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The Pioneer District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that comprises high schools located in Southwest Virginia
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(February 2022) |
The Pioneer District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that comprises high schools located in Southwest Virginia
The District was originally composed of small schools in the Allegany Highlands and northern and western Roanoke Valley. In 2017, the VHSL shuffled many districts, including the Three Rivers, because of demographic changes. In an effort to have schools of similar size competing in the same districts, James River, who had largely dominated the district and had by far the largest enrollment, was shifted to the Three Rivers District. To replace the Knights, Eastern Montgomery High School of the Three Rivers District and Narrows High School of the Mountain Empire District shifted to the Pioneer District.
The Pioneer District comprises high schools in the Alleghany Highlands and the Roanoke, New River, and southern Shenandoah Valleys. This Alleghany Highlands is probably best known for being the home of or at least nearby five-star vacation resorts such as The Homestead and The Greenbrier, the latter which is in West Virginia.
Although the schools in the Pioneer District are very small in size, most of its members do field teams in most of the sports offered by the Virginia High School League. One notable exception to this is football, with Highland High School not participating because of its small enrollment. The largest school in the Pioneer District is Parry McCluer High School, located in Buena Vista, Virginia (with about 365 students), and the smallest is Highland, located in Monterey, Virginia. Due to its size, Parry McCluer has dominated most of the district's sports in recent years, culminating with their winning of 5 state football championships. .[ citation needed ]
While the VHSL uses District formatting for regular season contests and determining postseason eligibility, the teams are divided into different classes and regions for Regional and State-level competitions. The Pioneer District is fairly unique when compared to other local districts as all members complete in Class 1, Region C (as of 2022).: [1]
| School | Location | Mascot | Colors | 2017-18 9–12 enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath County High School | Hot Springs | Chargers | 205 | |
| Craig County High School | New Castle | Rockets | 208 | |
| Eastern Montgomery High School | Elliston | Mustangs | 297 | |
| Highland High School | Monterey | Rams | 58 | |
| Narrows High School | Narrows | Green Wave | 265 | |
| Parry McCluer High School | Buena Vista | Fighting Blues | 336 | |
| School | Location | Mascot | Colors | Current District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn High School | Riner | Eagles | Mountain Empire | |
| Covington High School | Covington | Cougars | School Closed | |
| James River High School | Buchanan | Knights | Three Rivers | |
Note: Covington High School was closed following the 2022-23 school year, with its student body being merged into Alleghany High School. The new, larger Alleghany High School has since adopted Covington's Cougar nickname
Highland County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,232, making it the state's least populous county. Its county seat is Monterey. Known as "Virginia's Switzerland" or "Virginia's Little Switzerland", Highland County is the least populous jurisdiction in Virginia, including counties and independent cities. Highland lays claim to being one of the least populous counties and one of the highest average elevations east of the Mississippi River.
Covington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,737, making it the second-least populous city in Virginia. It is surrounded by Alleghany County, of which it is also the county seat. Located at the confluence of Jackson River and Dunlap Creek, Covington is one of three cities in the Roanoke Regional Partnership. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Covington with Alleghany county for statistical purposes.
Buena Vista is an independent city located in the Blue Ridge Mountains region of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,641. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the independent cities of Buena Vista and Lexington, along with surrounding Rockbridge County, for statistical purposes.
Alleghany County is an American county located on the far western edge of Commonwealth of Virginia. It is bordered by the Allegheny Mountains, from which the county derives its name, and it is the northernmost part of the Roanoke Region. The county seat is Covington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,223.
The Virginia High School League (VHSL) is the principal sanctioning organization for interscholastic athletic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The VHSL first sponsored debate and also continues to sponsor state championships in several academic activities.
Area codes 540 and 826 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the U.S. State of Virginia. Areas included are the outer portions of Northern Virginia/D.C Area along with areas in or around the Shenandoah Valley, Blue Ridge Mountains, New River Valley, and the Roanoke metropolitan area. The Virginia State Corporation Commission authorized the addition of 826 to the numbering plan area for implementation in May 2022.
