Formal
education in Dundalk dates to 1888, when the Board of Education rented
the basement of the St. Helena Presbyterian Church to be converted
into a school. Two years later, a one-room building was erected at
Willow Spring Road and Baltimore Avenue. During the spring of 1926,
the present elementary school was opened. In 1930, a second unit,
the combination gym and auditorium, was added to the building. Gradually,
the junior high program was extended. By 1939, a complete three-year
junior program was available at the elementary school.
With the population increasing, the Board of
Education constructed a new junior-senior high school which opened
in September of 1946. In 1956, a second unit, the auditorium and music
rooms, was added. As the result of the increasingly larger school
population, a new Dundalk High School was completed in 1959 and is
located at 1901 Delvale Avenue.
Dundalk High School has seen many changes since
its completion. In September of 1963, Patapsco High School, located
on Wise Avenue, opened and added many former Dundalk students to its
enrollment figures. In June of 1966, Sollers Point High School, located
on Sollers Point Road, was closed to students of junior-high ages.
That same September, all remaining students in Turner Station were
transferred to Dundalk High School. During the summer, the old Sollers
Point High was transformed into the Dundalk Regional Vocational Center,
now known as the Southeastern Technical High School, which also was
opened in September of 1966. Students are transported to Southeastern
Technical High School from Dundalk, Patapsco, Sparrows Point, Chesapeake
High Schools. They attend Southeastern Technical High
School for a half-day to gain knowledge in their vocational interests
which will enable them to develop competitive job skills.
The newest facility to be added to Dundalk High
was the open-stage auditorium, one of the most modern in the country.
The Class of 1967 had the honor of being the first to use it for commencement
exercises. In 1978, the ninth grade class, formerly belonging to Dundalk
Junior High School, became a part of the Dundalk High School.
The establishment of Dundalk High School as
a four-year institution has developed an added sense of pride in both
students and faculty. The school's primary goal of scholarship, combined
with concern for athletic and occupational competency, has established
Dundalk High as a flagship school of the Southeastern Area.