| The History of Public High Schools in Salem | |
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Two buildings made up the Academy Street School; the one that housed the lower grades was built in 1890, and the other adjacent to it and to the west was built in 1895 and was used mainly for high school students. A connecting structure between the two buildings was equipped with toilets in the summer of 1901. To relieve crowded conditions, a two room annex was built onto the high school building in 1908. Pupils in Salem attended school for nine months. In May 1900 the School Board expanded the high school curriculum from three to four years beginning with the 1900 01 school session. In 1901 there was no graduating class. Enrollment climbed from 55 in 1900 01 to 88 by the close of the 1909 10 session. The Academy Street High School had a separate principal when it was expanded to four grades. There was a one hour noon lunch recess and the school day ended at 3:15 p.m. The two room addition to the high school building in 1908 cost $2,295. Principals: |
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A new Salem High School was built on Broad Street in 1911 1912 and opened for the fall of 1912, relieving overcrowding at the Academy Street buildings. The Salem High School on Broad Street was remodeled in 1920 and industrial arts was introduced into the curriculum. In 1921 an eight classroom addition was completed, opening the way for home economics, agriculture, and office skills. In the summer of 1923 the top floor space in the recent addition was finished as a combination auditorium/gymnasium. In 1924 the total enrollment of the high school was 390 students. The graduation ceremony for the class of 1924 was held in the new auditorium/gymnasium, and the seniors wore caps and gowns for the first time that year. The first summer school was also held in 1924. Students at Salem High staged a strike in 1929 that culminated in a march down Main Street. More than 300 students stayed away from classes for two days to demonstrate their support for Principal Bruce, who had been asked to resign because of his handling of a student disciplinary case. Bruce was faulted for calling in the truant officer rather then conferring first with the student's parents. Despite problems, the school made significant progress in raising and maintaining high educational standards. The curriculum was upgraded, and Salem High School met state imposed criteria for standards in 1925. Salem High School received accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in December 1927, a notable achievement. Under Coach Guy H. "Pinky" Spruhan, Salem High School won state basketball championships in 1916, 1917, and 1918 and the state football title in 1917. In 1930, because of severe overcrowding, Salem implored the financially strapped Roanoke County School Board to build a new school. They were unsuccessful; however, they did succeed in having the state legislature establish the town of Salem as a separate school district in order to give Salem a vote on the school board. Civic club leaders and Salem town officials held joint meetings to discuss the possibility of operating the town's own schools by becoming a city of the second class. Their efforts were thwarted when the 1930 census showed a Salem population of 4,833 which was shy of the 5,000 minimum required for city status. On Monday, January 19, 1931, the day before semester exams, flames heavily damaged Salem High School on Broad Street. Defective wiring was listed as the cause of the fire. In May 1931 a bond referendum of $150,000 for a new school was defeated. Makeshift quarters housed Salem High School students until 1933 when Andrew Lewis High School was built on College Avenue. Principals |
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Roanoke County Training School 1921-1940 The Salem trustees approved construction of a six room frame school for black youth in 1890 91 on the west side of Water Street, now the southwest corner of South Broad Street and School Alley. It was completed by 1893 and became known as Grade School A. Two rooms were added to Grade School A in 1921, grades 8 and 9 were added to the curriculum, and the school became the Roanoke County Training School. In 1928 29 the 10th grade was added, but it was not until the fall of 1934 that the 11th grade, the final year of high school, was added to the curriculum. Two boys and eight girls graduated from high school in 1935. In the final year of existence as a school, 1939 40, eight boys and 10 girls graduated from Roanoke County Training School. When the new George Washington Carver School opened in the fall of 1940, all students transferred to the new school and the Roanoke County Training School was closed. Principals |
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The George Washington Carver Elementary and High School was built in 1939 and named in honor of the world famous botanist and humanitarian, Dr. George Washington Carver. Dr. Carver was the director of the Agricultural Experiment Station at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama from 1896 until his death in 1943. A 92 year old former slave, Alice Webster, laid the cornerstone at a ceremony on March 17, 1940, and students began attending the $135,000 consolidated school for blacks in September 1940. The school was constructed on six acres of land on the corner of Water Street (now South Broad) and fourth Street in the town of Salem. It served the major educational, recreational, and social needs of the Negro youth of Hollins, Salem, Vinton, and Roanoke County. A seven room addition was completed in 1957 and another addition was built in 1962. The school had a total enrollment of 483 students and a staff of one principal, one assistant principal, 24 teachers, three custodians, two cafeteria workers, and one secretary bookkeeper. Due to integration of the Roanoke County schools, the School Board eliminated George Washington Carver as an all black school in 1966 and changed its name to Salem Intermediate School. In 1977 a new Salem High School was opened. Andrew Lewis High School was converted to a junior high school, students from Salem Intermediate School were reassigned to Andrew Lewis Junior High, and George Washington Carver became an elementary school. In 1983 the city of Salem formed its own school system and George Washington Carver Elementary School became a part of the city school system. Principals |
