Liberty High School was a public high school in Clarksburg, West Virginia, operated by Harrison County Schools. It opened in 1973 following the consolidation of Bristol High School, Salem High School and Victory High School.
The school closed after the 2024–25 school year. The West Virginia Board of Education approved the merger of Liberty High School into Robert C. Byrd High School and the consolidation of Mountaineer Middle School and Washington Irving Middle School into a new Liberty Middle School in the former Liberty High School building. Liberty's Class of 2025 was the school's final graduating class.
History Liberty High School opened in 1973 following the consolidation of Bristol High School, Salem High School and Victory High School. The Class of 1974 was the school's first graduating class.
One of the school's long-running traditions was the Liberty High School Band Spectacular, which began in 1980. The school held its 43rd and final Band Spectacular in September 2024, with six high school bands participating.
In October 2023, the Harrison County Board of Education voted to proceed with a consolidation plan that included merging Liberty High School into Robert C. Byrd High School. The plan also called for Mountaineer Middle School and Washington Irving Middle School to be consolidated in the Liberty High School building.
The county board voted 3–2 in April 2024 to close Liberty and merge it into Robert C. Byrd. Harrison County Schools Superintendent Dora Stutler said the condition of the Liberty building was not the reason for the consolidation and cited the school's declining enrollment and unused building capacity. On May 8, 2024, the West Virginia Board of Education approved the closure of Liberty High School and its merger into Robert C. Byrd High School at the end of the 2024–25 school year. The state board also approved the consolidation of Mountaineer and Washington Irving middle schools into a new Liberty Middle School in the former high school building.
The 2024–25 school year was Liberty High School's final year. Its last graduating class held commencement on May 22, 2025. After the school closed, trophies earned by Liberty students were transferred for display at Robert C. Byrd High School, while the former Liberty building was converted for use as Liberty Middle School.
Notable alumni Mike Carey, college basketball coach. Jimbo Fisher, college football coach. Bill Flanigan, justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia; class of 1991. Danny Hamrick, former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Athletics Liberty's athletic teams were known as the Mountaineers and competed in the Big 10 Conference.
Baseball Pete Iquinto served as Liberty's head baseball coach from 1989 through 2012. During his tenure, the Mountaineers won 13 sectional championships and eight regional championships. Liberty won the Class AA state championship in 1998 and returned to the state tournament in 2002 and 2006, finishing as Class AA runner-up in 2006.
Cheerleading Liberty won state cheerleading championships in 2004, 2008 and 2010. The team finished as state runner-up in 2009.
In its final season, Liberty won the 2024 Class AA Region II championship and advanced to the state competition.
Track and field Brandon Franklin won Class AA state championships in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash and long jump in 2011 and successfully defended all four titles in 2012. His winning time of 48.35 seconds in the 400 meters at the 2012 state meet established a Class AA state-meet record.
Liberty's Ali Allen won the Class AA girls' long jump state championship in 2013.
Wrestling Liberty produced three individual state wrestling champions. Steve Daniels won the Class AAA 145-pound championship in 1981, Mike Fortier won the Class AAA unlimited-weight championship in 1995, and Tommy Dodd won the Class AA/A 138-pound championship in 2012.
Football Under head coach A. J. Harman, Liberty recorded six consecutive winning seasons from 2015 through 2020. The 2017 team advanced to the Class AA state quarterfinals.
Basketball In 2024, Liberty's boys' basketball team finished 16–6, giving the school its first winning season in 28 years.
References
External links National Center For Education