Charlotte High School (Punta Gorda, Florida)

Charlotte High School is a historic public high school in Punta Gorda, Florida, United States serving ninth to twelfth grade students. The school is part of the Charlotte County Public Schools district, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. Established in 1926, Charlotte High is located at 1250 Cooper Street. The school carries the slogan of "Charlotte County's First and Finest" since it remained the only high school in Charlotte County for many years until its top rival schools, Port Charlotte High School and Lemon Bay High School, were built. With 1,596 students, Charlotte High School is the largest high school in Charlotte County by student population.

On December 12, 1990, its main three-story building was added to the United States' National Register of Historic Places. The main building was destroyed in 2004 by Hurricane Charley, causing Charlotte High School to need to be rebuilt. The second phase of the school's rebuild opened in August 2009, housing all 9th and 10th graders in their academies. In January 2010, the 11th and 12th grade students moved into their academy in the existing renovated 2-story building. In August 2010, the remaining elective classes found their home on the fully complete Charlotte High School campus.

History

Punta Gorda Grammar and High School had an enrollment of 150 students when it opened in 1928. Construction of a new school on Taylor Street began in 1911 due to overcrowding issues. However, by 1926, after the construction of the first bridge to cross Charlotte Harbor, busing increased Punta Gorda's enrollment to 1,000, which in turn led to the construction of Charlotte High School.

Its distinctive mascot, the fighting tarpon wearing its boxing gloves, was designed in 1959. The class of 1959 claims to have introduced the fighting tarpon emblem.

Hurricane Charley and its aftermath

Hurricane Charley hit the Punta Gorda area at the beginning of the school year on August 13, 2004, as a Category 4 hurricane, causing major damage to the school. After seventeen days of hiatus, the students attended Port Charlotte High School during the 12:45 - 6 p.m. afternoon shift for most of the 2004–2005 school year. Afterward, students were moved back on campus to portable classrooms. Charlotte High made up one of six schools in the county destroyed or heavily damaged; however, Champ's Cafe (the cafeteria), one of the gyms and the auditorium, the Charlotte Performing Arts Center, remained intact.

Despite its sustaining severe damage, it was decided to try to save the three-story main building, a historic landmark. The plan incorporated this building to have its entire interior to be redone, but its facade will remain and the rest of the campus will be built around its neoclassical style. A ceremony took place in late May 2007 for the groundbreaking of the aforementioned building and the new facility capable of grouping up to 1,800 students by class with a courtyard inside the linked structures. Harvard Jolly

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