the original high school in the city was charleston high school, locally known as "the high," serving the entire city. in 1940 the school had become overcrowded and the district was divided at the elk river, with the west side of town attending the new stonewall jackson high school ("the wall"). during the 1980s, enrollment at both schools dropped. in 1989, capital high school opened, combining the students of these two longtime rivals. the name "capital" derives from the fact that the school primarily serves the bulk of west virginia's capital city, charleston.