Pelham High School

Pelham High School is a public high school located in Pelham, Alabama. Though formerly part of the Shelby County School System, it has been part of the Pelham City Schools System since 2014. Pelham High School was built in 1973 and opened in 1974. The school's mascot is "Paws" the Panther, and its colors are Forest Green and Vegas Gold.HistoryThe school was built in 1973 and opened in 1974 with the first graduating class in 1978. Since then, the school has experienced tremendous growth requiring several major additions and renovations to the campus. During the 1994 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak an F2 tornado struck on Highway 261 causing damage to the school, as well as some business buildings in Pelham.Former Pelham principal Bob Lavett served over two decades at the high school. He retired as principal in late May 2014 to begin working part-time as an assistant to Superintendent Scott Coefield. In June 2014, after Lavett’s retirement, the Pelham Board of Education hired Jason Yohn as the new principal of Pelham High School. Yohn was formerly the principal at Smiths Station High School in Smiths Station, Alabama, where he worked for six years. The Pelham Board of Education also hired John Prestridge as assistant principal.As of June 1, 2014, the city of Pelham separated itself from the Shelby County School System and became part of its own school district known as Pelham City Schools. The 2014-2015 school year is not only the first year where Pelham will be operating independently, but it is also the first year that residents of Helena, Alabama, will not be attending Pelham High School due to the official opening of Helena High School in August 2014.