The high school has its origins in a school built on the town common in 1820. That school appears on the West Springfield seal. The town's 1875 town hall, located where the senior center is now, included classrooms for the town's first high school. In 1915, the cornerstone was laid for a dedicated high school building, now known as Cowing School. It opened in 1916 under William A. Cowing, principal from 1916-1946. In the face of significant overcrowding and with growing numbers of students after World War II, the town approved a new high school building on Piper Road, which was begun in 1954 just south of the current high school building. The school was opened in 1956 for grades 9-12. The original plan, rejected in 1952, was for a 1500-student high school. To reduce costs, a 1000-student building was constructed instead. The new building quickly became overcrowded, and ninth graders were moved to Cowing School in 1960, until an addition, doubling the capacity of the high school, was opened in 1966. To relieve elementary school overcrowding in the 1990s, a wing of the high school was used as the Piper Road School for the town's sixth graders until the middle school was opened in 1998. The 1956 high school building was used until the current building opened in February of 2014, after which it was demolished. On March 13, 2020 West Springfield High School, and all public schools part of LPVEC were closed until March 27, 2020 due to COVID-19. This closure was extended to April 6th, and again to May 4. On April 21, 2020, Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker closed all schools in the state for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
Sports
The motto of the school's sports teams is We Bleed Blue and White, referring to the school's colors. The school has a physical education facility, with one gymnasium, including three full-size basketball courts, volleyball courts, and an indoor walking track. It also has Clark Field, where football, soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey are played, six tennis courts, and a 25-yard, six lane pool. It offers 27 different MIAA-sanctioned sports, including: Fall:
The renovation of the school's athletic field "Clark Field" was completed for the beginning of the fall 2012 sport season. The field features an artificial turf for football, soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse games, new red track, permanent bleachers, a concession stand, and tennis courts. The official opening and ribbon cutting took place on November 17, 2012. The new building was completed in February 2014. After February break, the students and staff moved into the new facility. The building includes a new 25 yard pool, large gymnasium, indoor walking track, new library, cafeteria, and auditorium. The building is located next door to the old building which is now demolished and has turned into a new parking lot and practice soccer fields.
