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Our School

Lackey building

Our Vision

Henry E. Lackey High School shall promote an engaging and challenging curriculum that closes the achievement gap, enhances college and career readiness skills, and creates life-long learners who will become educated and responsible participants in a stem-centric society.

Our Mission

The mission of Henry E. Lackey High School is to promote academic excellence in a safe environment where high expectations, critical thinking, and a rigorous curriculum will cultivate life-long learning, honor, respect, and success for every student.

Our Core Values – The GREAT Philosophy

Growth * Relationships * Excellence * Accountability * Teamwork

Guiding Principles

  1. We are in the business of children and are student centered.
  2. We are proactive as opposed to reactive.
  3. We model optimism and a positive outlook.
  4. We lead by example.
  5. We plan properly to prevent poor performance.
  6. We operate with integrity and transparency.
  7. We believe people are important, and people matter.
  8. We have an attitude of "How we can - not why we can't?"
  9. We are firm, fair, and consistent.
  10. We will Be the Difference.

School History

Rear Admiral Henry E. Lackey

Henry E. Lackey

Henry E. Lackey was born in Norfolk, Virginia on June 23, 1876. He was appointed to the Naval Academy in 1895. In 1908, he was stationed at the Naval Proving Ground in Indian Head Maryland, and in 1917, (WWI) he returned as commanding officer. Seeing a need for education, Henry E. Lackey commissioned a building which would become Lackey High School, located approximately 100 yards from the gate to the naval base. It was the first four-year high school in Charles County and in 1919, student enrollment was 252. The class of 1923 was the first graduating class. The Lackey High School building had central heating, running water, and electric lights eight years before the town. After a distinguished career of 41 years, he retired on July 1, 1940 to Temple, New Hampshire. Rear Admiral Lackey died on October 15, 1952, but his accomplishments live on today in Henry E. Lackey High School.

Read more about Henry E. Lackey, and the papers of Henry E. Lackey, on the US Navy history website.

The New School and Renovation

In 1952, a fire destroyed the original building, and the new site for the school was established approximately one mile from the Naval Ordinance Station. This building, which now serves as Smallwood Middle School, was Lackey High School until 1969. Then the existing Lackey High School was combined with Pomonkey High School, a segregated school for the African American community, to form the newly integrated Lackey High School on the current grounds. In 1998, funding had been approved for renovation, which included a new performing arts wing, new science labs, an auxiliary gym, four computer labs, a television studio, and wiring for cable television and school studio broadcasts. In 2002, upon completion of the renovation, the school was rededicated and renamed to include the proper name of Henry E. Lackey High School.  In 2003, the indoor swimming pool was added.

Aerial View

Aerial View