Fivay High School
| Fivay High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 28°20′01″N 82°39′29″W / 28.333617°N 82.658169°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 2010 |
| School district | Pasco County Schools |
| Principal | Dr. Christina Stanley |
| Grades | 9 to 12 |
| Enrollment | 3,003 (November, 2016) |
| Color(s) | Navy, Red, Silver |
| Athletics conference | Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) |
| Mascot | Falcon |
| Team name | Falcons |
| Website | fhs.pasco.k12.fl.us |
Fivay High School is located in Pasco County, Florida on State Road 52 and opened in 2010. It was built for 1,870 students from Hudson High School, Ridgewood High School, and River Ridge High School which had been experiencing overcrowding.
Naming
The school was named by David Chauncey, a columnist for the Suncoast News and Ridgewood High School graduate, in an op-ed piece after the Pasco County Public School Board requested that citizens provide ideas for the new high school's name.[1] The school was named after a small town founded on the banks of Bear Creek - a stone's throw from the new high school - around the year 1904 by five men from Atlanta who all had last names that started with an 'A.' According to a Tampa Tribune article in 1988, Fivay was the largest sawmill in Florida during its peak and had a population of nearly 2,500 with what is now S.R. 52 serving as a railroad right of way for the town.[1] Before the school, the only landmark to the old town was Fivay Road which is feet from the Little Road entrance for the school.
In 1914, the mill ceased operations and the town was deserted with the exception of 10 families that tried to make it work. It did not and the passage of time removed all signs of the once bustling town. The name was officially submitted by Chauncey to the school board to be considered.[2] On September 16, 2009, the name was approved by the school board and West Pasco's seventh high school came into existence.[3]
Incorporated three schools
Fivay High School was designed by Florida-based architecture firm Harvard Jolly. The new school was deemed necessary due to the overcrowding of the other schools in the area especially Ridgewood High School which was at nearly 140% of its intended capacity in 2003-2004.[4] The school plan was reduced to two stories from three and the football field relocated from the back of the school to a site along the road after objections from neighbors.[5] There was much angst and tension amongst parents of the three well established high schools in the region on what areas would be incorporated into the new school's district. Principal Angie Stone was named the first principal after previously opening up Sunlake High in 2007 as their first principal.[5][6]
On February 1, 2011 the school lost a faculty member, a well-known teacher named Flo Massaro. Also, on April 27, 2012 the school lost another well-known faculty member, and their beloved baseball coach, Justin Kunick.