Richmond Hill High School was founded in 1899 in the then-bucolic setting of Richmond Hill. As such, it is the oldest high school south of Jamaica Avenue in Queens, New York. The high school shared its facility with a local elementary school on Johnson Avenue. In 1899 the first students were admitted to the Johnson Avenue site,<!-- This needs some clarification --> and in 1919 the current site was opened on 114th street.
The school, built to accommodate 1,800 students, has reached an enrollment of 3,600 for the 2007-08 school year, severely straining the school's ability to serve its students. Lunch periods begin before 9:00 AM and most freshmen attend classes in trailers moved to the site.Freedman, Samuel G. , The New York Times, January 16, 2008. January 16]], 2008.
Awards
Rudolph Giuliani, Mayor of New York, proclaimed September 24, 1997, as "Richmond Hill High School Day".