Capital High School (Charleston, West Virginia)

Capital High School is a public high school located in Charleston, West Virginia, United States.HistoryThe original high school in the city was Charleston High School, locally known as "The High," serving the entire city. In 1940 the school had become overcrowded and the district was divided at the Elk River, with the west side of town attending the new Stonewall Jackson High School ("The Wall"). During the 1980s, enrollment at both schools dropped. In 1989, Capital High School opened, combining the students of these two longtime rivals. The name "Capital" derives from the fact that the school primarily serves the bulk of West Virginia's capital city, Charleston.The first site considered was near Laidley Field, next to the West Virginia State Capitol. This was abandoned in favor of a Track and Field Hall of Fame (which was never built) and a second site was selected on Greenbrier Street near the airport. However, when an airplane crashed on this site, it was abandoned, and today is an office park. The board then decided on a location on a hilltop about five miles from town that was formerly a country club for golfing and had a swimming pool. Although located in a rural setting, it is typically considered an inner-city school due the majority of its students coming from an inner-city environment. This system of busing from an urban location to a closed campus in a remote setting was successful in controlling many urban problems and was later copied by Huntington High School and Wheeling Park High School.