Cocoa High School celebrates 100 years

Editor's note: Photo gallery and video added Oct. 14, 2016

Article published Aug. 11, 2016: Prior to its founding in 1917, classes at what would become Cocoa High School were held in a large home on Willard Street.

The first class was all-female. That's because with World War I raging, all the would-be male students were in the Army.

Before long, a two-story building on Forrest Avenue would replace the school house and adopt the name we know now, Cocoa High School.

“The completion of the school building marks an era in this city’s history,” proclaimed The Cocoa Tribune.

The paper lauded its “increased faculty,” which under the leadership of inaugural principal Mr. R. F. French welcomed two new teachers, bringing the number of employees to eight. Over the next 100 years, the school would continue to grow.

In 1924, a second building, this time a three-story structure for secondary grades, would open on Forrest.

Without today’s modern school buses, students would ride in Model Ts and other autos of the day. Students from Merritt Island commuted across the Indian River by canoe.

In 1954, Cocoa High School moved to a new facility in Rockledge, “one of the finest in the state,” noted one architect. Complete with a 600-seat auditorium – more than the school’s current auditorium can hold – the entire building, which is now Rockledge High School, cost $700,000 to build.

Up until that point, only white children had been permitted to attend Cocoa. But in 1968, the school was desegregated and the neighboring all-black school Monroe High was closed down. Two years prior, Cocoa hired its first African-American employee, Richard “Dick” Blake, who would go on to become the county’s first African-American principal in 1979, succeeding Ruth Anderson, the county’s first female high school principal.

“I couldn’t even go to Cocoa for school unless I was cutting the grass as a yard man,” said Blake, who also served as a coach and assistant principal before leading the school for 24 years.

It wouldn’t be until 1970 when the school would once again reside in Cocoa. And when it seemed as though their beloved tiger mascot might stay at Rockledge High, the students fought back and voted to take him back to Cocoa.

Still decorated with orange and black paw prints, although boasting the recent addition of an auditorium and football field, the same building will open its doors for the first day of school Wednesday.

Despite a series of location changes, school pride never wavered.

“We are truly the city’s school, and from what I’ve read, that’s been the case for 100 years,” said current principal Stephanie Soliven, who pored over microfiche after microfiche of newspaper articles to piece together the history of Cocoa High.

“Took me forever to make sure we’re supposed to celebrate this year and not next year,” she said, laughing.

The school has a long history of athletic achievements, and lately academic ones, too.

After years of disappointing Cs and Ds, Cocoa High received its first “A” grade in 2010, also capping a three-year run as football state champions.

“Cocoa High has historically struggled academically, so the year that we achieved “A” status, that was a big deal,” said Rebecca Rayborn, who taught at Cocoa from 2002 to 2011.

For former class president from 2005 to 2007 Ashley Gingilisky, it’s the little memories that have stayed with her: painting her senior parking space, senior skip day at the beach and memorizing every word to “Eye of the Tiger.”

Cocoa High will be celebrating the milestone throughout the year, with a special Homecoming and the parades alumni remember all too well in the works.

Contact Glenn at caglenn@floridatoday.com or 321-576-5933, or follow her on Twitter @bycarolineglenn.