The AA River Ridge District is a district in Region IV of the Virginia High School League. It is centered around the Roanoke Valley and New River Valley in Southwest Virginia.
The AA Blue Ridge District is a district in the Region III of the Virginia High School League. The district is centered around the Roanoke Valley in Southwest Virginia and is named for the Blue Ridge Mountains, which feature prominently in the region's geography.
Alleghany High School is a public secondary school in Alleghany County, VA, United States. It is part of Alleghany County Public Schools and is located at 210 Mountaineer Drive. Though the school has a Covington mailing address, it is actually about four miles east of Covington City, about two miles west of Low Moor, and roughly 9 miles from Clifton Forge. Since 2023, it has served residents of both Alleghany County and the independent city of Covington.
Covington High School was a public secondary school in Covington, Virginia, United States. It was part of Covington City Public Schools and was located on 530 South Lexington Avenue. On July 1, 2023, the school was merged with neighboring Alleghany High School.
The A Three Rivers District is a high school conference of the Virginia High School League located in Southwest Virginia.
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Located within the broader region of western Virginia, Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or at its greatest expanse, as far east as Blacksburg and Roanoke. Another geographic categorization of the region places it as those counties within the Tennessee River watershed. Regardless of how borders are drawn, Southwest Virginia differs from the rest of the commonwealth in that its culture is more closely associated with Appalachia than the other regions of Virginia. Historically, the region has been and remains a rural area, but in the 20th century, coal mining became an important part of its economy. With the decline in the number of coal jobs and the decline of tobacco as a cash crop, Southwest Virginia is increasingly turning to tourism as a source of economic development. Collectively, Southwest Virginia's craft, music, agritourism and outdoor recreation are referred to as the region's "creative economy."
In the U.S. state of Virginia, U.S. Route 220 (US 220) is a major north-south state highway that extends from the North Carolina state line through Roanoke to the West Virginia state line. South of Roanoke, US 220 is a four-lane highway within the proposed Interstate 73 (I-73) corridor. US 220 narrows to two lanes north of Roanoke, connecting to I-64 near Clifton Forge and then paralleling the Appalachian Mountains north-northeasterly in the direction of Cumberland, Maryland.
Alleghany Highlands Public Schools is a public school system which serves Alleghany County and the independent city of Covington in the lower Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It was created on July 1, 2023, when Alleghany County and Covington City merged their two school systems due to declining attendance.
Patrick Henry High School is a public high school located in the Grandin Court neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. It is one of the two general enrollment high schools for the Roanoke City Public Schools. The school is located on Grandin Road SW near the intersection with Brandon Avenue SW in the Raleigh Court neighborhood.
Parry McCluer High School (PMHS) is a high school located in Buena Vista, Virginia, United States. The school has an enrollment of approximately 336 students. Its current principal is Dr. Todd Jones, and its current assistant principal is Troy Clark. The school band is the Marching Blues.
The Roanoke Region is the area of the Commonwealth of Virginia surrounding the city of Roanoke. Its usage may refer to the metropolitan statistical area or the Roanoke Valley, but it sometimes includes areas in the Allegheny Mountains and New River Valley which includes Alleghany County, Montgomery County, Covington, Clifton Forge, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford. Bedford County and Floyd County are sometimes included as part of the region.
Staunton River High School is one of the three high schools in Bedford County, Virginia. SRHS opened in the fall of 1963.
The Group 3A West Region is a division of the Virginia High School League. The region was formed in 2013 when the VHSL adopted a six classification format and eliminated the previous three classification system. For the purpose of regular season competition, schools may compete within districts that existed prior to 2013, while post-season competition will be organized within four conferences that make up each region.
Barbours Creek Wilderness Addition, a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia, has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".