Spotswood High School is a high school in Penn Laird, Virginia, in shadow of the Massanutten Peak. As of 2008, it competes in the Virginia High School League.
History
Spotswood High School had its formal beginning in 1973 when the County School Board authorized an Eastern Rockingham building study and requested a report on a proposed new high school for eastern Rockingham County.
A committee, composed of community persons from the Elkton and Montevideo attendance areas, as well as Central Office staff members, three Principals and several teachers from both Montevideo and Elkton High Schools, was organized to develop the education specifications for the proposed new plant. Although the proposal to build the new school was not implemented at this time, the work of the educational specifications committee served as a foundation for the planning of the present school.
During the summer of 1976 the School Board voted to build a senior high school, grades 10-12, to house Montevideo and Elkton High School students. A committee of twenty-one people was appointed to draft a set of educational specifications for the proposed new facility. The committee completed its report during the 1976-1977 school year, and later revised it when a specific starting date for construction was established.
Specific plans for names, nicknames, and colors were developed by a committee of nine persons that made final reports to the School Board in December 1978. The School Board reviewed the report and voted to name to the school the Spotswood Senior High School, in memory of Alexander Spotswood. The Board decided to leave the decision for the school's nickname and colors to the administration and students.
Spotswood High School was established in 1980 as Spotswood Senior High School, serving grades 10-12. James Upperman was the first principal. The school was named in honor of Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Spotswood. The school colors, blue and gray, were selected from the colors of the two high schools it consolidated in the 1980s: Elkton High School (blue and gold) and Montevideo (maroon and gray). Elkton's High School color was actually navy blue, however, royal blue was used instead. The official nickname selected was Trailblazers even though it is rarely used. In the fall of 1984, Spotswood became a 9-12 school and changed to its present name, Spotswood High School.
In 2009, Rockingham County Public Schools took notice of the increased population in the eastern portion of Rockingham County and opened its fourth high school, East Rockingham High School. The opening of ERHS alleviated the overcrowding problem at Spotswood and cut the enrollment of the school in half.
Current administration
Principal- Robert A. "Rad" Dansey
Asst. Principal- Rebecca Arbaugh, Jeff Bond, & Anneke Martin
Athletic Director- Tim Leach
Resource Officer- Rodrigo
Student body
The enrollment of Spotswood is approaching the 900 mark. The students come from several small towns and unincorporated communities in the area, such as Penn Laird and Keezletown. In 2008, the student body population was reported by the Board of Education to have the following enrollment characteristics. In 2008, the student population was approaching 1500, but after the new East Rockingham High School opened in 2009, the overcrowding problem was alleviated temporarily. In 2020, students from the Grottoes area were moved to East Rockingham High School due to further overcrowding.
Grade
Gender
Sports
The Golf team has been very competitive since Linda Failes took over the head coaching role in 1988. They just wrapped up another District title in 2011 by beating 2nd place Harrisonburg by 66 strokes.
In 2005, the girls basketball team won the Group AA State Championship. In 2010, the girls basketball team finished as Division 4 State Runner-Ups, and in 2011, they finished in the Division 3 State Final Four, losing in the semi-final round to the eventual state champion. They have won back-to-back district titles and were Region III Champions in 2010 and 2011. The girls basketball team is coached by Chris Dodson.
Spotswood cheerleading squad claimed seven straight district titles from 2001-2007, a Region II Championship and runner-up, and two Group AA State Championship Runners-up and a 2007 Region III Finalist. They lost the district title in 2008, however won the crown back in 2009 and 2010. In 2008, they were Region III Runner-Ups and were VHSL AA State Finalists in 2008, 2009, and 2010.