Armstrong High School (Virginia)

Armstrong High School, part of the Richmond Public Schools, is a high school located in Richmond, Virginia, with grades 9-12.

Armstrong High School
Address
Armstrong High School
Armstrong High School
2300 Cool Lane

Richmond
,
Virginia
23223

United States
Coordinates37°33′08″N 77°24′11″W
Information
School typePublic high school
Founded1865
School districtRichmond Public Schools
SuperintendentReverend John Wood
PrincipalWillie J. Bell, Jr.
Grades9-12
Enrollment929 (2016-17)[1]
LanguageEnglish
CampusUrban
Color(s)          Blue and Orange
Athletics conferenceVirginia High School League
AAA Central Region
AAA Capital District
MascotWildcats
Websitervaschools.net/AHS

Known at first as the Richmond Colored Normal School, Armstrong was the first public school in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy, for African American students (see racial segregation). Founded in the early 1870s, the Colored Normal School was initially financed by the federal Freedmen's Bureau until it was made part of the Richmond city school system in 1876. The school's name was changed to Armstrong High School in a 1909 transition to a new building.

The school's namesake is former Union General Samuel Chapman Armstrong, a white commander of a U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) regiment during the American Civil War. General Armstrong later founded the Hampton Institute, a historically black college now known as Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. Among General Armstrong's legacies in education is the fact that he was a principal mentor of Dr. Booker T. Washington.

History

The location of Armstrong High school has changed three times since 1909. Once in 1923, then in 1951, and then again in 2004. It is now in its fourth location.

In 1909, the school was established at Leigh Streets at first and named in honor of Union General Samuel Chapman Armstrong, founder of Hampton University. The school then moved to a larger facility in 1923 at the corner of Prentis and Leigh Streets (now the Adult Career Development Center), and then to a new location, 1611 North 31st Street, in 1951.

In 2004, Armstrong High school merged with the nearby John F. Kennedy High School, continuing to use the Armstrong name, colors and mascot, except that it was now much newer and revamped with its air conditioned Kennedy building.

At the current location, Armstrong High School is one of only two of Richmond's public schools which are physically located slightly outside the corporate limits of the independent city in the East End. The Kennedy High School complex and Fairfield Court Elementary School were built in the 1960s on land in a small portion of Henrico County adjacent to Interstate 64 which was cut off from the rest of the county when the Interstate highway was built.

The school's public address announcer and former faculty member, Rodney Robinson, was named the 2019 National Teacher of the Year.[2][3]

Neighborhoods served

The community served five public housing facilities in proximity to one another; one, Fairfield Court, is on the other side of the street from the high school.[4]

Operations

Circa 2015 the school used metal detectors and had six security guards. April Hawkins, the principal, stated his belief that the school should have more guards.[5]

Demographics

Circa 2015 there were 974 students, with about 97% being black. Hawkins stated that many of the black students are "angry" at the start of each school day.[5]

Student performance

Circa 2015, of the entire student body, the number with plans to attend a four-year college or university was fewer than thirty.[5]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Armstrong High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  2. Truong, Debbie; Stein, Perry (2019-04-24). "Virginia detention center educator Rodney Robinson named National Teacher of the Year". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  3. Eshleman, Tina (2019-01-23). "Giving Voice". richmondmagazine.com. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  4. Gabay, Barry (2015-10-16). "SOCIOECONOMIC INTEGRATION AND THE GREATER RICHMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT: THE FEASIBILITY OFINTERDISTRICT CONSOLIDATION" (PDF). University of Richmond Law Review. 51: 397–438. - page cited: 398.
  5. Gabay, Barry (2015-10-16). "SOCIOECONOMIC INTEGRATION AND THE GREATER RICHMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT: THE FEASIBILITY OFINTERDISTRICT CONSOLIDATION" (PDF). University of Richmond Law Review. 51: 397–438. - page cited: 399.
  6. "DOUGLAS WILDER (1931– )". Library of Virginia. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
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