Airport High School (South Carolina)

Airport High School in West Columbia, South Carolina, United States, is a public high school offering education for grades 9 – 12, serving the communities of West Columbia, Cayce, South Congaree, Pine Ridge, and parts of Gaston. A part of Lexington County School District 2, it derives its name from its location next to (CAE) Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Sports teams are known as the Eagles. The main athletic rival is the Brookland-Cayce High School Bearcats.

Airport High School
Address
1315 Boston Avenue

West Columbia
,
South Carolina
,
29170

United States
Coordinates33°57′0″N 81°6′23″W
Information
TypePublic, Secondary
School districtLexington County School District Two
PrincipalDavid Damm
Grades9th – 12th
Enrollment1,386 (2016-17)[1]
Color(s)Blue and gray         
AthleticsFall: Competitive Cheer, Cross Country, Football, Girls Golf, Swimming, Girls Tennis, Volleyball

Winter: Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, Bowling, Wrestling

Spring: Baseball, Boys Golf, Girls Soccer, Softball, Boys Tennis, Track
MascotEagle
NicknameThe Port, Flight School
YearbookAquila
AffiliationColumbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), Midlands Technical College (Airport Campus)
RivalBrookland-Cayce High School
Websitehttps://ahs.lex2.org/

Structure

Airport HS has a student body of around 1,400. Airport HS has a student:teacher ratio of 31:1 in core subjects. The current principal is David Damm, alongside assistant principals ChristiePumphrey and Le'Shaun Mathis.

Class breakdown is as follows:

9th – 566
10th – 484
11th – 441
12th – 454 [2]

Feeder schools

Elementary and middle schools that feed into Airport High School are Congaree Elementary School, Springdale Elementary School, Herbert A. Wood Elementary School, R.H. Fulmer Middle School, and Pine Ridge Middle School.

Notable alumni
  • Duce Staley – running backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, former Eagles and Steelers running back and a member of the Super Bowl XL Champion Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Larry Francis Lebby – Artist who has served on the board of the South Carolina Nation Diabetic Association, the South Carolina Arts Commission, and the Governor's Task Force for the Arts. His work has been displayed throughout the United States in places such as the White House, the Smithsonian Institution, the United Nations and the United States Senate. In 1989, his work was displayed at the Vatican in Rome.[3]
  • Jim Stuckey – former NFL football player and a member of the Super Bowl XVI and XIX Champion San Francisco 49ers.

JROTC Drill Team

Airport's Golden Talon Drill Team is a highly decorated drill team that consistently finishes as the top drill team in South Carolina, and in the top 10 drill teams in the nation. Each year they travel to Daytona Beach, Florida to compete in the JROTC National Drill Meet, usually referred to as "The Nationals". The Golden Talon Drill Team is coached by retired Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Harry Ferguson.

Fine Arts
  • The Airport "Wings of Eagles" chorus, while seldom competing as a whole, annually has several members make the South Carolina All-State chorus, making the Airport Chorus program very well respected in the school and throughout the state. During Airport's annual "Charity Drive", the chorus takes on the role of delivering "singing telegrams" during the Chorus class to different members of the school for a small fee. All proceeds go to Camp Kemo. The chorus also regularly has many members join the school musical, which is hosted jointly by the Drama and Chorus class. The Chorus is currently under the direction of Linda Goodwin, who also serves as the Fine Arts department chair.
  • The Airport "Marching Eagle Band" is a decorated Marching band that annually competes in SCBDA class AAA. While under the direction of Michael Rooker, the Airport band was an annual competitor at the SCBDA AAA State Championships, after he left the program got noticeably weaker until 2012, where the Eagle band placed 5th at the AAA Lower State competition, earning them a spot in the State Championships. The Eagle Band has made the State Competition every year since. The Eagle Band also regularly attends the South Carolina Concert Festival, having earned a "Superior" or "Excellent" rating many times. The Eagle Band is under the direction of Michael Rooker.
  • The Airport High School Orchestra seldom competes, but has a long history of excellence. When the orchestra does choose to compete, the group often earns a rating of I (Superior) or II (Excellent). The orchestra is directed by Andy Preston.
  • The Airport Drama department is one of the most active in the entire school, putting on two plays and a musical every year, alongside a "Night of One Acts" that is open to be joined by any member of the school. The Airport Drama class is taught by Vicki Stilwell.

Camp Kemo

Every year, Airport holds a week long charity drive in which the entire school partakes in activities designed to raise money so that kids can go to Camp Kemo, a summer camp for kids with cancer. Activities include, but are not limited to:

Jail Lock-Up - For $10, a student and teacher can pay to have a student locked up in a mobile prison unit that is placed in the school's courtyard for an entire block. In order for the student to leave before the block is over, they must donate $30 to Camp Kemo.

Send a Pig/Goat - Usually only limited to a goat, in 2015 it was changed to Send A Pig, in which a student or teacher can pay a small sum of money to have a pig sent to a student or teacher during class. To get rid of the animal, the student or teacher has to donate a set amount to Camp Kemo.

Singing Telegrams - The Airport Chorus department takes requests for small ensembles to be sent to different classes and perform for a student. The cost for this is usually $5.

Snack Carts - Students in Student Government walk around the school selling different foods which are usually snacks and sweets, or Chick-Fil-A sandwiches.

Food Fest - Usually regarded as the biggest event of the week, Food Fest generally happens on the Friday of Charity Week. Lunchtime is extended to an hour, and the clubs at Airport along with a few solo entries set up shop in the School Courtyard and sell homecooked meals such as Nachos from Tri-M, Sangria from the Spanish Honor Society, Barbeque from the Drill Team, and many more. This event annually raises the single most money out of any other event held during the week.

Each year, the student body has an amount of money set as a goal, and the student body strives to make said goal. Last year, the goal was $55,000 and the students raised over $60,000 for Kamp Kemo. This event has recently been featured on the WIS news every year due to its large impact on children with cancer.

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References
  1. "Airport High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  2. Airport High School – West Columbia, South Carolina/SC – Public School Profile
  3. "Larry Francis Lebby". South Carolina African American History Calendar. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
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