Carroll County High School (Hillsville, Virginia)

Infobox School
name= Carroll County High School


imagesize=
streetaddress= 100 Cavs Lane
city= Hillsville
state= Virginia
zipcode= 24343
country= USA
url= [http://www.ccpsd.k12.va.us/school/cchs/
district= Carroll County Public Schools
superintendent= Dr. James Greg Smith
principal= Mr. Robbie Patton
assistant_principals= Mr. William Austin, Mr. Roland Hall
staff=
fundingtype= Public
schooltype= high school
grades= 10-12
language= English
faculty=
communities=
feeders=
campus=
mascot= Cavaliers
colors=
founded= 1969
enrollment= 825
enrollment_as_of=
rival=
conference= Southwest District
Region IV
bgcolor_section= #BBDDBB
bgcolor_label= #BBDDBB
bgcolor_value= #EEEEEE
bgcolor_address= #EEEEEE
bgcolor_url= #EEEEEE

Carroll County High School is located in Carroll County, Virginia, just outside the Hillsville town limits. Carroll County High School is a three-year, public, comprehensive high school with a full range of curriculum offerings in academic and vocational subjects. The school began its first session in 1969-70 with the consolidation of Woodlawn and Hillsville High Schools, and has had an average of approximately 1000 students each year. The current enrolment of Carroll County High School is 825 students.

Recent history

In 1993, the entire county school system was restructured so that all 8th and 9th graders are housed at Carroll County Intermediate School located in the renovated building that was the old Hillsville High School. Carroll County Intermediate School and Carroll County High School work closely together in curriculum and instruction and in extra and co-curricular activities. Both have adopted the Cavalier as the school mascot. In 2008, the Carroll County High School Marching Cavaliers received the honor of marching the Washington DC St. Patrick's Day parade. They also got to play Coal Mine on the steps of the US Capitol Building. The Marching Cavaliers also received many awards at competitions in Ashe County, Chilhowie, Forebush, and VBDOA State Marching Festival.

Community

While Carroll County High School serves basically a rural community, the student body represents a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. With an increased number of people transferring to local industries, retiring to a beautiful mountain climate and moving from urban to rural areas, Carroll County High School has received students from outside the traditional county population. These students have helped diversify the cultural and social experiences of the student body.

Facilities

The building at Carroll County High School is structured into a vocational wing and an academic wing on two stories. The library/media center is located on the second floor central to both wings. A greenhouse for the horticulture program and the JROTC unit are located in buildings adjacent to the main building. There is a lighted football/soccer field with a track and lighted tennis courts. The school also has separate softball and baseball fields with bleachers.

Staff

Carroll County High School is administered by a principal, two assistant principals and a full time activities/athletic director. Three counselors serve the student body. The faculty has excellent credentials in educational and successful work experiences. With a small annual faculty turnover, a continuing and coordinated instructional program is enhanced.

Principal: Robbie Patton

Assistant Principals: William Austin, Roland Hall

Activities Director: Darren Matthews

Courses

The academic curricula at CCHS covers a broad spectrum of courses not only in all the basic core curriculum areas but also areas of fine arts, PE, and foreign language. The vocational courses include traditional areas of graphic communications, auto service technology, work and family studies, cosmetology, agriculture, business, marketing, small engine repair, building trades, and manufacturing technology. Four Tech Prep curricula in electronics, drafting, licensed practical nursing, and office systems technology are offered in conjunction with Wytheville Community College. The Crossroads Educational Consortium, comprising WCC and the localities of its service area, is the funding agency for the Tech Prep initiative.

A full range of educational services and settings are provided for students of the school. Inclusion, resource and self-contained classes are offered for students identified as Learning Disabled, Emotionally Disturbed, or Educable Mentally Retarded. Additionally, there is one class of Trainable Mentally Retarded and Educable Mentally Retarded students, many of whom attend school part of the day and attend work adjustment training at the local Industrial Development Center the remainder of the day. Transportation to and from work is provided by the school system. A Severe and Profoundly Disabled class includes students who reside at the Southwest Virginia Training Center.

Alternative education

A regional alternative education program was opened in the fall of 1996 at the Joy Ranch School. This program serves students from Carroll and Galax, who for whatever reason cannot succeed in the regular school setting.

Night school is offered both at CCHS and at Galax High School. The CCHS program serves a group of students who are unable to attend the regular day program. The regional night school at Galax High School is designed to serve those students who have dropped out of school previously and need no more than four core credits for graduation. Diplomas are awarded from the school of attendance for those students completing this program.

Post-secondary students

At the other end of the educational continuum, approximately 60% of the graduating seniors enter post-secondary education with about 20% of the total entering four-year colleges. Many students earn college credit while in high school through a dual enrolment option with Wytheville Community College. Some students are scheduling both college and high school courses in the same semester, for example, a student may take one or two courses at CCHS in the morning and travel to Radford University or another college for afternoon or night courses.

Community ties

Beyond the regular school program, Carroll County High School is an integral part of the community and provides additional services to both the student population and the general public. The school serves as a regional site for Wytheville Community College, as a meeting place for local groups. The gym and auditorium facilities are used by a wide variety of groups and individuals on a weekly and often daily basis.

Carroll County

Carroll County, Virginia is mainly a plateau lying in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Its elevations vary from convert|1950|ft|m to convert|3551|ft|m, and the land is divided into three geological belts. The piedmont belt lies on the south side of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is known for its apple and peach orchards. The plateau belt takes in most of the county and is known for scenic panoramas, cool woodlands, blooming dogwoods, and wild azaleas along the beautiful and winding Blue Ridge Parkway, which was built in 1935 as a part of the New Deal public works projects. The plateau belt is also known as the "cabbage capital" of Virginia. The limestone belt includes 2500 acres (10 km²) on the western side of the New River and was once known for its mines and railroads, both of which are no longer in operation.

A vast majority of the people in the county trace their ancestors back to the settlements of the late 1700s and the early 1800s and are primarily Anglo-Saxon in origin. The people of the county share a common religious heritage, primarily in traditional Protestant churches.

In 1989, the median family income was $24,885 with 11.3 percent below poverty. This compares to Grayson County, Virginia with $22,526 median family income and 15.3 percent below poverty; Galax, Virginia with a $25,490 median family income and 18.8 percent below poverty.

Graduation rates

It is interesting to note that approximately 51 percent of the population are high school graduates. In 1972, when the first self-study for CCHS was completed, 16.2 percent of the parents of high school students had graduated from high school; in 1981, a similar study of parents of high school students, showed 43% were high school graduates. While not a scientific comparison, it is apparent that the dropout rates are decreasing and students are staying in school to obtain their diplomas.

External links

* [http://www.ccpsd.k12.va.us/schpages/cchs/index.htm CCHS Official Site]
* [http://www.ccpsd.k12.va.us Carroll County Public Schools]
* [http://www.chillsnet.org Chillsnet - Official Site for Carroll County & Hillsville, VA]
* [http://www.ccpsd.k12.va.us/schpages/cchs/cchshist.htm "CCHS History." Carroll County High School Homepage, 19 Jan. 2007]