La Plata High School
Organization
Dates
- Existence: January 1928-
In November, 1926, a deadly tornado ripped through the town of La Plata and destroyed the two-room school house that stood there. In May, 1927, a committee was organized to construct a new La Plata School; eleven acres of land was purchased (at a little over $34,000) and the building process began. When the new school year started, the building was not yet completed, so temporary classes were held in the Town Hall. In January, 1928, with 90 students and Mr. Milton Somers as principal, the classes, along with the students and staff, were moved into the newly finished La Plata High School- a beautiful brick building with tall white columns sitting atop a hill.
Over the years, the building was expanded. In the late 1930's an elementary wing was added, and in 1949 a large addition including a gymnasium, auditorium, library, additional classrooms, modern science labs, and agricultural and industrial arts buildings was constructed. After this expansion, students from three other high schools were consolidated into La Plata High School- Nanjemoy High School, Hughesville High School, and Glasva High School.
Illustration of La Plata High School
In addition to physical changes, La Plata High School was desegregated under the Freedom of Choice Desegregation Policy starting in the 1963-64 school year. Twenty students from Bel Alton High School enrolled.
Around this time, plans were made for the construction of a new building to be La Plata High School. In January, 1965, students were able to enter into their new school on Oak Avenue. It had been 37 years since Mr. Somers had been principal at La Plata High School, and he decided to take the opportunity of the new buildings construction to retire. A new building was built in 1978 on Radio Station Road, our school's present location.
Over a period of sixteen years, the new building saw five principals- John Gee (64-69), James Campbell (71-74), Ken Grote (75-76), and Tom Weirich (76-79). Mr. Weirich continued as La Plata High Schools principal when the schoool moved, once again, to a new building on Radio Station Road, where it currently stands. Mr. Weirich retired as principal in 1985, when Cecil Short took his place until 1992, and after his retirement Don Cooke became principal from 1992 until 2006. In 2006, Mr. Garth Bowling took Mr. Cooke's place as La Plata High School principal, and then in 2009, Mrs. Evelyn Arnold, who is the current principal, took his place.