School Info
The Creek opened its doors in August of 1975 as the first air-conditioned school in Volusia County. Spruce Creek was the fourth high school to be built on the east side of the county and students were mostly drawn from Mainland and Seabreeze High Schools. The school opened with 1,600 students in grades ten through twelve. Howard “Hap” Gold was the first principal, and a stray dog named “Hawk” was considered the first mascot. Hawk had a doghouse in the main atrium (the only atrium at that time). The name “Flight” was selected as the title for the yearbook and Mark Mincy was elected President of the Class of 1976, the first graduating class. During that first school year a “Dedication Day” ceremony took place with the theme of “We’ve Only Just Begun.”
The 1976/77 school year saw the school’s first true Homecoming. Many of our current Homecoming traditions remain the same as those established during that school year. The Homecoming festivities included a pep rally, bonfire, hayride, dress-up days, a parade, the Hawk Migration to the game, field night, and a carnival. Tragically, Hawk the dog was hit and killed by an automobile in October 1976. In December, Mr. Gold accepted Dilbert Hawk as the school’s second mascot.
Throughout the final years of the 1970s, new traditions and new faces continued to be a theme at Spruce Creek High School. Unlike today, the hallways and classrooms were carpeted and planters with seating areas and pay phones existed in the main atrium. New traditions at the time included the senior lunch button, a Senior Winter Formal/Christmas Dance, and Powder Puff. Dr. Eve K. Booth was named the school’s second principal during the 1978/79 school year. During these years, student fashions included tube socks, wide lapels, long hair, short shorts for the guys, and girls in knee length dresses. Minnesota Vikings football great Fran Tarkenton filmed a commercial on campus with Spruce Creek students as extras.
With the decade of the 80s, the tradition of excellence that is synonymous with Spruce Creek High began to emerge. Success was taking place in the classroom and seniors were recognized for achieving success through the National Merit Scholarship Program. Five Advanced Placement (AP) courses were offered at this time. Success in the performing arts took shape through the High Steppin’ Hawks, the yearly drama productions, the chorus, and the Papillion dance team. Our athletic teams were competitive with our boys weightlifting team winning several state championships.
During the middle part of the 1980s, Spruce Creek High School continued to establish its reputation and culture. Gaynelle Posey, the school’s third principal, was appointed during the 1982/83 school year. The number of students grew to 1,800 in grades 10 – 12. The Wee-Hawk Child Care program had a playground on the east side of campus (near what is now the parent loop). Students wore Dockside shoes, had big hair, carried “boom boxes” and wore muscle shirts. In 1985, Spruce Creek celebrated its tenth anniversary. New traditions emerged such as SCTV (Spruce Creek TV), seniors wearing camouflage on Friday, Disney’s Grad Nite and Project Graduation. School spirit has always been an important part of Spruce Creek. The “spirit club” name changed over the years - SCAF (Spruce Creek Activities Force), TRACKS (The Rowdiest and Craziest Klass of Seniors), Creek Crazies – but their mission has remained the same. It was also during this time that the “non-smoking” teacher lounge loft was built in the atrium (it has since been removed). Robert Milby became the fourth principal in 1986 and it was during his tenure that a seventh period and an additional hour was added to the school day. As the 1980s ended, real change was on the horizon for Spruce Creek High School.
As the decade of the 1990s began, ninth graders roamed the halls of Spruce Creek High School for the first time. Helpful upperclassmen offered to sell these new Hawks “passes to the elevator to take them to the pool on the second floor” (neither of which exist). The school’s population ballooned to 2,500 students with the addition of this new grade level. This increased the number of teachers, administrators, and support staff on campus. Additionally, this also called for new portable classrooms, lockers, and led to traffic jams on Taylor Road (the only entrance to the school at that time) and in the hallways. Sandy Rowe, the school’s fifth principal, began her tenure in 1987. She and her team met these new challenges and continued to expand the school’s academic reputation. In 1989, the school’s application to start an International Baccalaureate (IB) was approved. Twenty-one members of the Class of 1992 were the first to graduate with their IB diplomas. The school celebrated its 18th birthday in 1993 as David Hinson was named as the sixth principal. The success of Spruce Creek’s fine arts program was on display that year as the school board approved the creation of the Art Haus.
