Oakland Mills High School was established in 1973 as one of the first
high schools
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 ...
to serve the planned developed new U.S. town of
Columbia,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
area, established by
James Rouse
James Wilson Rouse (April 26, 1914 – April 9, 1996) was an American businessman and founder of The Rouse Company. Rouse was a pioneering American real estate developer, urban planner, civic activist, and later, free enterprise-based philanthr ...
and his
Rouse Company
The Rouse Company, founded by Hunter Moss and James W. Rouse in 1939, was a publicly held shopping mall and community developer from 1956 until 2004, when General Growth Properties (GGP) purchased the company.
Beginnings - Moss-Rouse Company
T ...
in 1967 in
Howard County, midway between
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
and
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
It is part of the
Howard County Public Schools system (HCPSS).
The building had its first renovation in 1991, and another in 1998. A new addition was put onto OMHS in 2004, the "new wing," raising its total capacity to 1,400 students.
[
Recently, both Oakland Mills High School and Oakland Mills Middle School were affected by a mold issue which required renovations to both schools. While Oakland Mills High has not needed more renovations, after Oakland Mills Middle suffered a fire early January 2016, it was discovered that the mold issue was not solved and required more renovations. It is unknown if there is any mold currently in Oakland Mills High School.
]
Demographics
Oakland Mills is one of the largest minority-majority schools in the Howard County Public School System. Of the student body,[ 43.9% are African American, 20.2% are White, 21.6% are Hispanic, 6.6% are Asian, 0% are Native American, and 7.2% are two or more races.
For students receiving special services in the 2016-2017 year, as many as 6.1% were with limited English proficiency, 44.9% received free/reduced lunches, and 10.1% were enrolled in special education. The graduation rate was 90.4%.
]
Academics
Since 2009, at least one member of its graduating class has been accepted into an Ivy League school, while graduates of each class have matriculated to prestigious schools such as Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational liberal arts college in the United S ...
, Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...
, Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
, the Juilliard School
The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...
, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
(MIT), and Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
.
In the 2009–2010 school year about 30% of students were enrolled in GT classes and about 20% in AP classes, according to the High School Needs/Data Assessment. The enrollment of students in OMHS's 18 AP courses has increased by 4% since 2008; this includes a 3% increase of African American students and a 2% increase of Hispanic students.
Students have been successful in higher-level classes. 89% of OMHS students who took the English Language and Composition AP/GT exam received a passing score of 3 or higher, and 86% of students who took the World History AP/GT exam received a 3 or higher. Both of these numbers impressively exceed the national average pass rate of 53%.
From the 2009–2010 school year to the 2010–2011 school year, there has been a 12.5% increase in the size of the OMHS National Honor Society. Currently, 38% of the students in NHS are minorities and 14% are African American.
Since 2009, there have been 67 Maryland Distinguished Scholars: six semifinalists, and nine finalists. There were 19 National Merit Scholars and five finalists. In the class of 2011, OMHS had six National Achievement Scholars, a program for African American students. Of those six, two were finalists.
Activities
The school also has an accomplished music and drama program. The choir, band, and orchestra are consistently given high ratings at various adjudications and festivals, including the annual WBAL Kids Campaign concert held at the school. Singers from the choir program have performed live on radio for the WBAL Kids Campaign. The Oakland Mills High School Chamber Singers are an active ensemble in their community. The select ensemble has been invited twice to the University of Maryland College Park high school invitational. Multiple members have been a part of nearby select ensembles such as the Maryland All State choirs and Howard County GT/Honor Choir. Oakland Mills has participated twice in the Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
area Critics and Awards Program for High School Students The Cappies (Critics and Awards Program) is an international program for recognizing, celebrating, and providing learning experiences for high school theater and journalism students and teenage playwrights.
There are currently 13 Cappies programs i ...
(the "Cappies"). The 2005 show, ''Footloose
Footloose may refer to:
* ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film
** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack)
** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins
* ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film
** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...
'' was nominated for 11 awards, winning two (Ensemble in a Musical and Cameo Actress). The 2006 spring musical, ''Seussical
''Seussical'' is a musical comedy by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, based on the many children's stories of Dr. Seuss, with most of its plot being based on ''Horton Hears a Who!'', '' Gertrude McFuzz'', and ''Horton Hatches the Egg'' while inc ...
'', was nominated for 13 awards.
The school is also home to over 30 clubs and organizations, including Howard County's only Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
JROTC
The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC -- commonly pronounced "JAY-rotsee") is a federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools across the United States and at US military ...
program.
The school's boys' cross country team has won a state record 12 cross country state titles, including six in a row in the late eighties and early nineties. The team also had a surge of championships around the start of the 21st century, including some narrow victories over Glenelg High School
Glenelg High School is a public high school in Glenelg, Maryland, United States. Glenelg HS is located in the western portion of Howard County, Maryland and is part of the Howard County public schools system, which is among the highest-ranked ...
.
Athletics
Oakland Mills High School has won many state championships. Here is a list of the titles that the school owns:
*Boys' basketball
**1990 - Boys' basketball[MPSSAA Boys Basketball](_blank)
Retrieved April 19, 2018.
