Meridian High School (Virginia)

Meridian High School (MHS), formerly George Mason High School, is a comprehensive public high school that serves the independent City of Falls Church. The school, which serves some 850 students in grades 9–12, is the sole high school in the Falls Church City Public Schools system. Opened in 1952, it is a hub of city activity for its facilities and athletic fields.

Meridian High School
Address
121 Mustang Alley Falls Church , Virginia 22043
Coordinates	38°53′52″N 77°11′31″W / 38.89778°N 77.19194°W / 38.89778; -77.19194
Information
School type	Public high school
Founded	1952
School district	Falls Church City Public Schools
Principal	Peter Laub
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	845 (2019-20)^[1]
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Red, White, and Black
Mascot	Mustang
Feeder schools	Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School
Athletic conferences	Virginia High School League AA Dulles District [lacrosse, swimming]
Website	https://mhs.fccps.org

Until January 2014, MHS was located outside the boundaries of Falls Church, in Idylwood, an unincorporated area of Fairfax County, Virginia.^[2][3] In 2014, a 38-acre (15 ha; 150,000 m²) parcel of land, including the school, was transferred to Falls Church City as part of the Fairfax Couty Water Authority's purchase of the Falls Church Water System.^[4]

The school ranks gold in U.S. News & World Report's Best High Schools Ranking for 2020; Meridian High School (formerly George Mason) ranks #16 among all schools in Virginia and #649 in the United States.^[5]

Demographics

Meridian High School's racial breakdown in the 2020-2021 class was 59% White (non-Hispanic), 6% Asian or Pacific Islander, 12% Hispanic, 4% Black, and 19% two or more races.^[6] For comparison, the demographics of the city are: 79.37% White, 3.38% Hispanics of any race, 6.5% Asian, 4.9% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 2.01% from other races, and 3.68% from two or more races.

History

MHS was built on the site of a single-room school house that burned down in 1857. After the fire, the land sat empty until Falls Church was founded as an independent city in 1948, when residents sought greater control over their local school system, which, at the time, was segregated by race.^[7] MHS was opened in 1952.

In 1981, the school became the first in Virginia to use the International Baccalaureate program.^[8][9]

A design for a new main building was unveiled in 2017 and construction began in 2019. The new LEED-certified building opened to students in 2021, and the original was demolished.

In December 2020, the FCCPS School Board voted to rename George Mason High School and its counterpart Thomas Jefferson Elementary School due to their namesakes' association with American slavery.^[10] After a period of deliberation and public comment, the school board selected Meridian High School as a replacement name.^[11]

Sports and activities

• VHSL Scholastic Bowl Team - Bull Run District champions for 18 of 19 years between 2000 and 2018, receiving many region and conference titles in those years, seven-time Virginia A State Champions, including four straight years (2002, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), and five-time state runner-up (2004, 2006, 2009, 2014, 2015). 2011 NAQT national high school small school division quiz bowl champions after a third-place finish in 2007 and fifth in 2010.^[12]
• Baseball - Bull Run District Champions 2010, 2019 ^[13]
• Boys Basketball - Virginia A D2 State runners-up 2012 ^[14]
• Girls Basketball - Virginia A D2 State Champions (2008–2009, 2009–2010, 2011–2012); Bull Run District runners-up and Region B champions 2007–2008, 2011–12 season.^[15]
• Cross Country - Girls State Champions (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), Girls State Runner-Up (2007, 2005), third (2006), Boys District and Region champs and 4th in state in 2010, sixth in State (2007), Boys District and State Champions (2011) ^[16][17]
• American football - Bull Run District Champions 2006 ^[18]
• Golf - Bull Run District Regular Season Champions 2006, 2007 ^[19]
• Field Hockey
• Ice Hockey^[20]
• Boys Lacrosse - Dulles District champions, 2008 ^[21]
• Girls Lacrosse - Dulles District runners-up, 2010 ^[22] Dulles District Champions 2016, 4A State Runner-ups 2016, 4A State Champions 2017
• Boys Soccer - Group A runners-up 2005, 2011. Group A State Champions 2000, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013. Group 2A State Champions 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018. Group 3 State Champions 2021. The 2015 team- Ranked #1 in Region I and #2 in Nation by NSCAA.^[23][24] 2016- Ranked #10 in Nation by Max Preps.^[25]
• Girls Soccer - Group A Champions 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. Group 2A State Champions 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.^[26][27]
• Softball District champions 2012 ^[28]
• Boys Swimming - Bull Run District and Region B Champions 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012. District and State Champions, 2015.^[29]
• Girls Swimming - Bull Run District and Region B Champions 2009, 2012. District Champions, 2014. District, Region and State Champions, 2015 ^[30]
• Boys Tennis - Fourteen-time Group A State Champions: 1986–1991, 2001, 2004–2007, 2010–2012.^[31]
• Girls Tennis - Bull Run District and Region B Champions 2006–2008, 2010.^[32]
• Track and Field - Girls team third in State in 2007 and 2010, three school records and counting from the class of 2008 runners, girls team second in state (2008). Six individual state championships since 2005.^[33][34]
• Volleyball^[35] - Bull Run District Champions 2015, Conference 35 Champions 2016, Bull Run District co-champions and Region 2B Runner-ups 2018, Northwestern District Champions 2019, Northwestern District and Region 3B Champions 2020-2021.
• Wrestling^[36]
• FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1418, Vae Victis - Frequent attendee of FIRST World Championship. Top FIRST Robotics Competition team in Chesapeake district in 2016.^[37]
• Band - Earned "Superior" scores at District X Festival for the past twelve years, the past five of which were earned playing Grade VI music. Also, the music department earned the VBODA "Blue Ribbon Award" for eleven years in a row, 2000–2011.
• Chorus - Consistently earns "Superior" and "Excellent" scores at District X Festival.
• Theater - The annually performs a Fall musical and a Spring play.^[38][39]