During the mid-90s a second high school opened in Port Orange. Atlantic High opened its doors in 1995. An immediate rivalry developed as former Spruce Creek students and faculty migrated to this new school. During this time at Spruce Creek, new carpet and paint were being added to the 20-year-old building as well as the addition of new technology – computers began to replace typewriters, duplicating machines gave way to Xerox copiers, and VHS tapes and VCRs replaced film projectors. The fashion of the day for students consisted of baggy pants, Reebok Pumps, and Nike Airs. Our Finance Academy was formed, and some students took classes at the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) and through dual enrollment at Daytona Beach Community College (now Daytona State). Tim Egnor returned to the Creek as the seventh principal in 1998 and helped close-out the end of the 20th Century.
As the world celebrated a new millennium, Spruce Creek High School celebrated its 25th anniversary. The 2000 edition of the Flight yearbook highlighted “The Notorious Nine.” These were the nine members of the original faculty and staff who were still at Spruce Creek during the 2000 school year – Elaine Attick, Willie Lager, Tim Ludwig, Rusty Norris, Jeff Rigdill, Lorrie Ring, Charlotte Saboda, Ruth VonNieda, and Ertha Watson. These nine spoke of the many accomplishments the school achieved over those 25 years and how the influx of technology had changed the teaching profession.
Throughout the early 2000s, Spruce Creek High School continued to expand on its tradition of excellence. In 2004, the school received its first ranking from Newsweek magazine as one of the Top High Schools in the nation. By 2005, Spruce Creek was ranked as the nation’s 54th best high school which is a measure of the strength of the graduating class and their success on college entrance exams. It was also during this time that major changes were taking place to the physical plant. Carpet was replaced by tile throughout the school, the planters and seating areas were removed from the atrium, and the auditorium ceiling and acoustics were upgraded. In 2006, a new atrium, media center, and classroom building opened in what is known as the “O” Wing. he old media center was converted to classrooms. The tiered classroom near the band room became an additional cafeteria. In 2009, the front of the school received a facelift, and the bus loop moved to the front of the school. Tim Egnor retired as principal in 2010, and Todd Sparger returned to Spruce Creek as principal that same year as the school’s eighth principal.
As we celebrate our school’s 5th decade, modernization of the facility is still taking place. The school has a public wireless network, each teacher and student is issued a laptop computer, parents and students can access their teachers’ grade books electronically, and a host of social media options are used to communicate a variety of messages. The gym, culinary lab and track each received a major facelift, Pop Johnson field can now host varsity events, additional security measures including gates and fences have also been added. However, much of what makes Spruce Creek a Nationally Recognized School of Excellence remains the same. A diverse group of students in the areas of academics, culture, interests, and ethnicity come together and form a bond that solidifies the school.
In 1985, then principal Gaynelle Posey wrote to the seniors of that year reminding them of where Spruce Creek High School had started just ten years earlier. She wrote that “ten years ago a new school building opened and those who were to be a part of Spruce Creek High School were given a special opportunity to build something lasting, something to contribute not only to themselves but also to generations that would follow.” This mission has been passed down over the forty years that have transpired since that time. Our current students, faculty, staff, administration and community take pride in the reputation of Spruce Creek High School and vow to continue reaching in the areas of academics, the arts, athletics and community service for generations to come. Thank you to all who have contributed to this history as we know that “Today, as Everyday, is a Great Day to be a Hawk!”
Spruce Creek High School Principals
1975-1978 Howard D. Gold
1978-1982 Eve K Booth
1982-1985 Gaynelle Posey
1985-1987 Robert V. Milby
1987-1993 Sandra Rowe
1993-1999 David C. Hinson
1999-2010 Tim Egnor
2010-Current Todd Sparger