**2015 - Boys' basketball[MPSSAA Boys Indoor Track](_blank)
Retrieved April 19, 2018.
**1993 - Boys' 2A-1A indoor track
**1994 - Boys' 2A-1A indoor track
**1999 - Boys' 2A-1A indoor track
**2000 - Boys' 2A-1A indoor track
**2001 - Boys' 2A-1A indoor track
**2002 - Boys' 2A-1A indoor track
**2004 - Boys' 2A-1A Indoor Track[MPSSAA Football]
Retrieved April 19, 2018.
**2000 - Football[
**2001 - Football][
**2002 - Football][
**2007 - Football][
]
Notable alumni
*Darryl Gee
Darryl Gee (born June 6, 1963) is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in the North American Soccer League (1968-1984), North American Soccer League and Major Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League. He coaches youth socc ...
— US Olympic soccer player
* Brandon Hardesty - actor, comedian
* David Howard — 7th round pick (241 overall) by the Tennessee Titans in the 2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...
*Lucy McBath
Lucia Kay McBath (née Holman; born June 1, 1960) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from Georgia's 6th congressional district. The district, once represented by Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, includes ma ...
- Congresswoman representing Georgia's 6th District
*Aaron McGruder
Aaron Vincent McGruder (born May 29, 1974) is an American writer, cartoonist, and producer best known for creating ''The Boondocks'', a Universal Press Syndicate comic strip and its animated TV series adaptation.
Early life and education
Aaron ...
— creator of comic strip and TV show The Boondocks
Boondocks are remote, usually brushy areas.
Boondocks may also refer to:
* The Boondocks (band), an Estonian rock band
* ''The Boondocks'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Aaron McGruder
** ''The Boondocks'' (2005 TV series), the television ser ...
*Bree Newsome
Brittany Ann Byuarm "Bree" Newsome Bass (born May 13, 1985) is an American filmmaker, musician, speaker, and activist from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is best known for her act of civil disobedience on June 27, 2015, when she was arrested for ...
— activist
*Randy Pausch
Randolph Frederick Pausch (October 23, 1960 – July 25, 2008) was an American educator, a professor of computer science, human–computer interaction, and design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Pausch learn ...
(class of 1978) — professor at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...
who gained a level of internet and YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
fame for recording what is known as his inspirational "Last Lecture" due to a battle with terminal pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...
*Clint Peay
Clint Peay (born September 16, 1973 in Columbia, Maryland) is an American soccer coach and former player. He was a regular on the U.S. junior national teams and U.S. Olympic team in the mid-1990s. He also spent several years with D.C. United in ...
— fullback, men's national team player, DC United Star, and US Olympic soccer player
*Rob Ryerson
Rob Ryerson is a retired U.S. soccer forward who played professionally, both indoor and outdoor soccer, for at least seven years. He last coached the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers men's soccer program before it disbanded in 2012.
Player
Youth ...
— former professional soccer player, soccer coach at Mount St. Mary's University
*Rich Ryerson
Rich Ryerson is a former U.S. soccer midfielder who spent three seasons in the American Professional Soccer League, one in the National Professional Soccer League, one in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League and four in the Continental Indoor Soc ...
— former professional soccer player, head coach of the UNLV Rebels
The UNLV Rebels are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The Rebels compete in the NCAA Division I (Football Bowl Subdivision for college football) as a member of the Mountain West Confer ...
men's soccer team
*Dave Sitek
David Andrew Sitek (born September 6, 1972) is an American musician and record producer, known for his work with his band TV on the Radio. He has also worked with bands such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars, Foals, Celebration, Little Dragon, Beady ...
— musician in the band TV on the Radio
TV on the Radio (TVOTR) is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2001. The band consists of Tunde Adebimpe (vocals, loops), David Andrew Sitek (guitars, keyboards, loops), Kyp Malone (vocals, guitars, bass, loops), and Jale ...
*Terry W. Virts
Terry W. Virts (born December 1, 1967) is a retired NASA astronaut, International Space Station Commander and colonel in the United States Air Force.
Background and education
Virts was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but considers Columbia, Mary ...
(class of 1985) — NASA astronaut
*Dante Washington
Dante Deneen Washington (born November 21, 1970, in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American former soccer player who played as a striker.
Washington played college soccer at Radford University, and was named a first team All-American in 1991. He ...
— men's national team player, MLS scorer, and US Olympic soccer playerGreg Whittington
Greg Whittington (born February 17, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Hapoel Be'er Sheva of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. After a tumultuous college career with Georgetown, Whittington began his professional care ...
- basketball player
References and notes
External links
Official OMHS websiteOMHS First Fifteen Years Reunion, Oakland Mills High Alumni, "1975-1989 Reunion"Dr. Randy Pausch, OMHS alumnus, "Final Lecture"
{{authority control
Public high schools in Maryland
Public schools in Howard County, Maryland
Educational institutions established in 1973
1973 establishments in Maryland