Welcome to Our Legacy

The Wilson High School Alumni Association (WHSAA) is a catalyst for positive change and is driven by the same ideas the organization was founded upon  support, empowerment, and progress for Wilson High School students.

The WHSAA Florence, SC (Parent) Chapter was founded in 1972. Since its inception, the Florence Chapter has established subordinate chapters in several states, including Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, Connecticut, Maryland/DC/Virginia.

WHSAA Chapters sponsors an extremely substantial annual homecoming weekend that includes a parade, golf tournament, and class reunion cookouts, which routinely exceeds 8000 returning alumni and current students.

The Georgia Chapter of the WHSAA was chartered on July 18, 2009, in Atlanta, Georgia. The Chapter is a registered GA corporation (EIN 37-2084870) and received its federal income tax exemption status under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code on April 2023.

WILSON HIGH SCHOOL SNAPSHOT

Wilson School was Florence, SC’s first public school for Black children. It was opened in 1866 by the Freedmen Bureau and incorporated two years later into SC’s first system of free public education.

The current Wilson High School was completed in 1982 and serves over 1200 students.

Wilson has the only Florence chapter of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP).

Wilson High School has seen physical and technological expansions in the 21^st Century. The auditorium and common area are equipped with high-speed wireless access points.

The school’s footprint has expanded with high-speed wireless access points, and the addition of a science wing, which includes 4 large laboratory classrooms. Wilson’s media center, computer lab and over 300 networked computers provide students and faculty with internet access, educational software, and South Carolina’s DISCUS

WILSON HIGH SCHOOL SNAPSHOT (continued)

The auditorium and common areas are equipped with high-speed wireless access points. The school’s footprint has added an additional science wing, which included 4 large laboratory classrooms. The media center, computer lab, and over 300 networked computers provide students and faculty with internet access, educational software, and SC’s DISCUS database.

Wilson’s Citizen and Constitution Debate Team won the annual state competition in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010. Wilson has won the Pee Dee Regional Academic Challenge AAA/AAAA Championship 11 out of the past 12 years and won the 2010 State Championship.

Wilson’s athletes currently complete in the AAAA Classification of the SC High School League and is in Lower State, Region VII. In 2002, the varsity baseball team won the AAA State Championship.

The boys’ varsity basketball and football teams won AAA State Championships in 2007. The varsity basketball team is the reigning 2022 AAAA State Champion.

WILSON’S ACADEMIC RANKINGS

Wilson High School is ranked 86^th within South Carolina. Students can take International Baccalaureate Program (IBP) coursework and exams. The IBP participation rate at Wilson High School is 15%.

The total minority enrollment is 81% and 70% of the students are economically disadvantaged.

Wilson High School is ranked #7,793 in the National Rankings, in coordination with North Carolina-based RTI International, a global non-profit social science research firm, U.S. News ranked approximately 17,840 public high schools out of the nearly 24,000 reviewed during the 2019-2020 school year to be analyzed.

ALL RANKINGS

#7,793 in National Rankings

#86 in South Carolina High Schools

#2 in Florence, SC Metro Area High Schools

#1 in Florence District 01 High Schools