Scott County High School is a public high school in Georgetown, Kentucky, United States. The mascot is a Cardinal. School colors are Red and Blue, with white and black occasionally serving as secondary colors. In the 2018–19 school year, its last as the county's only public high school, the combined institution had an enrollment of 2,486, making it the largest high school in the state,[5][6] before rival school Great Crossing High School opened across town just in time for the 2019–2020 school year. The 9th Grade Center, a section of the building where all of the 9th grade classes were located, along with a separate library, cafeteria, and gym, was replaced by the new "Phoenix Horizon" (formerly called Cardinal Academy when the section of the school was the 9th Grade Center) a program where kids who were struggling in normal classes, or having behavior issues could go and learn without the distractions of a normal classroom.[citation needed]
History
With Scott County being the fastest-growing in the state during the last half of the 2010s, and with more than 3,000 high school students expected by the 2020–21 school year, the county school district began construction on the new Great Crossing High School next to the ECS campus in 2017. The new school opened for the 2019–20 school year with space for over 1,900 students.[7] Initially, rising juniors and seniors for 2019–20, plus any of their siblings who were set to attend a Scott County high school in that school year, would have been allowed to remain at Scott County High if they wished.[8][b] The district later changed its plans, allowing all students who were set to attend a district high school to choose their school; about 55% chose to attend Great Crossing.[3] Before the plans of opening a new high school, Scott County was going to be renovated to repair parts of the school, and extend it to occupy more students. However, these plans were scrapped and instead a new high school was built.[9]
Scott County High School has the following academic departments:
Agriculture
Art
Band
Business
Choir
Civil Law
Criminal Law
Language Arts
Family and Consumer Science
Foreign Language Classes
Law and Justice
Health and Physical Education
Health Services
Math
Industrial Technology
Science
Social Studies
Special Education
Journalism/School Newspaper
Engineering
Biomedical Science
Scott County High School offers a number of AP classes:
English Literature
English Language
United States History
World History
Human Geography
Psychology
Biology
Calculus (AB and BC)
French Language
Japanese Language
Spanish Language
Art
Environmental Science
Chemistry
Statistics
Physics B
There are also Dual Credit classes that are available to take, and Co-OP opportunities.[citation needed]
Starting in 2023–24, Scott County High School moved to a modified block schedule for all classes held in the building. SCHS's schedule has 4 classes meeting on "RED" days and then 4 different classes meeting on "BLUE" days for a total of 8 possible credits earned. On Fridays all classes will meet during the school day as well as include a 45-minute advisory session.
Students enrolled at Elkhorn Crossing School or "ECS" attend either a morning or afternoon session. ECS students have the ability to earn three, four, or even more credits during their time at ECS depending upon whether early morning and dual credit options are pursued.[14]
Students are required to have 4 Math and Language Arts credits, 3 Science and Social Studies credits, at least 1 Art credit (classes like Art, Band and Choir give Art credits), and at least 1 Health credit and at least 1 Physical Education class (there are classes available to earn these credits, ranging from Strength and Conditioning to Weight Lifting).[15]
Music
Band
The band director is Lindsay King. Former band directors include Greg Stepp.[16]
Symphonic Winds (top concert band)
Concert Winds
Beginning Band
Intro to Band
Jazz Band I
Jazz Band II
Marching Band (all band members participate, but it is not a competing band)
Each year the Band performs at Assessment, parades, Football and Basket Ball games, and has concerts. Students each year audition and are accepted into various Honor Bands, and KMEA Allstate.[citation needed]
In April 2007, the Symphonic Winds performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In 2007, Scott County High School Band was named the largest high school or college band in Kentucky. In May 2009, the Band when to Atlanta, Georgia to compete in the Dixie Classic Festival where they ranked Distinguished on a National level. In February 2010, The Symphonic Winds 4th hour band played at the KMEA yearly convention in Louisville, Kentucky. In April 2010, the band went to the Dixie Classic Festival in Chicago, the Symphonic Winds being named Honor Band. The Symphonic Winds 4th hour band was invited to play in the Chicago Midwest Clinic Festival in 2010.[17]
The choir has concerts each year, along with performing in various parades, and graduation. Students participate in the Musical Productions the school puts on every year. Each year students in the choir audition and are accepted in choirs such as KMEA Allstate, ACDA, and other programs.[citation needed]
Other accomplishments
Kentucky United Nations Assembly
2018-
Outstanding Resolution Award- #51 Ethiopia- Amending the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to add Article 31 "The Right to Refuse to Kill"
Outstanding Resolution Award- #53 Guatemala- Convention to Build Communal Compost Toilets And Educating Proper Hygiene
Endorsed by Secretary General- #52 Fiji- Instituting Protections for Climate Refugees
Endorsed by Secretary General- #54 Nigeria- An Act to Establish Protections Against Extraterrestrial Beings
2003-
State Recognition, Regional Blue Ribbon - High School Virtual Tour[citation needed]
2004-
State Recognition, Regional Blue Ribbon - High School Virtual Tour[citation needed]
Footnotes
^While the Scott County district has three middle schools, only two now feed students to Scott County High. From 2019–20 forward, Scott County Schools determines districting for its middle and high schools by elementary school attendance zones. All three elementary schools that feed Royal Spring Middle School, plus one of the three elementary schools that feed Scott County Middle School, will feed students to Scott County High. Georgetown Middle School will exclusively feed the new Great Crossing High School.[1]
^The breakdown of Scott County High's 2018–19 enrollment by grade lends credence to predictions of over 3,000 total high school students in 2020–21. The sophomore and freshman classes—the vast majority of which would presumably remain enrolled in the Scott County district in 2020–21—respectively had 616 and 746 students.[6]
