Seminole County is known for its rich history, and Seminole High School (SHS) is no exception. Seminole High has the largest student body in the entirety of the Seminole County area! The school is well over a hundred years old with over 4,000 students.
History Overview
In 1911, on Sanford Avenue, a high school was built. This high school would be named Sanford High School and by 1927, the school was moved to French Avenue. The name was changed to SHS. In 1961, the school was relocated to the current location, Ridgewood Avenue. The old school that was left on French Avenue was converted into Sanford Junior High School (later renamed Sanford Middle School). “As a student, reflecting on how our school has grown is a great indication on how much progress we have made as a community,” states an anonymous IB sophomore.
Our school is known to have an extremely diverse population; we have a very wide range of students that attend SHS from a number of races and cultural groups. However, Seminole High was not always this diverse. During the twentieth century, the school was a predominantly white school. We did however, have a group of four white women who graduated. The graduating class consisted of only these four women. Their names were Albertha Hill, Peaches Leffler, Clara Miller, and, last but not least, Mabel Bowler. Suhayb Shamsi, a Traditional junior, says: “the fact that our school had a graduating class of women in a time where women’s education was not as valued truly adds an amazing look to our school’s history.”
How Seminole Has Transformed Through The Years
Seminole High is known for its many programs such as IB, PSI high, Health Academy, Avation, and Young Women and Men of Excellence. Our school also provides Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Our school has not always had these programs, but it has definitely been built off of them. A teacher, who wishes to stay anonymous, states that he has been working here for 30 years. He remembers when the Health Academy program started in the 90s. He states, “I believe that this addition to our school is a great way for future health care workers to get true, raw experience working as a professional in the health care department.” From the time our school started in the 1960s to the present, our technology has definitely improved. We now offer numerous technology based courses. Technology most definitely provides students with certifications which raises their rank considerably to colleges.
The Term “Bokey”
Most of our school sports jerseys (and/or uniforms) use the term “bokey”. But where does it come from? Bokey was a term made up to describe the feeling of being comfortable, being “right at home”. Historically, it described the time black migrant workers were heading back home to Sanford after serving in the Civil War.
Seminole High has gone through a long-changing history. It definitely took a lot of time and energy to get the school at the level it is now. It is a very advanced school and has loads of opportunities for the students that attend. Our school has beyond any doubt made a huge impact on our community! As time goes on, SHS will continue to improve and change for the better. We can learn a lot of lessons from the history of our school. Our school’s history does not just stop at this particular school year, it will go on. And more history will continue to be added on to it!