William Monroe High School
Encyclopedia
William Monroe High School is a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Stanardsville, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The current principal is Mike Jamerson. Brad Berry is the current vice-principal and Marge Farner is the current Dean of Students.
History
William Monroe High School serves as the only public secondary school in Greene CountyGreene County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there are 15,244 people, 5,574 households, and 4,291 families residing in the county. The population density is 97 people per square mile . There are 5,986 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
. The school's namesake, William Monroe, immigrated to this area from Great Britain in 1769. His will provided that the interest from his estate be used for the free education of the area youth. When Greene County was formed from Orange County
Orange County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,881 people, 10,150 households, and 7,470 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile . There were 11,354 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
in 1838, the Greene Humane Society was incorporated to administer the portion of the fund that was allotted to the county.
William Monroe High School was opened in 1925 as a one-story frame building with eight classrooms surrounding an auditorium. In 1934, two additional classrooms were built onto the rear of the building. Four of the classrooms were used for elementary students. Elementary classes were taught at the high school until William Monroe Elementary School was opened during the 1954-1955 school year.
In accordance with the will of the voters of Greene County in 1961, a new William Monroe High School was opened in 1962. This building contained 15 classrooms on two parallel wings, a gymnasium/auditorium/cafeteria, and offices for guidance and administration. An addition of 4 classrooms and a library was built in 1970, and in 1982 a cafeteria was added which provided seating for 200 students. The next year, 1983, the school was expanded to include a new gymnasium with a seating capacity of 1200, coach's offices, and an extra classroom. In 1986 renovations occurred at the Greene County Technical Education Center raising it to a contemporary state-of-the-art building.
Further renovations and additions to the main building were completed in January 1987. This expansion included a modern auditorium, dressing rooms, a performing music classroom, two computer labs, five classrooms, and teacher offices, bringing the total classroom number to 33.
In the fall of 1992, William Monroe Middle School was opened at the renovated site of William Monroe Elementary. The eighth grade class was moved to William Monroe Middle School to give the high school the present 9-12 configuration.
In the summer of 1995, old sections of the building were renovated and nine new classrooms and a large workroom were added to create a new Science Wing. Since then, there have been eleven classrooms (mobile units) added adjacent to the Math/Science Wing.
An alternative education program was started on March 1, 2000. It was housed in Trailer 13. As of 2001, by the approval of the School Board, this program was developed into a charter school called the New Directions Academy. The physical facility doubled in size and has a full time director, three teachers and two secretarial assistants. The New Directions Academy continues to serve students from the Middle School through the High School, but no longer is a charter school.
A building addition was approved in the spring of 2005. An 18-classroom wing has been added parallel to the Math/Science Wing. The new addition to the school was opened Fall 2006.