In 1845, Norfolk County, Virginia constructed the first public school in Deep Creek, Virginia. It was the second school to be constructed in Norfolk County from funds provided by the General Assembly for public education. The one-room school was located across from the present day Deep Creek Intermediate School. The school was closed and destroyed by federal troops during the Civil War. In 1870, a school was erected on Old Gilmerton Road. Several years later, a one-room school facing Galberry Road behind and adjacent to Flemming's Store was constructed. In 1897, a wing was added to separately house the older students. In 1908, the legislature provided funds for the construction of a one-story brick school on the site of the previous intermediate school. Schools from the outlying areas were consolidated and students from St. Juliens Creek, Millsville, Grassfield, and Gilmerton were transported by horse-drawn school buses to Deep Creek School. In 1910, a two-story brick building was constructed on the site of the intermediate school. The first class of seniors was graduated from Deep Creek High School in 1911. Building additions were made in 1923, 1947, and 1952. In 1955, Deep Creek High School was separated from Deep Creek School by the construction of a million dollar secondary building to house grades 7-12 on Deal Drive.
In 1963, Deep Creek High School became part of the newly formed Chesapeake School System, which resulted from a merger of Norfolk County and the City of South Norfolk. In 1966, grades 7-8 were shifted from the high school to the junior high, which is the old SECEP school. In 1979, due to large increases in enrollment at both the high school and junior high school, the high school building on Deal Drive was redesignated a junior high school and a seven million dollar high school located on Margaret Booker Drive was constructed to house grades 10-12.
The current facility has been in use for more than thirty years. The school was expanded in 1990 with the addition of the new wing serving the Math, Science and Foreign Language departments. The space was needed due to the addition of the ninth grade. In the summer of 1998, the school was expanded again to accommodate an enrollment of approximately 2,000 students. This new expansion includes improvements to the library, gymnasium, and classrooms for Science, Special Education, Art and Vocational program.
On August 9, 2009, Deep Creek High School lost a beloved man, Nathan T. Hardee. He served as principal for 38 years and was also a graduate of the very school he administrated. The legacy and part of the school lives today because of him. He was a man who honored the spirit and some say he really "bled" purple (the school color). The stadium that the school uses, located at Deep Creek Middle, was renamed in his honor. There is also a small garden dedicated to him located by the bus entrance.
In 2011, Deep Creek High School was designated as the Science and Medicine Academy. Students from all over Chesapeake desiring to pursue a career in the medicine can enroll in the program. The 4-year program is designed to allow students to begin gaining the knowledge needed to be successful in medical school. Students earn both college credits and real world experience in an array of science and medical subject. In 2016, despite the newness of the SMA it was named one of Virginia’s best run academy’s and the only one to fulfill all science academy objectives. That also boosted the school into a Bronze award from US News which named the school as one of the best high schools in the country.
Deep Creek High's colors are purple and white and the emblem is the hornet named Horatio.
Congrats to Imodium on FTF!!