James Wood High School is located at the northern tip of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia and is a part of the Frederick County Public School system. It is located at 161 Apple Pie Ridge Road.James Wood High School was established in 1950 on Amherst Street as the high school for Frederick County, Virginia. It combined the students of five other high schools in the county: Gainesboro, Gore, Stonewall, Stephens City, and Middletown.James Wood High School owes its name to a famous Revolutionary War colonel, James Wood, who was also governor of Virginia from 1796 to 1799. As Frederick County grew, the need for a larger school became evident. In 1981, the "Ridge Campus", on Apple Pie Ridge Road, was opened. Between 1981 and 1993, James Wood High School operated two campuses serving 9th and 10th grade students at the "Amherst Campus" and 11th and 12th grade students at the "Ridge Campus", offering busing for students between the two campuses for some classes (band, choir, upper level science classes, etc.). After the opening of Sherando High School in 1993, all grades of James Wood High School were consolidated to the Ridge Campus and the Amherst Campus became James Wood Middle School.Today, James Wood High School offers a wide range of programs formulated on the concept of teaching the total individual. Academics, athletics and activities play integral parts in the development of skills and knowledge. The current principal is Sam Gross. There are also three assistant principals who divide the student authority between them.
