West Boca Raton Community High School (WBRCHS) is a

magnet A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...

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 ...

Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...

, United States. It was established in 2004 and is part of the

School District of Palm Beach County The School District of Palm Beach County (SDPBC) is the tenth-largest public school district in the United States, and the fifth largest school district in Florida. The district encompasses all of Palm Beach County. For the beginning of the 201 ...

. The school primarily serves students from the western unincorporated part of Boca Raton known as West Boca Raton.

History

In 2003, the Palm Beach County School Board named a planned new high school, "West Boca Raton Community High School." The school building was constructed by James Pirtle Construction Inc. of

Davie Davie is a surname and a form of the masculine given name David. It can refer to: Surname * Alan Davie (1920-2014), Scottish painter and musician * Alexander Edmund Batson Davie (1847-1889), Canadian politician and eighth Premier of British Co ...

at a cost of $46 million. Construction progress was featured on the district's construction project Web site. WBRCHS opened in 2004 with three initial magnet academies:

information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...

culinary arts Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals. People working in this field – especially in establishments such as restaurants – are commonly called chefs or ...

, and drafting and design. Refuting rumors the school would be

vocational A vocation () is an occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. People can be given information about a new occupation through student orientation. Though now often used in non-religious co ...

, Principal Fran Giblin described the curriculum as "a comprehensive school that has the same offerings as other high schools in the county", with "

honors Honour (or honor in American English) is the quality of being honorable. Honor or Honour may also refer to: People * Honor (given name), a unisex given name * Brian Honour (born 1964), English footballer and manager * Gareth Honor (born 1979) ...

and advanced-placement courses as well as band, art, athletics and offerings typical of any other high school". In 2007, the National Career Academy and the

Association for Career and Technical Education The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the largest national education association in the United States dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares for careers. The ACTE is committed to enhancing the job performan ...

ranked the WBRCHS Culinary Arts Academy as a Model Academy. The ranking is based on "mission, structure, faculty, leadership, curriculum, and community involvement". By 2014, the Academy of

Medical Sciences Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practice ...

was added to the curriculum, and in 2015, the Academy of

Performing Arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perform ...

was added, offering "theater, musical theater and instrumental music, drama", with dance to be added later. The ''Boca Raton Tribune'' wrote there is an "Aviation Academy planned for West Boca High School in 2023". The School District of Palm Beach County said in 2022 that the graduation rate for WBRCHS was 98%.

Events

Speed zone

In 2011 the county's traffic division established a speed zone on Glades Road in front of WBRCHS. In 2014, two pedestrians were struck by a vehicle in front of the school.

Band invited to London

London's former Lord Mayor of Westminster Duncan Sandy in 2015 invited the WBRCHS band to perform in London's New Year's Day Parade.

Controversy

Former principal Mark Stenner admitted plagiarising graduation speeches from YouTube in 2015. He apologized and was relieved of his office.

Walkout

Following the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in February 2018, WBRCHS students observed 17 minutes of silence to honor the fallen students there. Then 90% of the student body walked out, marching 12 miles to the Parkland school. According to ''

The Palm Beach Post ''The Palm Beach Post'' is an American daily newspaper serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and parts of the Treasure Coast. On March 18, 2018, in a deal worth US$42.35 million, ''The Palm Beach Post'' and ''The Palm Beach Daily News'' we ...

'', they marched from "...9:30 a.m. until reaching the northeast corner of Douglas High at 2 p.m. They were met by a crowd of Douglas High students and neighbors who cheered in support... Some at Olympic Heights in Boca Raton and Palm Beach Central in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

walked out Tuesday, although the crowds were far smaller than West Boca's." The walkout drew local and national attention.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Buildings and structures in Boca Raton, Florida High schools in Palm Beach County, Florida Public high schools in Florida Magnet schools in Florida Educational institutions established in 2004 2004 establishments in Florida