West Orange High School (Florida)

Completed in 1975 at a cost of 6.5 million dollars, West Orange High was formed as a consolidation of two over-crowded high schools within western Orange County: Lakeview High School and Ocoee High School. Ocoee High School has since been rebuilt and reinstated due to overcrowding in West Orange and Apopka High School. The Lakeview High School site became Lakeview Junior High School. In recent times, Lakeview has undergone a campus expansion and renovation as Lakeview Middle School.

The first classes were held at Lakeview High School in September 1975. The first principal of the school was Lester Dabbs. Upon completion of the new facility, classes began onsite in January 1976. Many of the teachers that first year transferred from Lakeview, Ocoee, and Evans High Schools.

The original West Orange High School building design was extremely modernistic for its time. In fact, the WOHS main building was an award-winning design for the architectural firm. Apopka High School was the only school in existence with the same exact building format. West Orange appeared virtually identical to its sister school, both in the original pristine white paint scheme. The school name's facade on the side of the gym and the front entrance were trimmed in cypress wood. Gymnasium accent columns, as well as the round front entrance planters, were trimmed in red brick.

Original West Orange High School Gym and Front Entrance as Existing in 1977

All academic classrooms were housed within an innovative floorplan design, with each of the three circular wings arranged and interconnected in the shape of a triangle. New to Central Florida high schools at the time, all classrooms and common areas were located within one contiguous building complex so that the weather did not affect the school day. The lunchroom "commons," as well as the library media center and auditorium, were designed to be located centrally within the complex. The band room, gym, and industrial arts wings, as well as the science building, were located along the periphery of the complex. Designed in the aftermath of the 1973 energy crisis, the architectural design also called for a minimum of windows to maximize energy efficiency, as the building was 100% air-conditioned. Large portions of the building were also designed with removable partitions to allow for easy re-configuration as classroom size changed. Also contemporary with the 1970s, nearly all floors were carpeted and many of the interior walls were either covered with carpet or high-grade vinyl wall texturing. In the campus' final years, however, the building interior has been modified, removing most of the carpeting on the walls and floors.

The school opened with a population of nearly 1800 students for the 1975–1976 school year. As a result of the rapid growth brought on by the earlier opening of the Magic Kingdom and the more recent opening of EPCOT Center, the school was at or past maximum capacity at about 2200 students by the 1977–1978 school year. Many of the palm trees and additional landscaping elements near the front entrance portico were donated by a foundation associated with Disney. Despite uniqueness of building design, the size of the community student body was already at the bursting point. A science wing was added to the original structure, being both the first and last major addition to the school main building.

One of the school's earlier principals, Raymond Screws, was shot dead in his own office by a co-worker, Assistant Principal Roosevelt Holloman, who had been accused of misconduct on December 12, 1977. The football field, Raymond Screws Field, is named in his honor.

Ocoee High School opened in 2005 and nearly half of West Orange's student body was sent to the new school, along with some West Orange teachers. Ocoee's first principal, Michael Armbruster, is both an alumnus and a former principal of West Orange.

In April 2006, WOHS held a gala to celebrate 30 years with performances by the drama and choir departments and the marching band and ensemble. Graduates shared fond memories of their high school days, and the school honored six teachers and staff members who had been at the school since it first opened its doors: Pat Moran, Karen Whidden, Maxine Lee, Fred Savage (retired), Gay Annis, and Rick Stotler (retired). In 2006, additional property at the corner of Warrior and Beulah Road was purchased to expand the campus.

On October 10, 2009, teacher Jarrold Gabriel threatened to shoot the principal of the school and a student. He said that they had 13 days to live and also threatened his ex-wife. He was arrested and was suspended.

On October 11, 2013, for the first time on record in Orange County, two students with Down syndrome were awarded Homecoming King and Queen.[2]

As of the 2014–2015 school year, the school's enrollment was 3,873. The racial makeup of the school was 51% White, 24% Hispanic, 16% Black, 6% Asian, 2% Multicultural, and 1% Native American.

As of the 2016–2017 school year, 4,285 students are registered for classes at West Orange.[3]

In 2017, Windermere High School was built as a relief school for the overcrowding at West Orange.

West Orange High School, borrowing heavily upon a strong program foundation at Lakeview and a smaller program at Ocoee High School, has had a 30-year prominent band program within Orange County.

West Orange High School Band 1978

The West Orange Warrior Band has appeared at many local and national venues, including the Magic Kingdom, Camping World Stadium, the Orlando Christmas Parade, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. On November 25, 1992, the West Orange High School Band had the honor of opening the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. For being a shelter during the hurricane seasons during 2004, West Orange High School band was given the opportunity to march in the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 2004, and the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade in 2002, 2007 and 2015. On December 30, 2008, the West Orange Warrior Band participated in the 2008 Florida Citrus Bowl Parade. The event was aired nationally on ABC on New Year's Day 2009.

In 2013, the band marched in the Annual Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington D.C. They also marched in the 2010 and 2017 Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 2020, the band marched in the London's New Year's Day Parade. In addition, the band has performed at the Midwest Clinic, the College Band Directors National Association/National Band Association's Southeast Regional Conference, and the 2017 FMEA President's Conference. The band program was also recently named a Blue Ribbon Program of Excellence by the National Band Association.

The WOHS choral and theatre departments have won outstanding ratings at district and state festivals. The Advanced Choirs won 1st place, 2nd place and Outstanding Director Awards in 2005 at a competition in Verona, Italy. The choir program attended the competition again in 2019.

West Orange's choir director, Dr. Jeffery Redding, was awarded the 2019 Grammy Music Educator Award.

The theatre department has won many awards, from its year-to-year 1st place holding in the District Thespian competition, to being named the best play in 7 states at the South Eastern Theatre Conference with Mark Medoff's play, Children of a Lesser God.

In 2017, the theatre department held the high school premiere of Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's musical, Bright Star. Under the direction of Tara Whitman, they submitted the show to the International Thespian Society's "mainstage" competition. This led to West Orange being one of eight schools invited to perform at the Florida State Thespian Festival at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Florida, and one of eleven schools invited to perform at the 2018 International Thespian Festival at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska.[4][5][6]

At the 2019 Florida State Thespian Festival, the theatre department received top honors for their performance of Jim Leonard Jr.'s play, The Diviners.

The department was set to attend the 2020 Florida State Thespian Festival with two shows, a mainstage production of Kander and Ebb's Curtains, and a one-act play entitled Lilies on the Land,[7] however, the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]

The West Orange Speech & Debate team is a member of the NSDA, the Central Florida Debate Initiative, the Florida Forensic League, and the North Florida Catholic Forensic League. Their competitors are nationally ranked and have had success on both the local and national levels. Their Public Forum debate teams attended the prestigious Tournament of Champions (debate) in 2018 and 2019.

In 2016, a West Orange Duo Interpretation team won the University of Pennsylvania's Liberty Bell Classic tournament.

An aerospace science program (Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) is offered at West Orange High School, with more in-depth activities available within the corps, such as Kitty Hawk Air Society, Drill Team, Rocket Club, Aim High, and an Honor Guard (which is nationally ranked for its drill team and color guard).

Their first national recognition was not until 2008–2009, when they were ranked among the top schools of the nation. In May 2013 the Honor Guard came home with multiple trophies, including a 3rd place color guard trophy. The drill team also won trophies.