Bel Air High School (Bel Air, Maryland)
| Bel Air High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
100 Heighe Street , 21014 United States | |
| Coordinates | 39°31′50″N 76°20′51″W / 39.53056°N 76.34750°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public Secondary |
| Established | 1815 |
| School district | Harford County Public Schools |
| Principal | Robert Deleva |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,489 (2022)[1] |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors | Blue, White |
| Mascot | Bobcat |
| Newspaper | The Bellarion |
| Website | [1] |
 Entrance to the new (2009) building | |
 Entrance to the previous (1950) building | |
Bel Air High School is a high school in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland, United States. The current building opened in 2009, though the school's antecedents date back to 1815.[2] It ranks as the #2 High School in Harford County and #98 in Maryland overall. [3]
History
Bel Air High School began as the Harford County Academy when it was formed by an act of the Maryland General Assembly in 1811.[4] The first school building was a stuccoed stone building built at 24 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, and the name was soon changed to the Bel Air Academy in 1815.[5]
In 1867, while the Bel Air Academy was operating independently, a one-room wooden schoolhouse was constructed on Main Street, serving as the county's primary public school.[5]
In 1882, a brick public school was built at 45 East Gordon Street. The school was renamed the Bel Air Academy and Graded School as the old academy merged with the public school system.[6] This building housed classes for all students above the third grade. Additions to the building were made in 1897 and 1910.[6] This building became solely a grade school in 1924 and headquartered the Harford County Board of Education after 1951.[6]
Bel Air High School, named thus for the first time, was established in 1907, and classes were initially held at the Gordon Street building and the Pennsylvania Avenue building.[4][6]
The past facility at 100 Heighe Street was opened in 1950,[5] with additional renovations made in 1954, 1968, and 1983. The building had a design capacity of 1,423 students; as a result, 11 "portables" were in use to provide additional classroom space.
The current Bel Air High School building was constructed in 2009, adjacent to the old high school on Heighe Street, which was subsequently demolished.[4] Some new features of the school are its auditorium/stage, cafeteria, library, and multiple sports facilities, including Bobcat Stadium, part of which is on the site of the previous high school.[4]
Students
The student body over time:[7]
- Year Students
- 2022 – 1,489[1]
- 2018 – 1,544[8]
- 2017 – 1,564
- 2012 – 1,647
- 2011 – 1,574
- 2010 – 1,431
- 2009 – 1,380
- 2008 – 1,403
- 2007 – 1,683
- 2005 – 1,636
- 2004 – 1,647
- 2003 – 1,573
- 2002 – 1,573
- 2001 – 1,587
- 2000 – 1,555
- 1999 – 1,524
- 1998 – 1,440
- 1997 – 1,383
- 1996 – 1,312
- 1995 – 1,295
- 1994 – 1,272
- 1993 – 1,238
Notable alumni
- Andrew Berry, General Manager of the Cleveland Browns
- John Wilkes Booth, Actor, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln[9]
- James H. Broumel (died 1948), Maryland delegate[10]
- Richard Cassilly, Metropolitan Opera NYC
- William A. Clark, former Maryland Delegate (1983–1990)[11]
- Joseph H. Deckman, elected to National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1965.[12]
- Donald C. Fry, former Maryland Senator and Delegate.
- William C. Greer (died 2001), Maryland delegate[13]
- James M. Harkins, former Maryland Delegate (1990-1998), Harford County Executive (1998-2005), & leader of Maryland Environmental Services (2005–present).
- W. Dale Hess (1930–2016), Maryland delegate[14]
- J. Robert Hooper, Maryland State Senator (1936 - 2008)
- Julienne Irwin Finalist on the NBC show America's Got Talent
- Walter R. McComas (1879–1922), Maryland delegate and state's attorney[15]
- Winton B. Osborne (died 1998), Maryland delegate and businessman[16]
- Donna Stifler, Delegate for District 35A
- Robert Shek, former college and professional lacrosse player elected to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2016[17][18]
- Brandon Scott Jones, class of 2002, actor, writer, comedian[19]
Controversy
Scrabble Day
In early October 2017, a group of Bel Air High School students posed and spelled out a racial slur across their chests.[20] The incident led to serious criticism of the school's policies from parents and organizations, including the Harford County chapter of the NAACP.[20][21] After the incident, a Change.org petition was formed calling for "Zero Tolerance for Racism in the School."[20]
References
- ^ a b "Bel Air High School". 2024-06-01. Archived from the original on 2024-06-01. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Harford County Public Schools]". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
- ^ https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/harford-county-public-schools/bel-air-high-school-9114
- ^ a b c d Anderson, David (June 1, 2019). "Bel Air High School celebrating 200 years of history through the end of 2016". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 5, 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
- ^ a b c Kirk, Tyler (February 8, 2023). "A Brief History of BAHS". The Bellairion. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d "County Buildings "Next-Door" to the Headquarters of The Historical Society of Harford County, Inc". Historical Society of Harford County. February 2005. Archived from the original on April 5, 2005. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
- ^ "1993 to 2017 Enrollment for All Grades, All Students". Archived from the original on October 1, 2018.
- ^ "Bel Air High School". 2022-07-01. Archived from the original on 2022-07-01. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Booth Family Historic Sites Archived 2005-04-14 at the Wayback Machine, Historical Society of Harford County (Md.), March, 2002
- ^ "Harford Legislator Reveals Elopement". The Evening Sun. 1932-01-09. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-01-12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "William A. Clark". Maryland State Archives. 2001-02-27. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
- ^ "Lacrosse Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-07-03.
- ^ "William Greer, 77, Businessman". Lancaster New Era. 2001-08-11. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-01-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kelly, Jacques (2016-10-24). "W. Dale Hess, Harford County businessman and politician, dies". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
- ^ "States Attorney McComas Passes Away". The Aegis. 1922-04-21. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-01-16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Rasmussen, Fred (1998-05-31). "Winton B. Osborne, 68, Harford legislator, company founder". The Baltimore Sun. p. 20B. Retrieved 2023-01-10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Robert Shek". USA Lacrosse. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "2019 Inductees". www.mdsahof.com. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ Anderson, Erik (May 5, 2022). "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Maryland: Brandon Scott Jones goes from tennis to TV star as a sassy captain in the hit series 'Ghosts'". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
- ^ a b c Orman, Shelley (October 13, 2017). "Bel Air H.S. students disciplined for photo of racial slur". FOX45. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
- ^ Simms, Barry (October 12, 2017). "7 Bel Air High School students disciplined over photo". WBAL. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
External links
- Bel Air High School – official website
- School State performance report
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