Powhatan High School

Powhatan High School was housed in a number of different buildings in the 1900s. The building used from 1971 to 2003 was later used as Pocahontas Middle School from 2003 to 2016, and is now called Pocahontas Landmark Center and used as the school board office.[2][3] The school was racially integrated in 1969.[4] The current facility opened in 2003.[4]

PHS ranks among the top 6,600 high schools in America, top 145 in Virginia, and 18th in the Richmond Metro Area.[5] The graduation rate is 95%.[5]

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are offered at Powhatan High School, with 41% of students taking AP classes.[6] PHS also offers dual enrollment classes in collaboration with J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. Together, the two schools host an Advanced College Academy program, which allows students who participate to earn an associate's degree in social sciences and an advanced studies high school diploma upon graduation.[7]

AP Classes include AP English 11 (Language & Composition), AP English 12 (Literature & Composition), AP Calculus A/B, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science, AP Environmental Science, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics I, AP Human Geography, AP Modern World History, AP US History, AP US Government & Politics, AP Psychology, AP Spanish, AP Music Theory, and AP Economics.

Dual Enrollment classes for students who are not enrolled in the ACA program include DE Math Analysis (MTH 167), DE English 12 (ENG 111, 112), and DE US Government (PLS 135, 136).

PHS offers career and technical education classes that provide students with experience in various job fields, including Veterinary Science, Business Marketing, Information Technology, Carpentry, Electricity, Culinary Arts, Cosmetology, Engineering, JROTC, Firefighting, Education, and Medical Sciences. Along with these CTE classes, Powhatan High School offers Cooperative Education Programs, allowing students to work at an approved job and earn high school credit for their work.[8]

Racial and Ethnic Groups (Fall 2022)[9]

• White - 85.0%
• Black - 6.6%
• Hispanic - 4.2%
• Multiple Races - 3.5%
• Asian 0.4%

• Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society)
• National English Honor Society
• Science National Honor Society
• Tri-M Music Honor Society
• Spanish Honor Society
• Rho Kappa (Social Studies Honor Society)
• FBLA-PBL
• FFA
• SkillsUSA
• Indoor Drumline
• Marching band
• Winter Guard

Powhatan High School operates multiple curricular ensembles, including show choir, symphonic band, wind symphony, jazz band, and chamber orchestra. Extracurricular ensembles include indoor drumline, marching band and winter guard.

Powhatan has 2 indoor drumline ensembles, Powhatan JV Percussion (performing in Scholastic A Class) and Powhatan Varsity Percussion (performing in Scholastic Open Class). Powhatan Varsity Percussion competes nationally at the WGI World Championships.

In 2022, the school district was awarded with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM foundation.[10]

In 2023, the school's show choir performance "Radiance" received grand champion in the single-gender division at the New England Show Choir Showdown at Andover High School in Massachusetts.[11]

Powhatan High School's athletic teams are named the Indians and have competed in the Virginia High School League's Dominion District since 2019. Previously, the teams competed in the Jefferson District.[12]

The football team won state championships in 1996 and 2003.[13]

The softball team has six state championships, and the baseball team won its first state championship in 2007.[4]

On June 30, 2022, Andrew Clinton Snead, the high school band and orchestra director and District Performing Arts Coordinator, was arrested on two counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor. Snead was placed on unpaid administrative leave. In September, seven more charges were placed on Snead, though one of the charges was later dropped. Snead's charges span ten years and include eight felonies, with seven counts of taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial/supervisory relationship and one count of solicitation of child pornography.[14]

On June 29, 2023, Andrew Snead pleaded guilty to seven counts of indecent liberties with a child while in a custodial role, and one count of solicitation of a pornographic imagine of a child. Snead was sentenced to 30 years with 22 years suspended, he will have to serve 8 years in prison. When he is released he will be placed on the Virginia Sex Offender Registry, and will be on supervised probation.[15]

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