Here stands Quince Orchard High School a place of learning and growth. It is located on Quince Orchard Road in Gaithersburg Maryland. Quince Orchard High School is also known as Q.O. High School. This school first opened its doors on September 6 1988. The Montgomery County Council decided to build Quince Orchard to ease crowding at Gaithersburg High School.
Did you know some parents wanted to name it Potomac Falls High School? Ultimately the Board of Education chose Quince Orchard High School. This was because of its location on Quince Orchard Road. Construction totaled about $26 million.
Quince Orchard High School encourages its students to pursue advanced studies. This includes both arts and sciences. The school offers 31 Advanced Placement courses. These range from arts to world history and even science and math. Quince Orchard students perform well on standardized tests. They also complete 75 hours of community service to graduate.
In 2006 Newsweek ranked Quince Orchard High School as a top school. It was 456th in the United States. In 2014 U.S. News & World Report ranked Quince Orchard sixth in Maryland. Nationally it was 176th. However in 2024 QO fell to 69th in Maryland and 3807th in the US.
Quince Orchard High School has a rich tradition in arts and sports. The theater department has staged almost 50 productions. These include Up the Down Staircase and the musical Grease. Students produce The Prowler newspaper and the yearbook Tracks.
The Quince Orchard High School Marching Band has achieved significant milestones. They went to the inaugural USSBA National Championship. There they achieved a Montgomery County record score of 90.275. In 2008 the marching band won the USSBA Group IV Open Maryland State Championships. Their show was titled Jekyll and Hyde.
The Quince Orchard varsity football team is also very successful. In 2022 they won the Maryland State Championship. The Cougars also won state championships in 1991 and 2007. They have won 5 football state championships in total.
Quince Orchard has developed rivalries with other local schools. Northwest High School is a close rival. Damascus High School is another. These rivalries intensify sporting events and school spirit.
For the 2022–2023 school year Quince Orchard had 2154 students enrolled. The student body was diverse. It included 34.4% non-Hispanic white students. Another 16.3% were African American. Asian American students made up 10.9%. Finally 33.5% were Hispanic and Latino American.
Quince Orchard’s incoming freshmen come from several middle schools. These include Lakelands Park and Ridgeview Middle School.
Quince Orchard High School continues to evolve. Boundary studies are underway to address overcrowding. A new high school Crown High School is expected to be completed in 2027. This may change the attendance zones for Quince Orchard.
Quince Orchard High School has produced many notable alumni. These include NFL players like Jason Ankrah and Zach Kerr. Rapper Wale also attended Quince Orchard. Actress Mary Wiseman a Star Trek: Discovery actress is an alumni too.
Quince Orchard is more than just a school. It is a community a place where students learn grow and achieve. Its history traditions and alumni shape its identity. Remember Quince Orchard High School a place of pride and accomplishment.