Brief History of SAHS
In 1958, a school bond was passed to consolidate Alexander Wilson, Sylvan, E.M. Holt and Eli Whitney into one high school. The original plans for Southern High School were to accommodate eight hundred students with the guidance and leadership of Mr. Adcock as the founding principal. Although the location of the school is not centrally located to those four locations, the property was donated for the purpose of construction of a new school in the southern part of the county. The doors of the new high school officially opened on December 12, 1960 as the Southern High School Confederates. The first few years, the school operated without D building which was completed in 1965 and current auditorium which was added in the late 1960s. The 1960s hosted a lot of firsts for the new established high school. Miss Carolyn Layell was named the first Miss Southern. The year 1967 displayed Southern’s first marching band, while 1968 brought in the introduction of College Preparatory classes. The 1970s brought new identity to the Southern High School community while Alamance County Schools transitioned the culturally sensitive mascot of the Confederates out and revealed the new mascot of the Patriots. As new Patriots, students and teachers alike continued to thrive towards excellence. In 1983, the campus received new lockers which adorned some of the original stickers and signatures of those who walked the halls. In the summers of 2021 and 2022 the lockers from A, B, C, and D buildings were removed as more materials have become available electronically. With continued growth in the southern part of the community, there was a need for expansion. In the early 1990s, the campus underwent a major overhaul. Air conditioning was added to all classrooms. The old media center, once housed in the middle of campus, was converted into two chemistry classrooms (SC5 & SC6). During this same time, the Fine Arts wing was built, as well as, a new Media Center and Main Office. In 1990, Southern was the only school to offer AP US History, German, and a fine tuned ROTC program. The year 1996 brought county-wide changes as the Alamance County School System merged with Burlington City Schools. If you look closely around campus, you can still find furniture earmarked from one or the other. In 2005, the construction of E building, a four classroom addition, was commissioned to accommodate for the rising number of students. Campus growth would not stop there, in 2018 the school bond was passed, with renovations to Southern’s campus being the largest project. Ground broke in early summer 2021 and shortly thereafter, two parking lots were removed, A and B building halls and restrooms were gutted and remade, the carpentry and welding shops were torn down, the mobile unit was pulled away and the cafeteria received an expansion. Throughout the 2021-2022 school year, the framing and sheetrock were installed for a new front office, 13 new classrooms and new carpentry and welding shops. The cafeteria was also remodeled and the picnic area expanded. As the summer of 2022 progressed, the interior hallways of C, D, and the cafeteria were completed; the awnings, poles and sidewalks were removed and remade, the bus and car rider lot were paved and a renovation of the back of the office for more classroom space was completed. The much-loved Senior wall was started with the Class of 2000 and continues to be a highlight to each graduating senior class. As each new year comes, SAHS continues to make its mark. From FFA National Champions to Athletic State and Conference Championships, the commitment and dedication to Southern Alamance High School is like no other high school in the district.
