Damascus High School

Damascus High School (DHS) is a public high school in Damascus, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools system.

Damascus High School
Address
25921 Ridge Road

Damascus
,
Maryland
20872

United States
Coordinates39°16′56″N 77°12′38″W
Information
Other nameDHS
TypePublic high school
MottoQuid agis, agas bene[1]
("Whatever you do, do it well")
Established1909 (1909)
School districtMontgomery County Public Schools
NCES School ID240048001455[2]
PrincipalKevin Yates[3]
Teaching staff83 (on an FTE basis)[2]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,381 (2021-2022)[2]
Student to teacher ratio16.64[2]
Campus typeRural/Suburban
Color(s)Green, Gold   
Athletics conferenceAA
MascotHornets
NicknameSwarmin' Hornets
RivalsSeneca Valley High School
Clarksburg High School
NewspaperThe Buzz
YearbookThe Scimitar
Websitewww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/damascushs/

History

Damascus High School was first established in 1909.[4] The current building was constructed in 1950 and renovated in 1978.[5]

In 2020, MCPS approved a $127 million renovation of the high school. The renovation was originally planned for an August 2025 completion date, but it was then delayed by a year due to county fiscal concerns,[6] and later delayed to completion in 2028.[7][8]

Athletics

Damascus' school colors are green and gold, and their mascot is the Swarmin' Hornet. The school's biggest rivalries are with the neighboring Seneca Valley High School and Clarksburg High School.

Damascus has a prestigious football program which has won twelve Maryland 3A or 4A state championships: 1981, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022.[9][10] This is a state record that they share with Seneca Valley High School (which also has twelve, but last won in 2002).[11] The team's dominance from 2015 to 2017 earned them a 53-game winning streak, also a state record.[12]

In 2019, the football program came under scrutiny after it was discovered that four players on the JV team were sexually assaulted with broomsticks by teammates in the locker room. The school administration waited twelve hours after learning about the hazing before contacting the police.[13] The team members who were accused were initially tried as adults[14] before having their cases moved to juvenile court. As a result, the students were found guilty but later released on bond.[15]

Notable alumni
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Damascus High School.

References
  1. "DHS Parent Handbook 2016-2017" (PDF).
  2. "Search for Public Schools - Damascus High (240048001455)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  3. "Damascus HS". Montgomery County Public Schools. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  4. "Damascus High School to Celebrate 100 Years of Education". MCPS Bulletin. February 17, 2010.
  5. Lewis, Kevin (November 12, 2013). "MCPS crumbling from within, say parents and students". WJLA.
  6. "Damascus High School Renovation Approved; Project Scheduled to Be Completed August 2026". The MoCo Show. 2022-10-27. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  7. Pollak, Suzanne (March 20, 2023). "Damascus High School Community Concerned Construction Project Will Be Delayed Again". MyMCMedia.
  8. "Damascus HS - Major Capital Project". Montgomery County Maryland Capital Budget.
  9. Jones, Jackie (March 18, 2000). "Suburbia Encroaches on a Small Country Town". The Washington Post. p. H1.
  10. Mike Loveday; Sheldon Shealer (December 31, 2009). "The top 5 programs of the decade in Maryland high school football". ESPNRise.
  11. Melnick, Kyle (October 19, 2021). "Seneca Valley, once Maryland's premier football program, tries to recapture its glory". The Washington Post.
  12. Melnick, Kyle (December 5, 2019). "Damascus returns to the mountaintop, walks off with Md. 3A state title". The Washington Post.
  13. "Football hazing and sexual assault case at high school in Maryland investigated - The Washington Post". The Washington Post.
  14. "4 charged as adults in alleged Damascus High School broomstick hazing incident released on bond". Fox 5 DC. 28 November 2018.
  15. "Court Proceedings Conclude in Two Damascus Locker Room Rape Cases, Report Says". Bethesda Magazine. 19 August 2019.
  16. "Damascus' Bryan Bresee Drafted in the 1st Round of the 2023 NFL Draft". The MoCo Show. April 28, 2023.
  17. "From Damascus To Super Bowl Champion, Rams RB Jake Funk Is Living The Dream". CBS News. February 18, 2022.
  18. Wilson, Aaron (April 21, 2015). "Appalachian State cornerback Joel Ross invited to Ravens' local prospect day today, sources say". Baltimore Sun.
  19. Singer-Bart, Susan (June 9, 2010). "Damascus High grads: Farewell, for now". The Gazette. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010.
  20. Giblin, John (November 6, 1999). "Born to Lead". Daily Collegian.
  21. "Mare of Easttown Actor, Joe Tippett, Graduated From Damascus High School". The MoCo Show. 2021-08-27. Retrieved 2023-08-28.


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