Warwick High School is a high school in Newport News, Virginia, United States. Warwick is the oldest of five high schools in the city and has been home to the Newport News Centre for the International Baccalaureate (IB) program since 1995.[2] Warwick is also home to the Governor's Health Science Academy (GHSA), one of nine official Virginia academies in the state.[3][4] The school's sports teams are nicknamed the Raiders, and previously the Farmers. On average, the student population is around 1,600 students.
The school originally opened in 1926 as Morrison High School in the small community of Morrison. It became Warwick High School in 1948. Originally located in Warwick County, it became part of the Newport News Public Schools system in 1958 when the citizenry of the former Warwick County voted to be politically consolidated with the neighboring independent city of Newport News. The facilities at Warwick High School were expanded to their current size in 1968.[5]
Following the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, racial desegregation lawsuits eventually resulted in a federal court-ordered busing program in Newport News, which began in 1971. Busing changed the nature of Warwick's population and community. However, in the years after the federal court supervision ended, a magnet school approach was adopted to attract students and families to select the school voluntarily.[6]
Also in 1971, the student body voted to change the school mascot from the Farmers to the Raiders after an influx of students came from the recently closed Newport News, Huntington, and Carver High Schools (which were closed due to the city of Newport News desegregating), and the demographics changed from almost entirely white school to a school whose student body was almost 40 percent African-American.[7]
Due to overcrowding and pest-control issues, Warwick High School expanded into the building, formerly the Warwick Early Childhood Center. This building was known as the Senior Center, although students from all grades may have classes there. The Senior Center was closed for first-floor remodeling during the 2022-2023 school year and reopened to students at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. Now known as the Annex building, its first-floor classrooms are dedicated for Governor's Health Science Academy, while the second floor is primarily used for select Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses.
2022 Assistant Principal Arrest
In November 2022, Jason Michael Taylor, then Assistant Principal of Operations at Warwick High School in Newport News, was arrested on 13 felony charges related to alleged incidents of sexual abuse involving a teenage student during his prior tenure as a band director at Western Branch High School between 2015 and 2018.[8][9][10][11] Officials state the abuse began when the student was approximately 14–15 years old and continued until she was 18. According to court documents, the incidents reportedly escalated from prolonged hugs and kissing to more serious misconduct, often occurring in the band room.[12]
Taylor remained employed at Warwick High School when charges were filed, and was subsequently suspended following his arrest. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent liberties with a child in Chesapeake Circuit Court. Later that year, Taylor was sentenced to 24 years in prison, with 16 years suspended, meaning he is only expected to serve eight years behind bars.[13][14][8]
Extracurricular activities
During the 2007–2008 school year, Warwick High School started an archery team. The team won the state competition and went to nationals in Louisville, Kentucky.[15]
Warwick High School's Scholastic Bowl team has won the Peninsula District Scholastic Bowl every year since 2017-18.[16]
Warwick High School has also enjoyed great success in debate and forensics. Students from the debate team qualified for the state championship tournament in the 2021-2022 year and won the LD style championship.[17]
In 1986, the Raiders football team advanced to the state championship but lost to Thomas Edison 7-6. In 2022-2023 school year, the Raiders football team went to the state's semi-finals game where and when the Raiders lost 28-0 to Dinwiddie High School.
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