Hiwassee Dam High School

File:Hiwassee_Dam_school_gymnasium_in_Cherokee_County,_North_Carolina.jpg

Hiwassee Dam School started as a public school in Cherokee County in fall 1939. It began in buildings used by the Tennessee Valley Authority during the construction of Hiwassee Dam. Four schools, Reid Chapel, Hill, Postell, and Shearer, were consolidated to create Hiwassee Dam School. During its first year in operation, there were 312 students and eight teachers. N. O. Kilpatrick was the first principal. High school classes were not taught until fall 1940.{{Cite news |date=1957-04-25 |title=TVA building first house Hiwassee Dam School |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83004710/1957-04-25/ed-2/seq-4/#words=Appalachia+Dams |access-date=2024-03-28 |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, NC |page=4}}

In the mid-1940s, Clark School was consolidated into Hiwassee Dam School. Around 1954, Violet School was consolidated with Hiwassee Dam. In fall 1956, Hiwassee Dam School moved into a new 22-classroom building. The new building provided space for Friendship Elementary School to consolidate with Hiwassee Dam and for Ranger Elementary School students to attend high school at Hiwassee Dam. At that time the school had 21 teachers and 570 students. In 1982, the girls basketball team won the state championship.{{Cite web |date=April 2024 |title=1A Women’s Championship Coach & Conference |url=https://www.nchsaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Womens-basketball-Champs-and-MVPs.pdf |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=NCHSAA.org}}

In 2004, the entire HD facility was renovated. New roofing was installed and windows were redone. Architects were Padgett & Freeman Architects and the contractor was Wells & West.

In May 2020, the Cherokee County Board of Education voted to consolidate Andrews, Murphy, and Hiwassee Dam High Schools.{{cite news |last=Thompson |first=David |date=May 29, 2020 |title=Cherokee County votes to consolidate three high schools |url=https://www.citizen-times.com/story/sports/high-school/hshuddle/2020/05/29/cherokee-county-votes-consolidate-three-high-schools/5282102002/ |accessdate=May 29, 2020 |work=Asheville Citizen-Times}} A $50 million state grant was given to the school system in September 2022 to accomplish this goal.{{Cite news |last=Putnam |first=Jared |date=2022-09-21 |title=County receives $50 million grant for consolidated high school |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local/county-receives-50-million-grant-consolidated-high-school |access-date=2024-03-28 |work=Cherokee Scout |publisher=Community Newspapers Inc. |location=Murphy, NC}} After public outcry, in January 2023 new members of the Cherokee County Board of Education voted to return the money to the state rather than move forward with the consolidation.{{cite news |last=Putnam |first=Jared |date=2023-01-10 |title=County officially turns down grant |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/county-officially-turns-down-grant |work=Cherokee Scout |publisher=Community Newspapers Inc. |location=Murphy, N.C.}}

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As of 2023, HDHS had the highest graduation rate of any high school in the county – 97 percent.{{cite news |title=Schools growing |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, NC |publisher=Community Newspapers, Inc. |date=2024-01-31 |pages=2A }}

1. N.O. Kilpatrick (1939–1940)
2. Bascom D. Carroll (1940–1941)
3. Harvey H. Ferguson (1941–1943)
4. Walter B. Thomas  (1943–1947)
5. James T. Osborne (1947–1953)
6. Hal M. Hale (1953–1955)
7. Harest E. King (1955–?)
8. Thomas Graham (2010-2016)
9. Daniel McNabb (–Present)

• List of high schools in North Carolina

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Category:Public high schools in North Carolina

Category:Schools in Cherokee County, North Carolina

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