Powhatan High School

Powhatan High School was held in a number of different buildings in the 1900s; the building used from 1971 to 2003 was later used as Pocahontas Middle School from 2003 to 2016, now called Pocahontas Landmark Center and used as the school board office.[2][3] The school was racially integrated in 1969.[4] The current facility opened in 2003.[4]

PHS ranks among the top 6,600 high schools in America, top 145 in Virginia, and 18th in the Richmond Metro Area.[5] The graduation rate is 95%.[5]

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are offered at Powhatan High School, with 41% of students taking AP classes.[6] PHS also offers Dual enrollment classes in collaboration with J. Sargeant Reynold's Community College. Powhatan High School also has an Advanced College Academy program with this school. Students in this program can earn an associate's degree in social sciences and an advanced studies high school diploma when they graduate.[7]

AP Classes include: AP English 11 (Language & Composition), AP English 12 (Literature & Composition), AP Calculus A/B, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science, AP Environmental Science, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics I, AP Human Geography, AP Modern World History, AP US History, AP US Government & Politics, AP Psychology, AP Spanish, AP Music Theory, and AP Economics.

Dual Enrollment classes for students who are not enrolled in the ACA program: DE Math Analysis (Math 167), DE English 12 (English 111, 112), and DE US Government (PLS 135, 136).

PHS offers Career and technical education classes that provide students with experience in various job fields including: Veterinary Science, Business Marketing, Information Technology, Carpentry, Electricity, Culinary Arts, Cosmetology, Engineering, JROTC, Firefighting, Education, and Medical Sciences. Along with these CTE classes, Powhatan High School offers Cooperative Education Programs which let students work at an approved job and earn high school credit for that work.[8]

• Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society)
• National English Honor Society
• Science National Honor Society
• Tri-M Music Honor Society
• Spanish Honor Society
• Rho Kappa (Social Studies Honor Society)
• FBLA-PBL
• FFA
• SkillsUSA
• Indoor Drumline
• Marching band
• Winter Guard

Powhatan High School operates multiple curricular ensembles including Show choir, Symphonic band, Wind symphony, Jazz band, and Chamber Orchestra. Extra-Curricular ensembles include indoor drumline, marching band and winter guard.

Powhatan runs 2 indoor drumline ensembles, Powhatan JV Percussion which performs in Scholastic A Class, and Powhatan Varsity percussion which performs in Scholastic Open Class. Powhatan Varsity competes nationally at the WGI World Championships.

In 2022, the school district was awarded with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM foundation.[9]

In 2023, the schools show choir "Radiance" received grand champion in their division at the New England Show Choir Showdown at Andover High School in Massachusetts.[10]

Powhatan Highschool's athletic teams are named the "Indians" and they compete in the Virginia High School League's Dominion District. The teams competed in the Jefferson District until 2019.[11]

The Indians football team won state championships in 1996 and 2003.[12]

The softball team has six state championships, and the baseball team won its first state championship in 2007.[4]

On June 30, 2022, Andrew Clinton Snead, the Districts Performing Arts Coordinator, and high school band and orchestra director, was arrested on 2 counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor. Snead was placed on unpaid administrative leave. In September, 6 more charges were placed on Snead, with a total of 8 charges spanning back over 10 years. Including 8 felonies, seven counts of taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial or supervisory relationship, and one of solicitation of child pornography.[13]

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• Powhatan County Public Schools