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After fire destroyed Salem High School on Broad Street on January 19, 1931, students were educated in makeshift fashion until a new school was built on College Avenue. The property on College Avenue had formerly been used as a Lutheran orphanage, and before that it was Hotel Salem. Razing of the five story building began in December 1931, and construction of a new school began in 1932 with occupancy scheduled for September 1933. The name Andrew Lewis High School was approved by the school board on November 11, 1932. The school was named for General Andrew Lewis who had come from Ireland with his family and later established his Richfield Plantation at Salem. General Andrew Lewis died in 1781 after a distinguished career as a surveyor, Indian fighter, and patriot in the American Revolution and was buried on his plantation. In 1897, through the efforts of the Daughters of the American Revolution, his remains were moved to East Hill Cemetery and a monument was erected to him. The Andrew Lewis High School building was completed and its dedication was held September 8, 1933. The building contained 15 classrooms, three laboratories, a home economics suite, a business education room, an auditorium, and a gymnasium. The first student body was composed of 869 students; and in the first commencement exercises, 167 graduates received diplomas in the auditorium Friday night, June 8, 1934. The Andrew Lewis mascot was a pioneer and its yearbook was named The Pioneer. In the yearbook of 1934 the senior class wrote, "We, the Class of '34, are pioneers. Just as the adventurous pioneers of old sailed from the Old World to the New, we have passed from the old Salem High School to the new Andrew Lewis High School ... May we, the Class of '34, realize our obligation to the Faculty and to the School to carry out the traditions and honor of Andrew Lewis as we journey through life, whatever our separate paths and ways may be." To accommodate increasing enrollment, two additions of 12 rooms each were built in 1936 and 1938 39 and an agricultural workshop was added in 1950. The first Andrew Lewis band held a public performance at a school assembly on March 25, 1937, and that fall the band performed at football games. The student enrollment had increased to 1,498 by 1955 and an additional 200 pupils were expected in September 1956. The nearby Comas Machine Works was converted into an Andrew Lewis Annex in the fall of 1957. In 1959 five classrooms, a cafeteria and kitchen, a large gymnasium, and boys' and girls' physical education dressing rooms were completed. Dedication was held in February 1960. State championships were won by Andrew Lewis High School indoor and outdoor track teams in 1959 under Coach Ray Bussard, by football teams in 1962 and 1964 under Coach Eddie Joyce, and by its basketball team in 1968 under Coach Dick Miley. Andrew Lewis High School was converted to a junior high when a new Salem High School opened in September 1977. Principals |
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Salem High School 1977-Present The year 2003 marked an important milestone for Salem City Schools and Salem High School as the community celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the independent school district. Salem High School, the second in the city to use that name, began its own history with its opening in 1977. The substantial support given the schools by city government and the community has always been linked to the highest expectations of academic standards and conduct. To meet these standards the high school has a tradition of academic rigor, appropriate student behavior, and qualified staff. Salem High School has a comprehensive curriculum that offers a wide range of programs to meet the diverse needs of its students. These needs come from those who are identified with disabilities to those who will attend the most selective colleges and universities. The school has evolved since its opening to recognize the changing needs of business and industry, adding technical and vocational programs that meet the demands of a changing workplace. Much of this evolution has taken place through cooperative planning and support from the business community. The school population in grades 9-12 has been stable at slightly over 1200 students for the past ten years. The students represent a broad socioeconomic range with 11% on free and reduced lunch. The racial/ethnic composition diversity is low, representing less than 10% of the school's population. Students in this minority include African-Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. Because of increasing immigration from other countries, the number of students with limited English skills is also increasing. Students with disabilities comprise approximately 12% of the student body. Interestingly, the number of tuition students who live outside the school district and pay to attend Salem has risen from 8 to 13% over the last ten years. Salem High School is fully accredited by the Virginia Department of Education, The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, The International Baccalaureate Organization, and is meeting the standards of the No Child Left Behind legislation. As an International Baccalaureate school, the high school offers university level academic coursework to students on our campus. In an average year, more than 400 students at all grade levels will take these classes. Given the trend that more than 90% will attend a two or four year college, the opportunity to earn these credits is a significant advantage to our students. A cornerstone of our school's philosophy has been that students who are involved in athletics and other extracurricular activities will demonstrate better academic achievement and traits of good citizenship. Nearly half of the student population participates on one of the thirty two athletic teams or in one of the thirty six clubs. These teams have won local, regional, and state championships in academics, academics, and forensics. The school's publications: yearbook, newspaper, and literary magazine, add awards at the national level to these accomplishments. The fine arts program receives exemplary support from the school division. At a time when many divisions are reducing such programs, support to Art, Music and Drama is fully funded. Again, the accomplishments of these students are measured and recognized at the state level and higher. PRINCIPALS Current information about the school may be obtained at http://www.salem.k12.va.us/shs |
