Carmel High School is a school of 874 students and 50-plus faculty members, situated directly off of Highway 1 within the city of
Carmel, California
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and municipal corporation, incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its n ...
. Carmel High is known for its view of the
Santa Lucia Mountains
The Santa Lucia Mountains (sæntə luˈsiːə) or Santa Lucia Range is a rugged mountain range in coastal central California, running from Carmel southeast for to the Cuyama River in San Luis Obispo County. The range is never more than from t ...
with a peek of
Point Lobos
Point Lobos and the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a state park in California. Adjoining Point Lobos is "one of the richest marine habitats in California." The ocean habitat is protected by two marine protected areas, the Point Lobos Sta ...
and the Pacific Ocean. It is in one of the most affluent school districts in California, due to a state law which allows the school to opt out of ADA (average daily attendance) funding, choosing instead to receive revenue from local property taxes, which in Carmel's case, are quite high. As a result, Carmel High School salary schedules for teachers, counselors, and administrators are among some of the highest in the state of California.
Carmel Unified School District is the second largest geographical district in the state of California enrolling students up to south of Carmel and east. Cities represented by Carmel High School students include
Carmel
Carmel may refer to:
* Carmel (biblical settlement), an ancient Israelite town in Judea
* Mount Carmel, a coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea
* Carmelites, a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order
Carmel may also ...
,
Big Sur
Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ha ...
,
Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also notable as a resort destination, and the home of the golf course ...
, and
Carmel Valley. Built in 1940, the school has recently made significant capital improvements including a new performing arts theater, math wing, science wing, and library with plans to renovate the current administration building. Both the theater and science wing utilized "green" construction practices, such as energy efficient lights and appliances.
History
On August 4, 1939, the Hatton Ranch was purchased for $31,000, by the Carmel Board of Trustees, for the proposed Carmel high school. By November, plans for the new high school were drawn up by
Ernest J. Kump Jr. The school opened on September 6, 1940.
In 1947, four local residents donated their own parcels of land for what would later become the ballfield to the added Carmel High School property. The legal deed indicates Mary Flanders Hudson, husband William, and Helen and Charles Fuller transferred the property for a $10.00, ten dollar, sale price.
Academics
Carmel High School operates on a two-semester, modified-block system with 50-minute class periods three days per week and 90-minute periods two days per week. Students at Carmel High have access to a rigorous curriculum including these 19 Advanced Placement courses.
Carmel High School uses an "open-access" policy, allowing students to enroll in advanced curriculum with no obstacle apart from earning a C or higher in articulating subjects the prior year. As a result, Carmel High has strong participation in the AP Program with 423 students (50% of total students) completing a total of 928 AP exams in 2017 with an overall pass rate of 75%. College-going culture is particularly strong at Carmel High School. Each year, between 75 and 80 percent of graduating seniors complete the 4-year college eligibility requirements (A through G coursework). Approximately 63-70% of seniors matriculate to a 4-year college while 27-33% attend community college—of these 27-33% of students who matriculate to community college, over 95% intend to transfer to a 4-year college and earn a bachelor's degree.
As of 2018, the average ACT score for CHS students was a 27.1 and ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Carmel High as #330 in the country.
Carmel High School has a multiple valedictorian policy. In order to be a valedictorian, students are required to have taken a minimum of 13 Honors or Advanced Placement courses (earning nothing below an A-). The graduation ceremony includes 2 student speeches. Valedictorians have the option to audition for the role of "speaking valedictorian" while auditions for the other speaking role are open to the rest of the graduating class.
Graduation usually takes place on the campus of Carmel High School. On June 3, 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, a drive-though graduation ceremony took place at the
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Laguna Seca Raceway (branded as WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and previously Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca) is a paved road racing track in central California used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, built in 1957 near both Salinas and ...
in
Monterey, California
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...
; it was broadcast by the Monterey County Office of Education via
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
.
Despite its relatively modest size, Carmel High is fortunate to offer a wide array of electives with strong student participation in visual and performing arts courses including: Video Production, Graphic Design, Art, Journalism, Yearbook, Photography, Drama, Concert Choir, Orchestra, Concert Band, and Digital Music.
Rankings
Newsweek ranked Carmel High School #191 in their America's Best High School public school rankings (2013). ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Carmel High #199 in their national ranking of best high schools (2017) and #21 in the state of California.
The Washington Post ranked Carmel High School #288 in the nation (2017).
Athletics
Carmel High shares a cross town rivalry with
Pacific Grove High School
Pacific Grove High School (PGHS) is a public high school located in Pacific Grove, California, between Carmel and Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the ...
, wherein every year the two varsity football teams compete in "The Shoe Game", so named after a shoe that was bronzed and made into a trophy by Carmel High students in an attempt to start the rivalry. In 2014, Pacific Grove ended Carmel's six-game winning streak in the series; as of 2017 Carmel leads the all-time series 35–33–2.