Notable alumni

• Grant Sabatier (2003), author^[40][41]
• Nina Willner (1978), nonfiction author
• Molly Henneberg (1991), reporter

References

1. "Fall Membership Build-A-Table". Virginia Department of Education. from the original on 2022-04-26. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
2. "Idylwood CDP, Virginia ^{[permanent dead link]}." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on March 24, 2010.
3. "Home 2009-01-25 at the Wayback Machine." George Mason High School. Retrieved on March 24, 2010. "7124 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 22043."
4. Barton, Mary Ann. "It's Official: Fairfax Water Purchases Falls Church Water System for $40 Million 2014-03-19 at the Wayback Machine" (). Falls Church Patch. Retrieved on May 2, 2015. "This agreement also included a boundary adjustment that transferred 38.4 acres (15.5 ha) of land into the City of Falls Church. The largest parcel includes the 36 acres on which the City's George Mason High School and Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School sit."
5. . www.usnews.com. Archived from the original on 2020-05-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
6. (PDF). Archived from the original on 2009-09-20. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
7. The Falls Church NAACP February 27, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
8. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2011.
9. . Archived from the original on September 4, 2020.
10. "School Board Votes to Rename Thomas Jefferson, George Mason Schools". www.fccps.org. from the original on 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
11. "Falls Church School Board Renames Schools from People to Places". www.fccps.org. from the original on 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
12. Mason Athletics ^{[permanent dead link]}
13. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
14. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
15. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
16. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
17. Mason Athletics
18. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
19. Mason Athletics
20. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
21. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
22. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
23. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
24. . Archived from the original on 2015-07-14. Retrieved 2015-07-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
25. "Rankings - Mason Mustangs Soccer (Falls Church, VA)". from the original on 2016-08-18. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
26. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
27. . Archived from the original on July 24, 2014.
28. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
29. Mason Athletics
30. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
31. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-04-23. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
32. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-04-23. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
33. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
34. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
35. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
36. "Mason Athletics". from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
37. "Vae Victis - Team 1418". The Blue Alliance. from the original on 2021-09-14. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
38. . Archived from the original on 2016-11-18. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
39. "Official MHS Athletics and Activities Website". from the original on 2021-08-07. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
40. Marte, Jonnelle. "How this millennial saved $1 million by age 30". Washington Post. from the original on 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
41. "Mason Alum Turned Millionaire Shares Story with F.C." Falls Church News-Press Online. 2019-03-11. from the original on 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2019-12-09.

External links

• Meridian High School
• Meridian High School Faculty and Staff
• Photos of Teachers and Administrators from Class of 1964 web page
• Some class notes