Chesnee High School

Chesnee High School
Address
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
795 South Alabama Avenue Chesnee , South Carolina 29323
Coordinates	35°7′59.21″N 81°51′37.35″W / 35.1331139°N 81.8603750°W / 35.1331139; -81.8603750Coordinates: 35°7′59.21″N 81°51′37.35″W / 35.1331139°N 81.8603750°W / 35.1331139; -81.8603750
Information
Founded	1911
School district	Spartanburg County School District 2
Principal	Angie Ramsey
Enrollment	686 (2017-18)[1]
Color(s)	Black and Gold
Mascot	Eagle
Website	chs.spart2.org

Chesnee High School Students in Class

Chesnee High School is a 9-12 Grade Campus located in the northern part of Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

The campus is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and near Lakes Blalock and Cooley. Chesnee High School is a short drive from the City of Spartanburg.

The school has an average enrollment of approximately 700 students and offers numerous sports including: football, baseball, softball, competitive cheer, wrestling, golf, tennis and fishing. Chesnee High School's Baseball and Competitive Cheer programs have each won 5 State Championships.

The school also boasts an excellent Fine-Arts program, consisting of band, orchestra and chorus. Each year the school is well represented in Region and All-State selections. Students also have access to a number of clubs and organizations.

On the 2018-19 State Report Card, Chesnee High School earned a rating of Good. With a graduation rate of nearly 86%, CHS outperformed the state average of 81.1%.^[2]

The school's staff of 3 administrators, 45 teachers and 32 support staff work diligently to ensure that students have a safe, engaging, and welcoming environment in which to learn.

History[]

The first Chesnee High School building was built in 1911. In 1921, the school was moved to the former Chesnee Elementary School building. The first principal was W. L. Bennett, who served the school from 1920 to 1931 until handing over his title in 1932 to Mr. T.C. Brown. Brown served the school for four years. In 1937, Miss Felecia Varn became principal until in 1947. Mr. W. E. Turner became the next principal in 1948, and he was principal for a little over five years. He was the last principal to serve in the former Chesnee Elementary School building. In 1954, Chesnee High School moved once again to a new site just a few blocks away from what would be the present day building. The principals of this building were Mr. E. E. Lemons (1953–1956), Howard Painter (1957–1980), Mr. Moody Garner (1980–1986), and Mr. Joe Bullington (1986–1991). Mr. Bullington continued to serve as principal while CHS moved to its new building. The next principal was Mr. C. Scott Turner who worked from 2000 to 2003.

In 2003 Tom Ezell was named as the principal of CHS. Mr. Ezell worked tirelessly to earn the community's trust while leading the school through the incorporation of learning technology tools and the addition of the school's STEAM wing. Mr. Ezell retired in 2018.

The current principal is Angie Ramsey. Mrs. Ramsey had previously served as an assistant principal at CHS before being named to her new position in 2018.

Classes[]

CHS houses grades nine through twelve and offers a variety of classes for students. It offers all core courses including math, English, science and social studies along with many others in foreign languages, CATE and physical education.  CHS has a fine arts program offering classes in chorus, piano, band, orchestra and art.  Chesnee High School also features some specialty programs such as JROTC, JAG and a Paxton Patterson STEAM lab.   

Chesnee High School JROTC

The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) is a federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools across the United States and United States military bases across the world.  Its purpose is "to instill in students in secondary educational institutions the values of citizenship, service to the United States, and personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.” Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) is a state-based national non-profit organization dedicated to supporting young people of great promise succeed both in school and on the job, leading to productive and rewarding careers. The Paxton Patterson lab offers students the opportunity to participate in STEM classes. This rigorous program, as defined by business leaders and industry experts, aligns the skills and knowledge needed to bridge the gap between secondary education and college/career success. Students develop critical thinking and collaborative problem solving skills while utilizing real world applications.^{[citation needed]}

Chesnee High School also offers many dual enrollment courses. Students may earn college credit on the school's campus at a reduced rate.  It is possible for a student to graduate Chesnee High School with a high school diploma and their freshman year of college completed at the same time.

In keeping with a commitment to ensure that graduates are college- and career-ready, Chesnee High School students also have the opportunity to take classes at Swofford Career Center, which offers programs such as auto collision, auto tech, carpentry, cosmetology, culinary arts, electricity, engineering drafting and design, graphic communications, health science, horticulture, machine and media technology, networking, protective services and welding. 

Alma mater[]

^[3]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chesnee High School.

• CHS website
• Spartanburg District 2 website