Essex High School (EHS) is a public secondary school located in Essex Junction, Vermont. The school's sports team is the Hornets, and the school's colors are blue and gold. Essex High School is the second largest high school after CVU and is the largest secondary technical school in Vermont. Enrollment in 2021 was 1,251. It is ranked #2,672 among all high schools nationwide. History The school was established in 1957 as Essex Junction High School. In 1970, a new, larger campus was constructed about away, containing both the high school and a technical center. This new campus was named the Essex Junction Educational Center (EJEC), while the former building became Albert D. Lawton Middle School. In the 1990s, the school's name was changed to Essex High School to reflect the two communities it served, Essex and Essex Junction. The original EJHS building was designed for future expansion by the addition of a second story. However, when more classrooms were needed in the 1980s, new building codes required any renovations to bring the entire old building up to code, at great cost. A new two-story "C wing" and senior courtyard were added to the east side instead. In 2002, a new library and media center were built east of the C wing. In 2014 a small "Maker Space" was opened in the library. Like many other schools in the state (namely, Burlington High School) EHS currently faces risk of being shut down due to having polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels above Vermont's screening standard. EHS could be forced to rebuild its school in an entirely new location. Academics The school is accredited as a public secondary school by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and by the Vermont Department of Education. EHS adjoins the Center for Technology, Essex, a technical and vocational school. Students can enroll concurrently in both high school and technical programs; approximately ten percent of students do so each year. The school has accelerated programs in Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, English, French and Spanish; honors courses in English and Mathematics; and a selection of seventeen Advanced Placement courses. However, the school has repeatedly attempted to remove the Advanced Placement courses from its curriculum. The school also offers media and computer facilities. In 2008, EHS students earned the county's best math scores on the New England Common Assessment Program test. By 2021, however, the proficiency levels had significantly