Marianna High School was built in 1926. In 1939, about 500 students walked out of their classes in protest after the school board failed to reappoint their principal, E.T. Denmark. The students marched along city streets carrying placards and refused to return to class until their principal was reappointed. Fire destroyed the school's industrial arts building in 1970. No one was injured, and faulty wiring was blamed. The school gained media attention in 1972 after 5 black students were expelled following a fight. This led to a protest march on the state capital, and brought focus to racial tensions at the school. In 1987, a student was stabbed to death during a fight with a classmate, and the following year a student was found in possession of a handgun and crack cocaine. As a result, principals in all Jackson County high schools were provided with metal detectors. Construction of a new Marianna High School began in 2001, and was completed in June 2005. The following month, prior to opening to students, the new school—equipped with standby generators and designed to withstand a category 5 hurricane—sheltered evacuees fleeing
Hurricane Dennis. The new school building was , occupied , and cost $21 million. ==Extracurricular activities==