Walt Whitman High School
7100 Whittier Blvd, Bethesda, MD, 20817-6199 -  Map
tel: (301)320-6600
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School Overview:
Definition of Terms Walt Whitman High School
School Level High school
Grades Offered Grades 9 - 12
County Montgomery County, MD
Students & Faculty
Total Students 1869 students
% Male / % Female 52%  /  48%
Total Classroom Teachers 106 teachers
Students by Grade
Grade 9 - 439 students
Grade 10 - 489 students
Grade 11 - 472 students
Grade 12 - 469 students
This School ( MD ) School Average
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:18 1:16
Students by Ethnicity
This School ( MD ) School Average
% American Indian n/a n/a
% Asian 13% 5%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Black 4% 40%
% White 77% 46%
Additional Student Information
This School ( MD ) School Average
% Eligible for Free Lunch 1% 23%
% Eligible for Reduced Lunch n/a 8%
% Migrant Students Enrolled n/a n/a
School Performance:
( MD ) Statewide Testing Performance
School Statewide Performance View Education Department Test Scores
School District:
School District Name Montgomery County Public s School District
This School's Agency ( MD ) District Average
Number of Schools Managed 199 27
Number of Students Managed 141,639 students 16,524 students
District Total Revenue $2,068,665,000 $159,214,000
District Expenditure $2,003,474,000 $153,923,000
District Revenue / Student $14,605 $9,539
District Expenditure / Student $14,145 $9,315
District Graduation Rates 92% 86%
School Notes:
  • Walt Whitman High School located in Bethesda, Maryland, is a public secondary institution serving roughly the western part of Bethesda--an unincorporated suburban area of Washington, DC, in the affluent Montgomery County, Maryland.
  • The school, which takes its name after the American poet, is closed; that is, students must have residency within the school's territorial boundary to attend.
  • History: The school opened in the fall of 1962 with 1,418 students and had a geodesic dome until renovation in 1992. In 1981, a 1,200 seat auditorium was added to the school. Dr. Jerome Marco was Principal from 1975 until his retirement in 2004. Currently, the principal is Dr. Alan Goodwin, who was Assistant Principal for several years before becoming principal. Six elementary schools feed Thomas W. Pyle Middle School, which in turn feeds to Walt Whitman. The elementary schools are Wood Acres, Bannockburn, Burning Tree, Carderock Springs, Bradley Hills, and Bethesda. Students from Whitman were profiled, some under pseudonyms, in Alexandra Robbins' 2006 book 'The Overachievers.' She interviewed these students about the stress and level of work involved graduating from high school before moving on to a top college or university, often perceived as the goal of most Whitman students. In 2005, in wake of Hurricane Katrina, a Whitman student and her two younger sisters started Project Backpack, an organization which donated backpacks filled with toys to displaced children. The project exceeded all expectations and got thousands of backpacks. To honor their deed, President Bush invited them to light the national Christmas tree.
  • The Black & White: The Black & White is a national, regional and state award-winning newspaper that is student-financed and student-run. In addition to informing students, teachers, parents and community members of relevant issues and events, it also provides an open forum for an exchange of student ideas. It was established in 1961 and produces 13 issues each [[[academic term
  • academic year]]. The newspaper was inducted into the National Scholastic Press Association Hall of Fame in 1991, during the tenure of longtime adviser Robert Atwood. In 2001, the staff of the Black & White collaborated to launch the Spectator, a supplementary paper covering [[sports] features and recreation. The newspaper has gathered numerous national awards for its print edition as well as its website, Black & White Online, established in 2001. The Black & White has approximately 70 staff members (print and online positions included) and the Spectator has 19 members. Some staff positions, like photographers, graphic artists, business and advertising managers, are shared by both papers. Dr. Jan Bowman is the newspaper's adviser.
  • Performing arts: WWHS is known for its successes in the performing arts. The Instrumental Music department oversees 6 standard ensembles and is directed by Chris Allen and Terry Alvey. The 19-member Jazz Ensemble has won the Chantilly Jazz Invitational for the past 6 years, and appears at many concerts around the DC area during the year (results and audio clips). The Symphonic Band has received a 1 (highest rating) at the county and state levels in grade VI literature for the past six years, and was the only school to perform grade VI music at State last year. The school has hosted various master classes, including the Air Force jazz band the Airmen of Note, the Shenandoah University Faculty Quintet and renowned conductor Anthony Maiello. Mr. Allen is the conductor of the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras Sinfonia and has conducted several honor groups including the 2006 Junior All-State Band.
