The school originally opened in 1914 on the current site of McLane Middle School, for the education of white students only. In 1966, due to the federal lawsuit Manning vs. the School Board of Hillsborough County,[4] a small group of African-American students were permitted to attend for the first time, and in 1971, large scale busing to improve integration of the school commenced. In 2001, the school district achieved unitary status and mandated busing was ended.[5] In 1972, the school moved to its current location on Victoria Street in Brandon. The school colors are maroon and white. The school mascot is the Eagle. Brandon High is currently Pending school grade[6] in SDHC's high school grading scale. The school has been awarded Blue Ribbon School status.[7]
Demographics
The demographic breakdown of the 1,957 students enrolled in 2012-2013 was:
Male - 51.8%
Female - 48.2%
Native American/Alaskan - 0.4%
Asian/Pacific islanders - 2.2%
Black - 19.7%
Hispanic - 30.0%
White - 44.0%
Multiracial - 3.7%
Additionally, 54.3% of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.[3]
Athletics
Wrestling
The Brandon wrestling team holds the national record for the longest winning streak in not just wrestling, but by a high school sports team (459 straight wins), which spanned from 1973 to 2008. The streak came to an end on January 5, 2008, when Brandon was defeated by South Dade High School 32–28.[8]
Soccer
Brandon High boys won the state championship in 2003.[9]
Brandon High School nature preserve
This approximately 1.5-acre (6,100 m2) wooded site located on the south side of the campus was designated an official Schoolyard Habitat in 2006 by the National Wildlife Federation. Ecology students help collect animal and plant data annually using a variety of tools and technologies including Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receivers and digital cameras.
They also construct nesting boxes for birds and roosting boxes for bats to help increase the biodiversity of the area. Many other classes use the area as an outdoor classroom, including art, English, performing arts, and technology.