History:
The city of Goodson, Virginia, was renamed Bristol in February, 1890. The first public high school was named Central School and opened in 1891 with 75 students. The name was changed to Jefferson School in 1895, and in 1915 a new school was built on Piedmont Avenue and renamed Virginia High School. The school housed grades 5 - 11 and grade 12 was added in 1945. The present Virginia High School was dedicated in 1954 in the Spring Garden section of Bristol housing grades 9 - 12.
The community served by Virginia High School is urban. Traditionally, manufacturing and professional trades have been the largest employers in the city. The closing of several major companies in the past few years has contributed to a decline in available jobs and school enrollment.
Virginia High School is a comprehensive high school. The Center for Technology is attached to the main building making it possible for the large majority of the students to be able to take two or more vocational classes yearly.
Virginia High School offers various programs for the special needs students. Classes are provided for Trainable Mentally Disable, Educable Mentally Disabled, Emotionally Disturbed, and Learning Disabled students. Honors, advanced placement, and International Baccalaureate courses are offered for the highly motivated and gifted students. An alternative school and an adult basic education program have been set up to meet the needs of some of our "at risk" students.
