Bluefield High School
Bluefield High School (BHS) is a public secondary school in Bluefield, West Virginia, United States. It is part of Mercer County Public Schools and is located at 535 West Cumberland Road. As of the 2015–2016 school year, enrollment was 675 students.
| Bluefield High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| |
535 West Cumberland Road , 24701 | |
| Coordinates | 37.24867°N 81.21783°W |
| Information | |
| School type | AA |
| Motto | "We Believe" |
| Founded | 1957 |
| School board | Mercer County Public Schools |
| Superintendent | Deborah Akers |
| School number | 5100 |
| Administrator | Sabrina Morrison |
| Principal | Michael Collins |
| Staff | 41.50 (FTE)[1] |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 636 (2017-18)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 15.33[1] |
| Language | English |
| Color(s) | Maroon and white |
| Mascot | Beaver |
| Team name | Bluefield Beavers |
| Website | http://bhs.merc.k12.wv.us/ |
The school built a new library in 1998, which was later named after longtime librarian Mary Chmara.
Achievements
Originally Beaver High School, named for the Beaver Pond District and the future mascot, the downtown high school was established in 1903, in the fast-developing Bluefield, West Virginia. Its first graduate was in 1907, Mary Aaron. The first class, composed of ten students, graduated in 1910. Bluefield High School was built on West Cumberland Road and opened to students in the fall of 1957. The former Beaver High School would serve as Central Junior High School for several decades. In 2003–2004, 100 years of Beaver Pride was celebrated. BHS, the home of the Beavers, is the oldest high school building in Mercer County.
Sports
- Sports teams currently play in the WVSSAC at the AA level.
- Bluefield High School Beavers football champions in 1959, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1975, 1984, 1997, 2004, 2007, 2009, and 2017
- State boys' basketball champions in 1995, 1996, 2013, and 2014
- State bowling champions - winner in 1992
- State golf champions in 1996 and 1997
- State boys' tennis champions in 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2002
- State girls' tennis champions in 2007, the first-ever girls state championship in Mercer County
- Brandon Eldridge won the first wrestling championship in school history in 2013.
- Girls' swimming team 1999 runner-up to state championship
- In 2012 the Boys' soccer team were regional champions for the first time since 1985, where they made it to the state semifinals.
- The Bluefield Beaver Band has won many awards under the direction of Nicholas Hinkle (2016–Present), R. David Wilson (2011-2016), Bobby Jenks (2007-2011) and W. Melton Saunders (1980—2007). The band also received awards under Renee Mailhot from 1977 to 1979 at Elon College and Logan band festivals.
Bluefield High School has more state championships for all sports than any other AA school in West Virginia.
The classic Beaver/Graham football game is the biggest event each year for the two Bluefields. This game between cross-city rivals Bluefield High School and Graham High School is the area's largest sporting event. It is held at Mitchell Stadium, which is within West Virginia by a mere 500 feet and is shared by both schools. In 1991, the two schools were featured on the ESPN show Scholastic Sports America as having one of the largest high school football rivalries on the east coast. With average crowds of at least ten thousand, the game is the talk of the town year after year. Beaver holds a winning record over Graham, 62-24-2.
Notable alumni
- John F. Nash - Nobel Prize winner; graduated from Bluefield High School in 1945; portrayed by Russell Crowe in the movie A Beautiful Mind.
References
- "BLUEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 27, 2020.