  • The Choral Music department contains 5 regular ensembles and smaller chamber groups and is directed by Jeff Davidson. The Chamber Choir (formerly Chamber Singers) has been regularly recognized as one of the top groups on the East Coast for many years. Like the Instrumental Music department, the Choral Music department regularly wins straight 1's ("Superior"--highest rating) for Level VI (most advanced) choral arrangements in county, state, and national competitions. Combined, the Choral and Instrumental Music programs regularly place graduating students in top U.S. music schools and conservatories.
  • Whitman produces a fall musical (with a student pit orchestra), a student-directed talent show, and a spring play. The home of the theatre program, the Daryl Shaw Auditorium, holds 1,200 seated audience members and continues to see full houses despite extremely outdated electrical, sound, lighting, and rigging systems. The school is a member of the Critics and Awards Program for High School Students (Cappies) National Capital Area and has been nominated for and won several awards at the annual Gala. Last year, Whitman's production of West Side Story was nominated for Pit Orchestra, Tech Crew, Featured Actor in a Musical and Featured Actress in a Musical. This year Whitman will perform Funny Girl in the Fall and a version of Dracula written for Whitman's production. The Talent Show will be in April followed by a weekend of one-act student produced plays.
  • Whitman's visual arts program was also strong under the guidance of former Advanced Placement teacher Walt Bartman Sr. who led countless students to excel and over the years receive 10 presidential scholar awards in Visual Arts, scholastic awards, and other recognition.
  • Every other year, Whitman holds a schoolwide Shakespeare Festival for one day in April. It is based in student projects, which encompass posters, food, live performances, videos, demonstrations, costumes, and often a trebuchet. Everything is linked to some aspect of Shakespeare, his work, or the Renaissance. The festival is organized and run by students, with the aid of the English department.
  • The Overachievers: The 2006 book entitled The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids profiles the lives of several students from WWHS. The author, Alexandra Robbins, is a graduate of Whitman and Yale. Students from Whitman were profiled about the stress and level of work involved in graduating from high school.
  • Athletics: Boys Basketball Division 4A State Champions '06, Girls Field Hockey Regional Champions '06, Eren Pars Civan - Wrestling State Champion '04-'06, Will Sharbaugh - Wrestling State Champion '06, Wrestling State Champions '05, Girls Soccer State Finalists '05, Girls Soccer State Champions '04, Girls Field Hockey State Finalists '04, Boys Volleyball Regional Champions '03, Boys Soccer State Champions '00, Girls Volleyball State Champions '98, Greco-Roman Wrestling '68-69.
  • Notable alumni: Eric Pierpoint, '68, actor, "Star Trek: Enterprise".
  • Gordon Smith, '70, U.S. Senator, Oregon.
  • Mark Pryor, ’81, U.S. Senator, Arkansas.
  • Lisa Pelikan, '82, actress, "Julia" and "Return to the Blue Lagoon".
  • Mark Halperin, '83, Political Director, ABC News.
  • Anthony Dilweg, '84, football player (1988 ACC player of the year, Duke University; former NFL quarterback).
  • Craig Bennett '87, architect.
  • Jeff Tremaine, '87, co-writer and director, "Jackass: The Movie" (2002) and the MTV show by the same name.
  • Spike Jonze, '87, movie director, "Being John Malkovich," "Adaptation." and co-writer, "Jackass: The Movie".
  • David Dobkin, '87, movie director, "Wedding Crashers", and "Shanghai Knights".
  • Ryan Kuehl, '90, football player (defensive tackle, New York Giants).
  • Giuliana "Julie" Depandi, '92, television host of "E News Live".
  • Alexandra Robbins, '94, author.
  • David Segal, '97, politician.
  • Andy Corno, '01, midfielder, New Jersey Pride.
  • Kirk Nathanson, '03, amateur bullfighter
  • Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL
  • Add information about this school (e.g., awards, news stories, notable alumni, fun facts)
 
School Zip Code:
About This Zip Code (20817)
School Zip (20817) (MD) State Average
Population (Approximate) 35,105 people 5,071,990 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree 80% 32%
Population Average Age 43 years old 36.0 years old
Average Household size 2.7 persons 2.5 persons
Median Household Income $113,788 $52,064
Avg. # of Rooms in Household 8.2 rooms 6.0 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure 46 years old 42 years old
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Median Value of Housing Unit
Zipcode (20817)



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% Owning / % Renting 86% / 14% 65% / 35%
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5. Winston Churchill High School - 2146 students - view location
View all schools in: Bethesda Town, Montgomery County, Zip 20817 
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Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects years 2002-04 statistics (most recent years available). Area and demographic data reflects year 2000 statistics. Public School Review does not ensure the timeliness or accuracy of the information on this site.

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