Havre de Grace High School (HDGHS or HHS) is a four-year public

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

in Havre de Grace in

Harford County, Maryland Harford County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 260,924. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County is included in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is al ...

, United States. The school is located near the southeast corner of Harford County where the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

meets the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...

. The school motto is "Enter to Learn — Leave to Serve."

About the school

The current Havre de Grace High School was established in 1955. A previous building was built in 1896, but was razed and replaced with Havre de Grace Elementary School. The school is named after the town of Havre de Grace, which received its name from the

Marquis de La Fayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revolutio ...

, the French general. The town was previously known as Susquehanna Lower Ferry. The building is on a little over and according to Maryland state records, the primary structure was built in 1961. In 1991, Havre de Grace High School was designated as a National School of Excellence. Havre de Grace High School operates on a four-period day schedule, with the school day beginning at 7:30 AM and ending at 2:00 PM. Students are enrolled in eight classes for the year. Some classes will meet daily for a semester, while other classes meet every other day. This schedule provides longer periods of instruction (82 minutes per period) with fewer class changes.

Students

The student population at Havre de Grace High School has increased from 607 in 2017 to 699 in 2021. Over the same time period, the graduation rate decreased from 93.33% in 2017 to 84.03% in 2021.

Sports

Havre de Grace High School is classified as 1A for Regional and State athletic contests. The school is also a member of the competitive Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference (UCBAC), which comprises high schools in both Harford and Cecil Counties. Fall Sports: Girls Soccer, Boys Soccer, Field Hockey, Football, Girls Volleyball, Boys Volleyball, Golf (coed) Winter Sports: Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, Wrestling, Swimming, Indoor Track Spring Sports: Softball, Baseball, Girls Lacrosse, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Track, Boys Track, Girls Tennis, Boys Tennis CHAMPIONSHIPS Football: State Champions 1976, 1978, 1981, 1986 Boys Soccer: State Champions 1926, 1A Regional Champions 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Boys Basketball: 1A Regional Champions 1986, 1988 Girls Volleyball: 1A Regional Champions 2006, 2007 Girls Lacrosse: 1A/2A Regional Champions 2007 Baseball: 1A Regional Champions 2005, State Champions 1988 Boys Lacrosse: 1A/2A Regional Champions 2006 Track and Field: Many individual Regional and State event champions, Girls 1A North regional champions 2000 Numerous other Harford County and UCBAC conference titles.

Notable alumni

* David R. Craig - Former Harford County Executive *

Barry Glassman Barry Glassman (born March 24, 1962) is an American politician who served as the 7th county executive of Harford County, Maryland, from 2014 to 2022. He was previously a member of the Maryland State Senate, representing District 35 in Harford ...

- Harford County Executive *

David Hutsell David Hutsell (born August 21, 1970) is an American professional golfer and teaching pro. Hutsell was born in Fort Meade, Maryland. He turned pro in 1993. He resides in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the Head Pro at Pine Ridge Golf Club. Hutsel ...

- American Professional Golfer *

Mary-Dulany James Mary-Dulany James (born February 1, 1960) is an American politician who has represented District 34 in the Maryland Senate since 2023. She was previously a member of the District 34A in the Maryland House of Delegates for sixteen years, represen ...

- Former Maryland State Delegate * Robert R. Lawder (died 1967), state politician and mayor of Havre de Grace *

Mary Ann Lisanti Mary Ann Lisanti (born October 27, 1967) is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party, who represents District 34A in the Maryland House of Delegates. Previously she represented district F on the Harford County Council, represe ...

- Maryland State Delegate, District 34A * G. Arnold Pfaffenbach (1904–1982), Maryland state delegate and lawyer

Havre de Grace High School in the news

In 2000, "Young Americans", a WB network summer series, was filmed in Havre de Grace. The show starred a young

Katherine Moennig Katherine Sian Moennig (; born December 29, 1977) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Shane McCutcheon on ''The L Word'' (2004–2009), as well as Jake Pratt on ''Young Americans'' (2000). Moennig played the role of Lena in ...

of "The L Word",

Kate Bosworth Catherine Anne Bosworth (born January 2, 1983) is an American actress. Following minor roles in the films '' The Horse Whisperer'' (1998) and ''Remember the Titans'' (2000), she rose to prominence with her role as a young surfer in the box-offi ...

of "Blue Crush" and "21", and

Ian Somerhalder Ian Joseph Somerhalder (born December 8, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama ''Lost'', Damon Salvatore in The CW's supernatural drama ''The Vampire Diaries'', and Dr. Luther Swann in Netflix's sci ...

of "LOST" and "The Vampire Diaries". In the spring of 2007, Havre de Grace High School government and history teacher Gary Wasielewski ran a campaign for mayor of the City of Havre de Grace. Wasielewski also served two previous terms on the Havre de Grace City Council from May 2003 to May 2007. The 2007/2008 movie '' From Within'' was filmed in Havre de Grace, including a scene in which the high school auditorium was transformed into an

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

church. Many students from the school as well as other members of the community served as extras in the scene. The movie stars

Adam Goldberg Adam Charles Goldberg (born October 25, 1970) is an American character actor, filmmaker, musician, and photographer. Known for his supporting roles in film and television, Goldberg has appeared in films such as '' Dazed and Confused'', ''Saving ...

as well as Thomas Dekker and

Rumer Willis Rumer Glenn Willis (born August 16, 1988) is an American actress. She is the eldest daughter of actor Bruce Willis and actress Demi Moore. She has appeared in films ''Hostage'' (2005), '' The House Bunny'' (2008), '' Sorority Row'' (2009) and ''O ...

. The former Havre de Grace High School

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

teacher, Mark Cummins, also played a small speaking role in the film.

References and notes

External links

* *
maps.google.com
{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1955 Harford County Public Schools Buildings and structures in Havre de Grace, Maryland Public high schools in Maryland 1955 establishments in Maryland