Washington-Liberty High School
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Washington-Liberty High School, formerly known as Washington-Lee High School, is a public high school in the
Arlington Public Schools Arlington Public Schools is a public school division in Arlington County, Virginia. In 2019, student enrollment was 28,020 students, with students coming from more than 146 countries. In 2015, there were 2,166 teachers. There are 24 elementary ...
district in
Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...
, covering grades 9–12. Its attendance area serves the central third of Arlington, and it also offers the
International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...
Program countywide.


History

The former name of Washington-Liberty High School, Washington-Lee High School was taken from the
Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexingto ...
, but the "and" was omitted and replaced with a hyphen to distinguish its name from the university's. Construction on Washington-Liberty began in 1924, with the school opening in 1925 and graduating its first class in 1927. The architectural firm Upman & Adams designed the building in a simplified version of the Colonial Revival style. The school fronted on 13th St. N, which separated the school from its athletic field, eventually dedicated as Arlington County's War Memorial Stadium. In 1932, 41 classrooms, new offices, and another gym were added to the original building. A new wing and a large library with Palladian windows and two reading rooms were built in 1942 with
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funds. The rifle range was also constructed in the shop area. In 1951, noted architect Rhees Burkett designed an addition that fronted on N. Quincy Street in the International Style. Along with the new Stratford Junior High School, it helped usher in a wave of contemporary commercial and school architecture that defined much of Arlington until the 1980s. In 1960, some sophomores and juniors were sent to form the core of the then new Yorktown High School, to relieve overcrowding resulting from the
baby boomer Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the Western demographic cohort following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during the mid-20th century baby boom. T ...
generation reaching high school age. In 1975, the school board made the controversial decision to demolish the original sections of the school and construct a new facility with an open space instructional environment. The new school opened in 1977, and a new auditorium was constructed a few years later. In 1984, with the introduction of a new "closed campus" policy for underclassmen, a cafeteria was constructed in the school's commons. Beginning in 2006, the school underwent a complete reconstruction; none of the older buildings remain. The theater and nearby classrooms were demolished to allow for the construction of the new classroom building, which opened in January 2008. An axial orientation to War Memorial Stadium and the primary parking areas is the defining characteristic of the new school. A ten-lane regulation NCAA short course swimming pool (with optional 25 meter lanes), gym and other indoor athletic facilities, and an 800-seat auditorium opened to the public in July 2009. The demolition of the 1951 building and the construction of auxiliary athletic fields and additional landscaping was completed in December 2009. The renovation cost Arlington County nearly $100 million and making it one of the most expensive high school construction projects in the United States. In the wake of the August 2017
Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...
, deadly white supremacist rally protesting the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, the Arlington County School Board voted unanimously in June 2018 to rename Washington-Lee High School to remove Lee's name, sparking a community discussion on whether this was wanted. This included debates on the process in which the school board took to change the name of the school. In the months prior to the name change, an appointed committee considered several options before narrowing them to "Washington-Loving High School", in honor of the ''
Loving v. Virginia ''Loving v. Virginia'', 388 U.S. 1 (1967), was a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark civil rights decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that Anti-miscegenation laws in the United States, laws ban ...
'' court case, and "Washington-Liberty High School". On January 10, 2019, the school board voted unanimously for the latter name. The name change took effect with the 2019–2020 school year. In 2018 the Arlington School Board voted to integrate the former Arlington Education Center building into the Washington-Liberty campus. The building was completely renovated at the cost of 38 million dollars and opened for the 2022-2023 school year. The building was renamed the Washington-Liberty Annex building and functions as a regular part of the school, containing classrooms, administrative and counseling offices, student lounging areas and a weight room.


Campus

The new four-story building frames the northern end of War Memorial Stadium, referencing the orientation of the original three story 1924 building. A stepped terrace leads to the field from the school's student commons and outdoor eating areas. The school's primary corridor on the ground floor is the focal point for the more public spaces, which include the performing arts center, student commons, alumni conference room, cyber cafe, and journalism suite. It spans the distance between the commons and a primary entrance with access to a multistory parking structure and bus lanes. A public entrance is located on N Stafford St, and a separate public entrance serves the pool. The compact massing of the new building allowed for the construction of additional athletic fields on land previously occupied by the former school. The orientation of the new school within the surrounding open space and the abundant pedestrian connections across the site that connect neighborhoods adhere to Arlington County's urban design guidelines, which follow "smart growth" planning principles. The new building was certified
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...
gold by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) rating system, the second high school in Virginia to achieve that benchmark. On the east side of the building near the indoor pool but not directly attached to the main building is the so-called Annex Building which became apart of Washington-Liberties campus in 2022 after three years of renovations.


