Rockwood Summit High School is a public high school in Fenton, Missouri that is part of the Rockwood School District. Summit opened in 1993 on the same day as Marquette High School, another Rockwood high school.HistoryIn early 1992, Rockwood School District determined the necessity of constructing two new high schools to serve an expanding population. After voting to build the schools in March 1992, the Rockwood Board of Education unanimously voted to name the new southeast high school as Rockwood Summit High School. In May 1992, the board named Tom Hensley as the first principal of the school, and construction began that summer according to designs by the William B. Ittner architectural firm. Rock blasting was required to construct the building, which increased the cost by $207,000. The original estimate for the building was $17 million; the total cost of the building upon completion was $22.7 million, although the school was built with a combined cafeteria and theater to save $2.5 million. Among the $22.7 million cost of the building, costs for the pool facilities were $400,000, roofing and sheet metal were $780,000, masonry was $995,000, and data and voice networks were $200,000. When built, Summit featured a two-story commons and atrium, 77 classrooms, several computer labs, and art, music and theater facilities. The school opened on September 7, 1993, on the same day as Marquette High School, which was the first time that a school district in the St. Louis area had opened two new high schools on the same day. It opened with 635 9th and 10th grade students.In 1998, Summit's first principal, Tom Hensley, retired after 26 years in the district; his replacement, Larry Berneking, transferred from Eureka High School. In 1999, the school became the first in the St. Louis area to sponsor an equestrian club; in its first year, the club started with a dozen members and offered a variety of activities to learn about horseback riding.
