Vero Beach High School
Encyclopedia
Vero Beach High School is located in Vero Beach
, Florida
, the county seat of Indian River County
. Founded in 1925 (officially), VBHS is a large, comprehensive high school, located on Florida’s east coast. The high school serves 2,675 students in grades 9-12 who reside in the southern portion of Indian River County. The campus of VBHS encompasses approximately 77 acres (311,608.2 m²), which includes the site of 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 700 9th grade students. Vero Beach High School has recently completed the second year of a three year, $51 million remodeling project. The school is operated by the Indian River County School District
.
Former principal Jane Hudson retired at the end of the school year of 2008-2009. Vero Beach High School now has a new principal, Eric Seymour. Eric is a graduate of Vero Beach High School himself, but earned a Masters 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 Port St. Lucie, Florida. Seymour said he is delighted to be returning to his alma mater as principal.
The Dual Enrollment Program is offered with Indian River State College to give students the opportunity to take college level classes at the college, on-line, or during the summer.
The Honors Program at Vero Beach High School spans all the subjects. Honors courses can be found in English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, Art, and Vocational classes. To graduate with honors a student must have a grade of C or better in at least 11 credits of honors level courses which may include up to 3 credits in honors electives. AP courses can count towards honors graduation.
The school also offers career and technical classes. The classes are offered in areas such as automobiles, business, health science, drafting, carpentry, culinary, gas engines, environmental technology, and several others. In agreement with IRSC, students who complete a career program may be eligible to earn college credit at IRSC.
is an honor society that participates in mathematical competitions at the state and national levels. The math team has won various individual and team awards at the state and national levels, most notably a first place Sweepstakes finish at the national convention at Chicago in 1998. The team is coached by its adult sponsors, who are also mathematics teachers at the high school.
The 2006 girls lacrosse team posted a record of 25-1-1, and won the Florida High School Varsity & Interscolastic Associates State Championship. US Lacrosse Magazine ranked the Fighting Lady Indians #23 in the nation. In 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 the VBHS girls lacrosse team won the Florida State championship again, posting a 25-5 regular-season record. The baseball team made it to the "Elite Eight" in 1998, and the "Final Four" in 2003.
Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, the county seat of Indian River County
Indian River County, Florida
Indian River County is a county located in the Treasure Coast region in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 112,947. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 128,594...
. Founded in 1925 (officially), VBHS is a large, comprehensive high school, located on Florida’s east coast. The high school serves 2,675 students in grades 9-12 who reside in the southern portion of Indian River County. The campus of VBHS encompasses approximately 77 acres (311,608.2 m²), which includes the site of 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 700 9th grade students. Vero Beach High School has recently completed the second year of a three year, $51 million remodeling project. The school is operated by the Indian River County School District
Indian River County School District
Indian River County School District is a public school district that covers Indian River County, Florida.- School Board :The District School Board is elected on a non-partisan basis.*District 1: Karen Disney-Brombach Chairman...
.
History
Vero Beach High School can trace its history 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 (FLC) 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 school year of 2008-2009. Vero Beach High School now has a new principal, Eric Seymour. Eric is a graduate of Vero Beach High School himself, but earned a Masters 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 Port St. Lucie, Florida. Seymour said he is delighted to be returning to his alma mater as principal.
Academics
Vero Beach High School has an AP Program, a Dual Enrollment program with Indian River State College, and an Honors program. In the AP program students take AP+ Honors classes in 9th and 10th grade with the exception of AP World History and AP Biology. In 11th and 12th grade students can take any of the AP classes they qualify for. AP Classes offered at the school include: AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics B, AP Environmental Science, AP World History, AP U.S. History, AP U.S. Government and Politics, AP Macroeconomics, AP European History, AP Psychology, AP Spanish Language, and AP Studio Art-3D. To graduate with AP designation a student must pass at least 6 credits of AP classes without a grade of D or F in those 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, on-line, or during the summer.
The Honors Program at Vero Beach High School spans all the subjects. Honors courses can be found in English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, Art, and Vocational classes. To graduate with honors a student must have a grade of C or better in at least 11 credits of honors level courses which may include up to 3 credits in honors electives. AP courses can count towards honors graduation.
The school also offers career and technical classes. The classes are offered in areas such as automobiles, business, health science, drafting, carpentry, culinary, gas engines, environmental technology, and several others. In agreement with IRSC, students who complete a career program may be eligible to earn college credit at IRSC.
Mu Alpha Theta
The Vero Beach chapter of National Mu Alpha ThetaMu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta is a United States mathematics honor society for high schools and two-year colleges. It has over 89,000 student members in more than 1,800 schools worldwide. Its main goals are to inspire keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the...
is an honor society that participates in mathematical competitions at the state and national levels. The math team has won various individual and team awards at the state and national levels, most notably a first place Sweepstakes finish at the national convention at Chicago in 1998. The team is coached by its adult sponsors, who are also mathematics teachers at the high school.
Sports
Vero Beach High School has a competitive athletics program with teams qualifying for the state tournament in their respective sports on an almost annual basis. The school currently competes in division 6A. FHSAA Hall of Fame coach William "Bill" Wilson coached Vero Beach High School to back-to-back boys track & field state championships in 1989 and 1990. The football team won the 1981 state championship, while in 1996, history was made when Bucky Stoeckel took the field and at 4'11" became the shortest player ever at the 6A level to participate in a football game.The 2006 girls lacrosse team posted a record of 25-1-1, and won the Florida High School Varsity & Interscolastic Associates State Championship. US Lacrosse Magazine ranked the Fighting Lady Indians #23 in the nation. In 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 the VBHS girls lacrosse team won the Florida State championship again, posting a 25-5 regular-season record. The baseball team made it to the "Elite Eight" in 1998, and the "Final Four" in 2003.
Band
The Symphonic Bands form the heart of the Vero Beach High School band program. These bands have received "Superior" ratings at the FBA District Music Performance Assessments for the past 32 years in a row. The bands have also earned "Superior" ratings at the FBA State MPA for 19 of the past 23 years, the last 20 being consecutive. In 2000, the VBHS Freshman concert band was the first all freshman band to receive straight superior ratings at a state level. Symphonic Band I has performed at the 1985 and 1997 Southeastern U.S. Concert Band Clinics in Troy, Alabama; the 1990 College Band Directors National Association Southern Division in Tallahassee, Florida; the 1996 University of Florida Invitational Band Clinic in Gainesville, Florida; the 1996 University of South Florida Festival of Winds in Tampa; the 1998 University of Georgia Honor Band Weekend; the 1995 and 2005 MENC Southern Division Conference; the Stetson University Honors Festival in April 2000 and 2004; and the 2003 and 2010 National Band and Orchestra Festival at Carnegie Hall.Notable alumni
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