Stephen Decatur High School (commonly Stephen Decatur, Stephen Decatur High, SDHS) is a four-year public high school in Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland, United States. With the grades of 912 the school is a part of

Worcester County Public Schools Worcester County is the easternmost county of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,460. Its county seat is Snow Hill. It is the only county of Maryland that borders the Atlantic Ocean, and the only county ...

. It is one of four public high schools in Worcester County along with

Pocomoke High School Pocomoke High School (commonly Pocomoke, Pocomoke High, PHS) is a four-year public high school in Pocomoke City, Worcester County, Maryland, United States. With the grades of 912 the school is a part of Worcester County Public Schools. It is one of ...

Worcester Technical High School Worcester Technical High School (WTHS) is a vocational-technical high school, part of Worcester Public Schools district in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. It opened on August 28, 2006, replacing the old Worcester Vocational High School ( ...

, and

Snow Hill High School Snow Hill High School (SHHS) is a four-year public high school in Snow Hill, Maryland, United States. It is one of four public high schools in Worcester County along with Pocomoke High School, Stephen Decatur High School, and the Worcester Techni ...

. The school was opened in 1954.

About the school

Stephen Decatur High School was named after

Stephen Decatur Stephen Decatur Jr. (; January 5, 1779 – March 22, 1820) was an American naval officer and commodore. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County. His father, Stephen Decatur Sr., was a commodore in the Unite ...

, the naval war hero during the War of 1812 who was born in Worcester County. He was a Commodore and also fought in the Second Barbary War against pirates in the Mediterranean Sea. The school is part of the Worcester County Public School system, which also includes three other high schools,

, and one vocational school,

. Construction on the school began in 1952 and Stephen Decatur High School was dedicated in 1954. It was a consolidation of two old high schools, Ocean City High School in Ocean City, MD and Buckingham High School in Berlin, MD. The school originally served grades 7 through 12. The current facility has .

Students

The graduation rate at Stephen Decatur High School is consistently above 90 percent. In 2015 the school had a graduation rate of 93.73%. The area of West Ocean City, Ocean Pines, and Berlin experienced significant growth in the 1990s and 2000s, and that was reflected in the student population at Stephen Decatur High School. From 895 students in 1993, the school had an enrollment of 1,436 in 2007. The growth of the area slowed around the time of the Great Recession, and as a result the student population at Stephen Decatur has remained relatively steady over the past decade.

Staff

The following people have been the principal at Stephen Decatur High School:

Sports

State champions

* 2023 - Wrestling (2A) * 2022 - Wrestling (2A) * 2020 - Wrestling (2A) * 2019 - Wrestling (3A) * 2008 - Wrestling (4A-3A) * 2002 - Boys Soccer (2A) * 1986 - Boys Track & Field (Class C) * 1970 - Boys Basketball (Class B)

State finalists

* 2016 - Boys Basketball (3A) * 2015 - Girls Lacrosse (3A-2A) * 2011 - Boys Swimming (3A-2A-1A) * 2006 - Girls Lacrosse (3A-2A) * 2005 - Golf (2A-1A) * 2001 - Boys Soccer (2A) * 2000 - Boys Track & Field (2A) * 1985 - Boys Track & Field (Class C) * 1984 - Boys Track & Field (Class C) * 1977 - Girls Basketball (Class B) * 1971 - Boys Basketball (Class B) * 1969 - Boys Basketball (Class B)

Robotics

* 2014 - FIRST Robotics Competition Team #4288 North Carolina Regional Champion * 2013 - FIRST LEGO League - Salisbury Qualifiers Champion * 2012 - FIRST LEGO League - Salisbury Qualifiers Champion * 2012 - FIRST Robotics Competition #4288 - Battle of Baltimore

Notable alumni

Dale R. Cathell Dale Roberts Cathell (born July 30, 1937) is an American lawyer and jurist from Worcester County, Maryland. From 1998 to 2007 he was a judge on the Maryland Court of Appeals. Early life Dale Roberts Cathell was born on July 30, 1937, in Berli ...

, judge, Maryland Court of Appeals *

John Chester John Chester is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker and television director. His recent short films for OWN's Super Soul Sunday (including ''Saving Emma'', ''Worry for Maggie'' and ''The Orphan'') have won five Emmy Awards, for outstanding directi ...

, co-creator of ''Random 1'', television program on A&E * Linda Harrison, actress *

Erica Messer Erica Messer is an American television writer, producer, and story editor. She has written episodes of television series such as ''Alias'', ''The O.C.'', ''Charmed'', and ''Criminal Minds''. She has also co-produced two television shows: ''Char ...

, writer for ''The OC'', ''Alias'', and ''Criminal Minds'' * Oliver Purnell, head basketball coach at DePaul University

References

External links

*
Google Maps
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephen Decatur High School Berlin, Maryland Educational institutions established in 1954 Public high schools in Maryland Schools in Worcester County, Maryland 1954 establishments in Maryland