Walt Whitman High School

• Name — Walt Whitman High School • Address — 7100 Whittier Boulevard • City — Bethesda • State — Maryland • Zipcode — 20817 • Country — United States • Type — Public high school • District — Montgomery County Public Schools • Ceeb — 210271 • Principal — Gregory Miller • Teaching Staff — 116.80 FTE (2021-22) • Grades — 9–12 • Gender — Co-educational • Enrollment — 2,018 (2022-23) • Ratio — 17.28 (2022-23) • Campus Type — Small city • Colors — Black, white, and Columbia blue • FFFFFF #9BDDFF • Mascot — Vikings • Usnwr Ranking — 104 (2021) • Newspaper — The Black & White • Yearbook — Saga • Website — www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/whitmanhs/

The school opened in the fall of 1962 with 1,418 students. Designed by local architectural firm McLeod, Ferrara & Ensign, it was built on 17 levels, with a central courtyard and a geodesic dome for its gymnasium. A Ford Foundation grant underwrote the design and construction of the dome. In 1981, the school added a 1,176-seat auditorium. In 1992, the school demolished the geodesic dome and all other buildings except the auditorium, and constructed a new school building, which opened in the fall of 1993. In 2021, the school completed a sqft addition, including 18 new classrooms, which opened with the start of the 2021-22 school year.

Whitman students average a score of 1312 on the SAT, averaging 654 on the verbal section and 659 on the math section. As of 2024, Whitman is the 2nd-ranked high school in Maryland and the 139th-ranked nationwide, according to U.S News and World Report.

The school has an active FIRST Robotics Competition team.

Whitman fields sports teams in the fall, winter, and spring. The school competes as the Vikings and is part of Montgomery County Public School sports. The football field is named after long-time principal Jerome Marco. The school has won 11 soccer state championships, including two back-to-back titles in 2018-2019. In 2021, the girls' soccer team won the state championship. In 2024, the girls' soccer team won their fourth-straight state championship. In 2026, the boys' wrestling team won their fourth state title. They won their first in 2005, followed by a three consecutive titles in 2024, 2025, and 2026. In 2006, the boys' basketball team defeated Eleanor Roosevelt 39-38 to win the school's only state title. That season, Whitman leading scorer Michael Gruner was named co-gazette player of the year alongside NBA superstar Kevin Durant. The boys' tennis team has also won state titles in 2009, 2014, and 2019. The girls' basketball team won the state title in 2026, 2016, and 1995. The school also has a rowing crew team that has made honorable wins in Regattas.

Whitman maintains rivalries with many of its neighboring schools. Its fiercest rival is Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, but Whitman is also rivals with Churchill and Walter Johnson.

Walt Whitman High School primarily serves students in Bethesda, but also small portions of students in Potomac and Glen Echo. Whitman is fed by one middle school and five elementary schools: • Thomas W. Pyle MS • Bannockburn ES • Bradley Hills ES • Burning Tree ES • Carderock Springs ES • Wood Acres ES

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