Academics

In 1985, Washington-Liberty was named a National (Blue Ribbon) School of Excellence by the US Department of Education. In 2007, ''Newsweek'' magazine ranked Washington-Liberty 33rd among the nation's top high schools. Washington-Liberty is the only school in Arlington that offers both the
Advanced Placement Program Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...
and the
International Baccalaureate Program The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...
. The vast majority of its students take advantage of these advanced courses or diploma programs.


Fine arts

The school offers fine arts courses and electives. Within the music department, electives include the marching and symphonic bands, madrigals, women's chorale, choir, orchestra, music theory, and guitar. In 2007, the music department received the Blue Ribbon Award, the highest award given by the
Virginia Music Educators Association Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
. The school was also a blue ribbon school for 2010–11.


Demographics

The gender breakdown of the 2,436 students enrolled in 2020-2021 was: * Male – 49.3% * Female – 50.7% The ethnic breakdown of those same 2,537 students was: * Native American/Alaskan Native – 0.08% * Asian – 9.2% * Black – 7.4% * Hispanic – 32.4% * Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander – 0% * White – 44.9% * Multiracial – 7.0% The number of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch is unavailable for 2020-2021 however in 2016-2017 it was 28.6%.


Test scores

Washington-Liberty High School is a fully accredited with the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...
. W-L's average SAT score in 2016 was a 1703 (575 in Reading; 576 in Math; 552 in Writing). As of 2011, Washington-Liberty High School met or exceeded the Virginia average passing rate for the majority of Virginia
Standards of Learning The Standards of Learning (SOL) is a public school standardized testing program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It sets forth learning and achievement expectations for core subjects for grades K-12 in Virginia's Public Schools. The standards repre ...
exam categories


Notable alumni

* Eric G. Adelberger, physicist and winner of the 2021
Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics The Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics is one of the Breakthrough Prizes, awarded by the Breakthrough Prize Board. Initially named Fundamental Physics Prize, it was founded in July 2012 by Russia-born Israeli entrepreneur, venture capita ...
, 1956 *
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, actor and Academy Award-winning director, 1955 * Brian Blados, nine-year NFL player, first-round draft choice and Pro Bowler for the Cincinnati Bengals, 1980 *
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, Academy Award-winning actress, 1982 * George Lee Butler, Commander in Chief, USSC, 1957 *
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, Virginia Secretary of Commerce (1982–1986), 1958 *
Nancy Dussault Nancy Dussault (born June 30, 1936) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for playing Muriel Rush in the sitcom ''Too Close for Comfort'' (1980–1987). In a career spanning over half a century, Dussault received two Tony Award n ...
, actress and Broadway singer and dancer, ABC's ''
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'' co-anchor, 1953 * John T. "Til" Hazel, attorney, developer, 1954 *
John Hummer John Hummer (born May 4, 1948) is an American venture capitalist and retired professional basketball player who was an original member of the Buffalo Braves after starring for the Princeton Tigers men's basketball team. He also led his high scho ...
, retired NBA player, entrepreneur * Concha Jerez, Spanish artist, 1959 * Tony Johnson, Olympic Teams, rowing. Head Coach, Yale, and Georgetown University Crews, 1958 *
Clay Kirby Clayton Laws Kirby, Jr. (June 25, 1948 – October 11, 1991) was a Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher for the San Diego Padres (1969–73), Cincinnati Reds (1974–75) and Montreal Expos (1976). Early life Clayton Laws "Clay" Kirby, Jr, was bo ...
, former
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pitcher, 1966 *
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, Academy Award-winning actress, 1952 *
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, 12-year MLB first baseman, 1928 * Lucas Mendes, soccer player, 2016 *
Brittany O'Grady Brittany Ann O'Grady (born June 2, 1996) is an American actress and singer who is known for her work on '' Little Voice'', ''Star'', '' Black Christmas'', and ''The White Lotus''. Career After appearing in several television shows, O'Grady lan ...
, actress, 2013 * Pat Priest, actress on ''
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'', 1954 *
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, 1969 Miss USA World, 1965 * Robert Richardson, Nobel Prize-winning physicist, 1955 *
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, two-time
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champion w/
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:
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and VIII, 1963 *
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, 10-year NFL player, 1981–90, 1976 *
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, actor, 1982 * Carl Tanner, opera tenor, 1980 *
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, actor, 1938 *
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, former radio announcer for NHL's
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*
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, film director, visual effects supervisor, 1964


References

{{authority control 1925 establishments in Virginia Educational institutions established in 1925 International Baccalaureate schools in Virginia Public high schools in Virginia Schools in Arlington County, Virginia