History of Hillside High School

Hillside High School (abbreviated HHS) is a four-year high school located in Durham, North Carolina. Hillside is one of seven high schools in the Durham Public Schools System. Of more than 300 historically black high schools that once operated in the state before desegregation, only five remain today, with Hillside being the oldest. Hillside is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Because of five consecutive years of composite testing scores of below 55%, Judge Howard Manning has threatened to close the school (along with 17 other North Carolina high schools) under the Leandro ruling, which states that North Carolina must provide a sound, basic education for all citizens.

Eunice Sanders, who was Hillside's principal for four years, resigned after the 2005-2006 school year to move to an administrative position within the Durham Public Schools Central Office. Earl Pappy is currently Hillside's principal. Pappy served as principal of George Wythe High School of the Arts in Richmond from 2002 until 2006.

The largest black schools in Durham prior to the building of Whitted School in 1887 were the Ledger Public School in Hayti, under the supervision of Miss Ledger, and the Hack Road Public School, where James Whitted, "a highly respected man of mixed races (Black and Indian) who had managed to educate himself," was superintendent.

In 1887, the Whitted School existed as the James A. Whitted High School, in honor of its first principal. The school, which was located on the corner of Blackwell and Pettigrew Streets, burned in 1888 and was located in a Bull Factory warehouse. In 1890, 161 pupils attended the school's six grades. Whitted taught the upper grades, William G. Pearson taught the middle grades, and two female teachers taught the first and second grades.

The first class graduated from the ninth grade of Whitted school in 1896. Also in 1896, a permanent brick building was constructed on Proctor and Ramsey Street for black children at a cost of $8000. In 1899, the building was destroyed and reconstructed, but students were housed in churches during that school year. In 1901, another black school, West End, was built. At this time 707 students were enrolled in the Durham black graded schools. In 1909, the East End School was constructed.

Only nine grades existed at Whitted from 1896 until 1911, byt in 1911 a tenth grade was added. The 11th grade was added in 1918. From 1919 until 1920, first graders were housed in "dog houses," which were temporary shacks near the brick school building.

The Whitted School, which was in poor condidion, burned in 1921, and students had to attend double sessions at East End and West End Schools. John Sprunt Hill, a leading Durham citizen, donated land for a new building on Pine and Umstead Street, which was named Hillside Park High School in honor of the donor and due to the school was located next to Hillside Park, a public city owned black park. The class of 1944 was the first to graduate under the 12 year system. A public address system was installed in the school in 1943 at a cost of $150.

The "Park" was dropped from the name Hillside High School in 1943. In 1950, because of overcrowding in the high school, the Hillside High School students moved into what was then called Whitted Junior High School, located near the campus of North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and now the site of an NCCU science classroom building, and the Whitted Junior High School students moved into the old Hillside Park High School building closer to downtown Durham. The schools buildings also swapped names. Hillside High School at this time only enrolled grades 10, 11 and 12 and Whitted Junior High School enrolled 7, 8 and 9.

Additions of an auditorium, cafeteria, autoshop, classroom and gymnasium were made to accommodate the large number of transferred high schoolstudents in 1949. A classroom annex was added to the Hillside building in 1962.

In 1966 a new library was added, and a new bandroom was constructed in 1975.

Hillside was relocated to a brand new, state-of-the-art buildling in 1995.

Hillside has come a long way since it first existed as a small grade school in the 1880's. The educational goals which its founders set at that early date have, in the opinion of many, been realized in Hillside High School today.

Hillside offers the International Baccalaureate and AVID program to academically gifted students. This school offers career pathways in engineering, cosmetology, food service, and child care. They also offer many Advanced Placement classes. Hillside's Arts Department is famous, and Hillside students have performed internationally.

   Newest government school building in Durham

   Enrollment of approximately 1517

   2005 Mean SAT Score: 828 [1]

   SAT averages: Verbal: 410; Mathematics: 418; Writing: 398

   140 teachers and administrators

  Participate in PAC-6 Conference (Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill, Durham Hillside, Durham Jordan, Northern Durham, Durham Riverside, Roxboro Person, Southern Durham High Schools)

  Boys Sports: football, cross country, soccer, basketball, wrestling, indoor track, baseball, outdoor track, tennis

  Girls Sports: indoor track, outdoor track (3A State Champions 2001-2005), softball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, cross country, soccer

  Co-ed Sports: Golf

  Traditionally Hillside's rivals are: Durham High School (closed in 1995) , Southern High School (North Carolina), Charles E. Jordan High School, and James B. Dudley High School.

  Ernie Barnes, American Neo-Mannerist Artist and former Professional Football Player, NFL

  Tommy Wilson, former Professional Football Player, NFL

  Biff Henderson, of The Late Show with David Letterman

  Jeanne Hopkins Lucas, North Carolina State Senator

  John Harding Lucas II, retired American Professional Basketball Player & Coach, NBA

  Bobby Perry, Basketball Player, University of Kentucky

  Rodney Rogers, retired American Basketball Player, NBA

  Thomas Stith, III, former member of Durham Council member and mayor candidate