Wellington C. Mepham High School is a public high school located on a 21acre campus in Bellmore, New York, United States. It is the oldest of three high schools in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. The school is known locally as "Mepham" (pronounced MEP-um), and was named in honor of the first school superintendent in the district.The first building at Mepham was built in 1935, and the current campus was formed in 1937.The school's mascot is the Pirate. Its jazz band was formerly known as the Jolly Rogers, but is more commonly referred to as simply the Mepham Jazz Band. Its kickline is known as the Pirettes. The school's student newspaper is The Buccaneer, its yearbook is The Treasure Chest, its alumni publication is The Scuttlebutt, and the former literary magazine was The Pieces of Eight, whose name was later changed to Fragments.As of the 2014-15 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,282 students and 80.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.9:1. There were 112 students (8.7% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 36 (2.8% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.2003 hazing incidentIn August 2003, it was reported that, while at a football training camp, at least three members of the football team were hazed by their teammates. Three members admitted to the acts, two of whom appeared in court. The hazing included anally penetrating the young men with foreign objects, including broom handles, pine cones, and golf balls. The team's season was canceled early, and two coaches were transferred to administrative positions. The incident briefly garnered national notice, including a protest from the members of Westboro Baptist Church in October 2003.
