South Point High School (North Carolina)
South Point High School (formerly Belmont High School) is a public high school in Belmont, North Carolina, United States. It was established in 1964 and is part of the Gaston County Schools district.
| South Point High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
| |
906 South Point Road , 28012 United States | |
| Coordinates | 35°13′22″N 81°02′20″W |
| Information | |
| Former name | Belmont High School |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1964 |
| School district | Gaston County Schools |
| NCES School ID | 370162000711[1] |
| Principal | Gary Ford |
| Teaching staff | 56.92 (on a FTE basis)[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,001 (2018–2019)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 17.59[1] |
| Campus size | 28.4 acres (115,000 m2) |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Red and black |
| Athletics conference | Big South (3A) |
| Mascot | Red Raider |
| Nickname | Red Raiders |
| Website | www |
History
South Point High School was established in 1964 as Belmont High School, and adopted its present name in 1969 after it merged with Cramerton High School and Reid High School. It lost approximately 200 students to Stuart W. Cramer High School in nearby Cramerton (but with a Belmont address) when the latter school opened in 2013.[2]
Mascot
The school's mascot is the Red Raider. The origins of the mascot are in dispute, being either derived from soldiers who rubbed red clay on their faces during the Battle of Kings Mountain or adopted from the Colgate University mascot, which was formerly named the Red Raider before being recognized as racially insensitive in 2001. In 2015, a letter to the school board from a Native American tribe member complained that the Red Raiders logo promotes racism.[3] Following the killing of George Floyd in 2020, rival petitions to either remove or retain the mascot circulated.[4]
Notable alumni
- Emily Fortune Feimster, writer, comedian, and actress
- Perry Fewell, football coach
- Mitch Harris, MLB player[5]
- Devon Lowery, MLB player[6]
- Tanner Muse, NFL player, two-time CFP National Champion with Clemson
- Koren Robinson, NFL wide receiver and Pro Bowl selection in 2005
- Jeffrey Springs, MLB player
References
- "Search for Public Schools - South Point High (370162000711)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- "History". South Point High School. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
- Wildstein, Eric (November 2, 2015). "School logos racist? Red Raiders, Warriors imagery sparks complaint". Gaston Gazette.
- Stone, Augusta (July 2, 2020). "In Gaston County, petitions battle to remove or keep 'offensive' high school mascot". The Charlotte Observer.
- "Mitch Harris". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- "Devon Lowery". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved September 30, 2019.