During the first year of Reid's principalship, two classrooms were added, and the high school advanced to three years. One year later, the high school division was advanced to a full four-year high school.
It was spring of 1926 that Stratton High School graduated its first class. There were seven students: Abram Hill, Dorothy Cannaday, Ollie Hill, Eva Lenore, Rev. Howard Law, Grace Brown Robinson - Valedictorian, and Francis Hall Callaway - Salutatorian.
By 1933, the graduating class had grown to 37 and the faculty to 10. Upon the resignation of William C. Reid in August 1933, James 0. Smith became principal. During Mr. Smith's administration, additional subjects and teachers were added. The high school student body at Stratton grew to such proportion that it was found necessary to construct separate buildings for the high school.
By 1937 the number of high school students at Stratton High and Elementary School numbered 520. In the summer of 1933 $10,000 was expended for the purchase and the grading of a tract of land at the comer of New Raleigh Road and "9' Street. On August 23, 1938, J. C. Freeman, contractor, launched construction of a two-story brick building on the Raleigh Road site.
In 1939 Stratton High School moved to the present location where, under the direction of D. D. Crawford, Stratton's first band was organized. The Cain Memorial Stadium was built, named after Herbert Cain, who was coach at Stratton from 1937-1949. Cain won two state championships; he also went undefeated for two years, and during his years as coach at Stratton he never lost over two games. Cain is the father of Audrey J. Cain Cox of South Fayette Street here in the City of Beckley.
In the fall of 1949 construction work got underway on a $110,000 combined gymnasium and auditorium at Stratton High. The contract was awarded to Ken Hill Construction Co. of Charleston. 
Through the planning of Mr. Morton and the efforts of the parents, Stratton was the first Negro school to offer high school subjects. The new school was named STRATTON, after Rev. Daniel Stratton, a highly respected citizen. Rev. Stratton was born a slave in Chesterfield Co., VA in 1842. He entered the public school at Javen, VA; there he learned to read and write and in 1875 he entered Richmond Institute to become a minister.