Vero Beach High School

Vero Beach High School (VBHS) is a 9–12 public high school in Vero Beach, Florida, United States that was established in 1925. The school is operated by the Indian River County School District.

Vero Beach High School
Address
1707 16th Street

Vero Beach
,
Florida
32960

United States
Coordinates27°37′46″N 80°24′14″W
Information
TypePublic high school
MottoVBHS... Together We Achieve Success
Established
  • 1905 (1905) (unofficially)
  • 1925 (1925) (officially)
  • 1963 (1963) (Main Campus Location)
School districtIndian River County School District
PrincipalShawn O'Keefe
Teaching staff131.30 (FTE) (2018–19)[1]
Grades9–12
GenderCo-educational
Enrollment2,926 (2018–19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio22.28:1 (2018–19)[1]
CampusesFLC/Main Campus
Campus size77 acres (310,000 m2)
Color(s)Red, White, Black    
SloganIt's Great to be a Fighting Indian
Athletics conferenceFHSAA Class 8A District 8
MascotFighting Indians
RivalSebastian River High School
Websitevbhs.indianriverschools.org

The campus of VBHS encompasses approximately 77 acres (310,000 m2), which includes the Freshman Learning Center and main campus areas. The combination of school enrollment and the size of the physical plant make VBHS the largest high school in Indian River County. The Freshman Learning Center serves about 750 9th grade students.

Vero Beach High School has completed a three-year, $51 million remodeling project.[2]

History

Vero Beach High School can trace its timeline back to the class of 1905, and a one-room schoolhouse where children of all ages were taught. In 1925, the first official Vero Beach High School opened. It was located about a half-mile north of the current location, where Vero Beach High School's Freshman Learning Center stands today.

After Vero Beach High School moved to its present-day location in 1963, the old high school became Vero Beach Junior High School, and VBHS took on a new official name, Vero Beach Senior High School.

In 1977, the junior high school was becoming insufficient for housing all of the county's junior high schoolers, and was torn down to make way for a new, smaller school, Indian River Middle 8 - the present-day home of the Freshman Learning Center, and soon to become a middle school again, once all the renovations at Vero Beach High School are complete. Prior to the completion of Sebastian River High School in 1994, Vero Beach High School was the only public high school in Indian River County.

Former principal Jane Hudson retired at the end of the 2008–2009 school year. A year later, Vero Beach High School had a new principal, Eric Seymour. Seymour was a graduate of Vero Beach High School himself, and earned a master's degree at Nova Southeastern University. Afterward, Seymour became an administrator at Vero Beach High School, but left to become an assistant principal at Lincoln Park Academy in Fort Pierce, Florida. Seymour was principal from the 2009–2010 school year to 2011–2012 school year. Shawn O'Keefe took over for the 2012–2013 school year.

On January 1, 2019, the Vero Beach High School Fighting Indians Band performed in the 2019 London New Year's Day Parade in London.[3] This was the first time the band, in its 90 years existence as of June 2019, had gone overseas to Europe and Internationally traveled. This had also brought some attention to the high school and the city of Vero Beach due to the number of viewers at the parade and on TV.

Academics

Vero Beach High School has an AP Program, a Dual Enrollment program with Indian River State College, an Honors program, and regular level classes.

The Dual Enrollment Program is offered with Indian River State College to give students the opportunity to take college-level classes at the college, online, or during the summer. The school also offers career and technical classes.

A statue of the School's mascot.

Mu Alpha Theta

The Vero Beach chapter of National Mu Alpha Theta is an honor society that participates in mathematical competitions. The math team has won various individual and team awards at the state and national levels.[4][5]

Bomb threats

In April 2009, two students were charged for making multiple false bomb threats to the school. After each threat, students had to leave their classrooms as investigators searched the school for explosives or any other bombing device. In total, there were six bomb threats.[6]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Search for Public Schools - Vero Beach High School (120093001052)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Vero Beach High School marching band at London New Year's Day Parade". www.tcpalm.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  4. "Florida Association of Mu Alpha Theta". Archived from the original on February 23, 2007.
  5. "Mu Alpha Theta past national conventions". Archived from the original on March 25, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2008.
  6. Gardner, Keona. "Arrests made in Vero Beach High School bomb threats case". TCPalm. TCPalm. Archived from the original on April 26, 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
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