Fairfax High School (Fairfax, Virginia)

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Fairfax High School

Established	1936
School type	public school
Principal	Scott Brabrand
Location	3500 Old Lee Highway Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Enrollment	2,146
Athletic Conference	Concorde District Northern Region
Mascot	Lion
Colors	Blue and gray ██
Nickname	Rebels
Rival School	Woodson High School
Homepage	Official Site

Fairfax High School is a public high school in Fairfax, Virginia. The school is owned by the city of Fairfax, but is operated by Fairfax County Public Schools as part of a contractual agreement.

The original school building is located on Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) in Fairfax, and is currently occupied by Paul VI Catholic High School. The current building that is Fairfax High School opened in January of 1972. It is currently undergoing a $54 million renovation designed by architectural firm BeeryRio that will be finished by November 2007. Renovations began in March 2005 and will add an additional 86,500 sq. ft. of classroom space.

1 Demographics
2 Test Scores
3 Athletics
- 3.1 Johnny Reb Controversy
4 Band
5 Theatre
6 Feeder patterns
7 External links

[edit] Demographics

Fairfax High School's student body (as of the 2005-2006 school year) is 48.90% white, 9.71% black, 12.50% Hispanic, 25.35% Asian, and 3.54% other.

[edit] Test Scores

Fairfax High School is a fully accredited high school based on the Standards of Learning tests in Virginia. The average SAT score in 2006 for Fairfax High School was 1,620 (530 in Critical Reading, 560 in Math, and 530 in Writing).

[edit] Athletics

Fairfax's nickname is the Rebels, and the sports teams currently play in the AAA Concorde District and Northern Region.

[edit] Johnny Reb Controversy

The previous mascot of Fairfax High School was a caricature of a Confederate soldier known as "Johnny Reb." Due to complaints from black students and parents, and at the suggestion of the school’s Minority Achievement Task Free, the principal (H. Holsinger) removed the "Johnny Reb" symbol in 1988. Student protests, rallies, and a lawsuit followed, which challenged the principal’s actions as violating the First Amendment guarantees of free speech. In Crosby v. Holsinger, 852 F.2d 801 (4th Cir. 1988), the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the federal district court decision in favor of the principal. Though the school maintains its nickname of the Rebels, the mascot for Fairfax High is a lion.

[edit] Band

Fairfax has a strong band program, including a marching band which has won numerous championships. Included in the Rebel Band is the Fairfax High School Drumline, which placed third in the Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA) championships in North Carolina in 2006. Other teams that accompany the Band program would be the Fall Guard (competes with the marching band) and the Winterguard (competes separately). While not yet well known, this up-and-coming sport has a very dedicated team at Fairfax and represents the high school well, consistently placing as one of the strongest winterguard programs in the AIA circuit (Maryland, Virginia, & North Carolina).

[edit] Theatre

The F/X Players are the theatre troupe for Fairfax High School. They are dedicated toward the promotion of theatre in every aspect. The current director and sponsor is Wendy Knight.

Fairfax has an orchestra pit that can move up and down, but it has been locked in the house floor position due to safety concerns. In a recent performance of "The King and I," however, the pit was opened again. The members of the pit orchestra are some of the only musicians in Fairfax County to have ever played a musical in an actual orchestra pit (Hayfield Secondary School also has a working orchestra pit). The pit sinks six feet below the stage.

[edit] Feeder patterns

Daniels Run Elementary School, Willow Springs Elementary School, Providence Elementary School, and Fairfax Villa Elementary School all feed into Lanier Middle School which feeds into Fairfax High School. Additionally, some students from the listed elementary schools attend Willow Springs Elementary school for the Gifted & Talented Center (often referred to as the GT center). All students continuing with the GT program through middle school who would normally attend Lanier-feeding schools attend Rocky Run Middle School for the Rocky Run GT Center and later attend Fairfax High School.