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Fairmont Heights High School

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Coordinates: 38°54′36″N 76°55′11″W / 38.91000°N 76.91972°W / 38.91000; -76.91972
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Fairmont Heights High School
Address
Map
6501 Columbia Park Road, Hyattsville

Hyattsville
,
Maryland 20785

United States
Coordinates38°54′36″N 76°55′11″W / 38.91000°N 76.91972°W / 38.91000; -76.91972
Information
TypePublic Comprehensive Secondary School
Established1950
School districtPrince George's County Public Schools
OversightMaryland State Department of Education
PrincipalMrs. Torrie Walker
Grades9–12
Enrollment751
Color(s)Maroon, Black, Gray, White
       
NicknameHornets
NewspaperThe Buzz
Communities servedFairmount Heights, Seat Pleasant, Kentland, Palmer Park, Chapel Oaks, Belle Haven
Feeder schoolsG. James Gholson Middle School, Kenmoor Middle School
Phone(301) 925-1360
Website[1]

Fairmont Heights High School (est.1950) is an American public comprehensive secondary school located in the Landover census-designated place in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland,[1][2] just outside Washington D.C. It is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools system. Two middle schools (G. James Gholson and Kenmoor, both in Landover) feed into Fairmont Heights. It is one of the oldest[citation needed] high schools in Prince George's County and is part of the School Board District 3.

History

Fairmont Heights Junior-Senior High School first opened as a grade 7-12 school reserved for black children in 1950, replacing Lakeland High School, and initially having 738 students. It served black students in western Prince George's County, Accokeek, Bowie, Laurel, Takoma Park, and other communities. The cost to build the campus was $1,500,000. The enrollment increased to 1,900 by 1960; its original capacity was 900, so it had portable buildings for the extra students. It was relieved by the opening of Mary McLeod Bethune Junior High School in 1961, and Fairmont Heights became grades 9-12 only; in 1962 it became grades 10-12 only.[3]

The school was originally named after the town it is in, Fairmount Heights. The name of the school differs slightly from the name of the town, as it is missing a "u". This is because of a mistake a contractor made when constructing the sign for the town's elementary school in 1934. When the high school was created, it kept the same spelling as the elementary school.[4]

The school district desegregated after the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964; it began having particular attendance boundaries for all races. Fairmont Heights High's first race-neutral attendance boundary was the smallest in size in the school district, totaling 3 square miles (7.8 km2). The enrollment was majority African-American. The district adopted a desegregation plan in 1972, after the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) persuaded the district to do so, so white students in other areas of the county could go to Fairmont Heights High.[3]

A major renovation was completed in 2017.[5]

Academics and programs

Fairmont Heights High School (often abbreviated FHHS) is part of the biotechnology magnet program along with Largo High School in Largo.

Fairmont Heights High School is also part of the Information Technology magnet program along with Bladensburg High School and Potomac High School. Many students just refer to FHHS as Fairmont.

Block schedule

In 2000 Fairmont Heights, along with the other Prince George's County public high schools, adopted the "Alternating A/B Block Schedule". The A/B block allows students to take four alternating every-other-day classes all year. A-days consist of Period 1-4 and B-days consist of Period 5-8. Other schools offer periods 1, 3, 5, 7 on A-days and 2, 4, 6, 8 on B-days. All lunches take place during 3rd period.

Campus

The original campus was on a 15-acre (6.1 ha) area,[3] in unincorporated Prince George's County, outside of the Fairmount Heights town limits and with a Capitol Heights postal address.[6][7] There were 40 classrooms and four rooms for vocational (woodshop) classes, and an initial student capacity of 900.[3]

Notable events

Communities served by Fairmont Heights

Fairmont Heights High School serves:[10] portions of Landover CDP,[1] the Town of Fairmount Heights,[7] much of the City of Seat Pleasant,[11] a small section of the Town of Cheverly,[12] a section of Peppermill Village CDP,[13] and Chapel Oaks.[citation needed]

It serves portions of the Landover CDP which includes part of the communities Kentland, Palmer Park, Belle Haven, and Village Green.[citation needed]

Athletics

Fairmont Heights Boys' basketball team won the 2017 Maryland 1A State Basketball Championship. Their first since 1981. [4]

References

  1. ^ a b "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Landover CDP, MD." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on September 1, 2018.
  2. ^ Home. Fairmont Heights High School. Retrieved on September 1, 2018. "6501 Columbia Park Road Landover, MD 20785"
  3. ^ a b c d "Fairmont Heights High School History". Fairmont Heights High School. 2018-09-04. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
  4. ^ a b Gruen, Phyllis (1979). "Fairmount Heights" (PDF). Prince George's Journal. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  5. ^ Wilkins, Tracee (2017-09-05). "Students Return to Renovated and Historic Fairmont Heights High School". NBC Washington. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
  6. ^ Home. Fairmont Heights High School. August 16, 2000. Retrieved on September 4, 2018. "1401 Nye Street Capitol Heights, Maryland 20743"
  7. ^ a b "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Fairmount Heights town, MD." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on August 31, 2018. Note that both the current and former campuses are not in the Fairmount Heights town limits.
  8. ^ "Rapper Jay-Z Brings Message to US High Schools - 2002-11-23". Voice of America. Voice of America. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  9. ^ Royden, Nancy (20 May 2009). "Rev. Jesse Jackson visits local schools with message of hope". The Sentinel Newspapers. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  10. ^ "NEIGHBORHOOD HIGH SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019." Prince George's County Public Schools. Retrieved on August 31, 2018.
  11. ^ "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Seat Pleasant city, MD." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on August 31, 2018.
  12. ^ "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Cheverly town, MD." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on August 31, 2018. See also Cheverly Ward Map.
  13. ^ "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Peppermill Village CDP, MD." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on August 31, 2018.
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