Cocoa High School

Coordinates: 28°22′57.28″N 80°46′7.97″W / 28.3825778°N 80.7688806°W / 28.3825778; -80.7688806

Cocoa High School is located in Cocoa, Florida and is part of the Brevard Public Schools District. 1272 students attend.^[1] There are 78 faculty members, giving a student/teacher ratio of 17.8.^[2] The principal is Stephanie Soliven.^[3]

History

Cocoa High School's first building was dedicated June 15, 1917.^[4][5] It was located on the site now occupied by Mr Stor-It (formerly Montgomery Wards).

On September 14, 1925, Cocoa High School officially opened in a newly constructed four-story building.^[6] These buildings were later used by Brevard Community College in 1960 when they first started.^[7]

In 1966, the first black teacher was assigned to the formerly all-white staff, as assistant principal.^[8]

In 1970, the school moved to its current site in Cocoa Florida, taking its mascot with it.^[8]

That part of Rosetine Street bordering the Cocoa High campus, was renamed "Tiger Trail" in honor of the school's mascot. Renaming streets after bordering high school's mascots is traditional in Brevard County.

In 2010, the football team played three out-of-state games in an effort to be nationally ranked.^[9] In September 2010, the school was ranked 12th in the nation.^[10] It also set a county record for number of consecutive football victories, 31.^[11]

Campus

The school campus contains 18 single-story buildings located on Tiger Trail, in Cocoa, Florida. ^{[12] [13]} A 1,000 seat auditorium was built in 2010.^[14]

Sports

• Football State Champion. Class 3A 2008,^[15] Class 2A 2009^[16] Class 2A 2010
• Basketball State Champion. 1960 Class A. Team Record 29-1^[17] Class 4A 2009^[18]

Activities

The school offers students the following activities:

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) problems

At the end of the 2005-2006 school year, Brevard Public School District conducted an internal investigation of Cocoa High which resulted in the removal of four of the school's principals. The administration at the school inaccurately reported its FCAT information. The District found that the school's principal, and three assistant principals, were involved in the scandal. All four administrators were removed from their positions.^[19]

In 2007, the school scored a "D" based on the standardized testing for the year, the lowest score in the district.^[20] This was raised to an "A", using different criteria in 2010, after state officials decided the old standards were too high. It is one of five high schools in Brevard to have this grade.^[21]

Notable alumni

• Emory L. Bennett (Class of 1948), Korean War Medal of Honor recipient.^[22]
• Michael C. Blake, first African American mayor of Cocoa and first African American President of the Space Coast League of Cities.^[23]
• James Folston (Class of 1989), professional American football player.^[24]
• Ronald Patrick (Class of 2009), professional American football player.
• Jesse Lee Kercheval (Class of 1974, graduated 1973), author, poet, and professor of English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.^[25]
• Scott Thompson alias Carrot Top (Class of 1983), comedian.^[26]
• Vassar Carlton {1932} 18 varsity letters for football, basketball, baseball; U-Fla. letterman in football, baseball. Retired as Chief Justice Florida Supreme Court.
• Bob Anderson {1956} All-State football, basketball, baseball, track; school, county first All-American in football. Two-time All-American at West Point; Heisman Trophy finalist twice. Professional football New York Giants.^[27]
• Bobby Barnes {1953} Standout in football, basketball, baseball, All-State each sport. Two-time first team All SEC and First Team All-American in baseball at two different positions: outfielder and catcher. Chosen as 100 greatest athletes at U-Florida.

Footnotes