Venice High School is a secondary school located in Venice, Florida for grades 9–12.
Contents
History
Venice High School was built in the late 1940s in Venice, Florida. The high school (grades 9–12) opened in 1956 with John E. Davis as its first principal. Venice Junior High (grades 6–8) opened sometime in 1959 when the student body outgrew the high school. The original buildings remained unchanged until 2012, when the high school and junior high were demolished (the original gymnasium and Powell–Davis Stadium remained) to build the existing facility. The campus was completed in 2014, including a new music suite housing the chorus and band and a city-mandated performing arts center.
The school's "Indians" mascot has been controversial.
Programs
Featured programs include Career Technical Education: PC Support, Health Options, Digital Design, Early Childhood, Culinary Arts, Engineering, and Business Entrepreneurial pathways.
Venice High School offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, which is an academically focused curriculum for students ages sixteen to eighteen (grades 11 and 12) preparing to enter university.
Venice Performing Arts Center
Attached to Venice High School is the Venice Performing Arts Center (VPAC). This building includes the performing arts classes, which include band, orchestra, acting, and chorus.
The VPAC has an apprenticeship program for Venice High School, where juniors and seniors can gain theater and job experience and help their community.
Student demographics
Venice High School enrolls over 2,000 students annually, compared to the state average of 750 for K-12 schools. Of those in attendance in 2005, 95% of the student body is Caucasian, 2% Hispanic, 1% Asian, and 1% African American.
Competitive teams
Venice is known for its athletics programs, including state volleyball championships (1998, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2018) and baseball (2007, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019). Venice's football program, coached by John Peacock, has been recognized as one of the best teams in the state, making several state championship appearances since their first in 2000 (7th in the nation) and winning a second in 2017.
Football State Champions- in 2000, 2017, 2021, & 2024
Baseball State Champions- 2007, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, & 2019
Volleyball State Champions- 1998, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2017 & 2022
Academic Olympics – Venice High School's Academic Olympics Team competes in the county and contributes to the Sarasota County All Star Team for the Commissioner's Academic Challenge (CAC) at the state level. The team most recently won the county championship in 2017.
Accolades
In 2006, the Florida Department of Education named Venice High School an "A" school. In 2007, the school missed the 525 points needed for an "A" grade by 4 points, receiving a score of 521 to earn a "B" grade. The school has increased its graduation rate from 63.9% in 1999 to 84.7% in 2007. Its dropout rate is 1.6%.
Notable alumni
Dri Archer, NFL player
Alexandra Barreto, actress
Charles Brantley, college football player
Trey Burton, NFL player
Tyler Gauthier, NFL player
Dalton Guthrie, MLB player
Mark Guthrie, LSU Tiger Baseball Pitcher, former MLB player
Orion Kerkering, MLB player
Jon Knott, MLB player
Forrest Lamp, NFL player
Ryan Miller, MLB player
Alvin Mitchell, football player
Greg Pitts, actor
Jack Voigt, LSU Tiger Baseball, Outfield and DH, MLB player and minor league coach
Elliot Washington II, football player
Winston Watkins Jr., college football player
Malachi Wideman, football player
Damon Wilson II, football player
Clyde Everett Lassen, Medal of Honor Recipient, Commander, US Navy, Vietnam