Washington-Lee High School
| Washington-Lee High School | |
|---|---|
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| Address | |
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1301 North Stafford Street Arlington, Virginia 22201 United States |
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| Coordinates | 38°53′13″N 77°06′35″W / 38.886891°N 77.109690°WCoordinates: 38°53′13″N 77°06′35″W / 38.886891°N 77.109690°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public, high school |
| Founded | 1925 |
| School district | Arlington Public Schools |
| Principal | Gregg Robertson |
| Teaching staff | 134.83 (FTE ) |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 2,203 (2013-2014) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 16.34 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gray |
| Athletics conference | National District Northern Region |
| Nickname | Generals |
| Rivals | Wakefield High School, Yorktown High School |
| Website | washingtonlee |
Washington-Lee High School (W-L) is one of three traditional public high schools in the Arlington Public Schools district in Arlington, Virginia, covering grades 9-12. As of 2011, the school had over 2,000 students and 120 teachers. In 2010, W-L was listed at # 63 in Newsweek's listing of "America's Best High Schools," and # 3 in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
From 2006-2009, Washington-Lee underwent a complete reconstruction, costing Arlington County nearly $100 million and making it one of the most expensive high school construction projects in the United States.
The school was named after Generals George Washington and Robert E. Lee.
Construction on Washington-Lee began in 1924, with the school opening its doors in 1925 and graduating its first class in 1927. The architectural firm Upman & Adams designed the building in a simplified version of the Colonial Revival style. The school fronted on 13th St. N, which separated the school from its athletic field, eventually dedicated as Arlington County's War Memorial Stadium. In 1932, 41 classrooms, new offices, and another gym were added to the original building. A new wing and a large library with Palladian windows and two reading rooms were built in 1942 with WPA funds. The rifle range was also constructed in the shop area. In 1951, noted architect Rhees Burkett designed an addition that fronted on N. Quincy Street in the International Style. Along with the new Stratford Junior High School, it helped usher in a wave of contemporary commercial and school architecture that defined much of Arlington until the 1980s.
In 1960, some Sophomores and Juniors were sent to form the core of the then new Yorktown High School, to relieve overcrowding resulting from the new generation, Baby boomers.
In 1975, the school board made the controversial decision to demolish the original sections of W-L and construct a new facility with an open space instructional environment. The new school opened in 1977, and a new auditorium was constructed a few years later. In 1984, with the introduction of a new "closed campus" policy for underclassmen, a cafeteria was constructed in the school's commons.
In 2009, the school underwent a complete reconstruction; none of the older buildings remain. The theater and nearby classrooms were demolished to allow for the construction of the new classroom building, which opened in January 2008. An axial orientation to War Memorial Stadium and the primary parking areas is the defining characteristic of the new school. A ten-lane regulation NCAA short course swimming pool (with optional 25 meter lanes), gym and other indoor athletic facilities, and an 800-seat auditorium opened to the public in July 2009. The demolition of the 1951 building and the construction of auxiliary athletic fields and additional landscaping was completed in December 2009.
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