians.

Location and district

Princess Anne is located centrally within the city of Virginia Beach along Virginia Beach Blvd. The school is adjacent to the recently erected downtown area ("Town Center"). The two middle schools that feed into the student body include portions of Independence Middle School and Plaza Middle School. This includes portions of the Thoroughgood, Thalia, Pembroke, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne Plaza, and Windsor Woods neighborhoods. Additionally, due to the International Baccalaureate Programme, those under the IB Middle Years Programme automatically feed into Princess Anne, assuming they have completed respective requirements. Also, a nearby gifted middle school, Kemps Landing Magnet School, also tends to feed heavily into its International Baccalaureate Programme.

Notable alumni