The school's mascot is the Padre, which pays homage to the peninsula's history with the Spanish missionaries, specifically Father
Junipero Serra, with the
Carmel Mission
Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo, or Misión de San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, first built in 1797, is one of the most authentically restored Catholic mission churches in California. Located at the mouth of Carmel Valley, Californ ...
located just over a mile from the campus. In 2020, Alumni began to call for Carmel High to replace the Padre mascot. Father Junipero Serra is important to California’s history, yet his 18th-century accomplishments are controversial for many local Carmel Residents. No outcome or resolution has occurred.
There is a weight room, dance room, gym and locker rooms, and pool. Fall sports: cross country, field hockey, football, golf, tennis, volleyball, and water polo. Winter sports: basketball, soccer, and wrestling. Spring sports: baseball, golf, lacrosse, volleyball, softball, swimming/diving, tennis, track and field teams.
Extracurricular activities
Since 2007, the school has a team that participates in the
FIRST Robotics Competition
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics competition. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work during a six-week period to build robots capable of competing in that year's game that weig ...
– Team 2035 – aptly named "The Robo-Rockin' Bots". It During its first year (2007), Carmel was a finalist at the U.C. Davis Regional Competition. The team was awarded the
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. () was an American Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent p ...
Quality Award in 2008, was a finalist at the U.C. Davis Regional Competition in 2010, won the
Xerox
Xerox Holdings Corporation (; also known simply as Xerox) is an American corporation that sells print and electronic document, digital document products and services in more than 160 countries. Xerox is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut (ha ...
Creativity Award in 2012, the
Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc. is an American provider of industrial automation whose brands include Allen-Bradley, FactoryTalk software and LifecycleIQ Services.
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 26,000 ...
Innovation in Control Award in 2013, Inspiration in Engineering award at the Silicon Valley Regional in 2014, and the Chairman's Award at the Silicon Valley regional in 2016, Finalists at San Francisco Regional in 2017. It has also built a state-of-the-art robotics lab equipped with CAD software and CNC machines to support the robotics class. It is one of the most advanced workshops on the peninsula and the team has helped mentor seven teams on the peninsula. Monterey High and Seaside High started teams in 2012 and in 2014 Pacific Grove High and York School joined, 2016 added Stevenson and 2017 Santa Catalina and Salinas High got a start with the help of 2035.
The 2005–2006 school year saw the start of the school's mock trial team. The team won the Mock Trial State Championship in 2017, and went on to the National High School Mock Trial Tournament in Hartford Connecticut, finishing in 11 place out of 46 teams with a 3–1 record. The team began competing in the Empire Mock Trial Program in 2014. It was invited to compete in the Empire New York World Championship and finished in first place.
In August 2021, the school saw the founding of its first Film Club. The club would go on to compete in events such as STN
Student Television Network
Student Television Network (STN) is a United States based association of high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary ...
and some alumni have won awards at the All American High School Film Festival.
Carmel High School also competes in Mathletics, Model UN, and Ethics Bowl.
Notable alumni
*
Sylvia M. Broadbent
Sylvia Marguerite Broadbent (London, United Kingdom, 26 February 1932 - Arlington, California, United States, 30 July 2015) was an American anthropologist and professor, specializing in Amerindian peoples.
Early life
Broadbent was born in Lon ...
(Class of 1948), anthropologist, professor of Amerindian studies,
Muisca
The Muisca (also called Chibcha) are an indigenous people and culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Colombia, that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish conquest. The people spoke Muysccubun, a language of the Chibchan langu ...
scholar
*
Chris Cope
Christopher William Cope (born March 5, 1983) is a former American mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight division. He was a competitor on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos, and has also competed for the UFC as ...
(Class of 2001), professional
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
, formerly competing for the
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
in the Welterweight Division
*
Scott (Reeves) Eastwood (Class of 2003), actor
*
Rushad Eggleston
Rushad Robert Eggleston (born September 30, 1979) is an American cellist, composer, jazz vocalist, & performer. Eggleston's music can be eccentric, with many references to fantasy and goblins. Eggleston is known for inventing words, and for hi ...
(Class of 1997), Grammy-nominated musician
*
Sam Farr
Samuel Sharon Farr (born July 4, 1941) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for California's 17th (1993–2013) and 20th congressional districts (2013–17). He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was elected to Co ...
(Class of 1959), former U.S. Congressman (California, 17th District)
*
Jimmy Panetta
James Varni Panetta (; born October 1, 1969) is an American lawyer and politician from the state of California. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the U.S. representative for California's 20th congressional district. The district includes ...
(Class of 1987), U.S. Congressman (California, 20th District)
*
Chris Prieto
Christian Michael Prieto (born August 24, 1972) is a former professional baseball player who played one season in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in . Prieto attended Carmel High School, and the University of Nevada. ...
(Class of 1990), former
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
baseball player and current 1st Base Coach,
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...
*Brandon Roberts (Class of 1994), Emmy-winning music composer
*
Philip Schwyzer (Class of 1988), Professor of Renaissance Literature at the
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...
.
*
Kerry Woodson (Class of 1987),
former MLB
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
(Seattle Mariners)
References
External links
Carmel High School websiteCarmel High School Alumni websiteRobo-Rockin' Bots' websiteThis Club Saves Lives website
{{authority control
Educational institutions established in 1940
High schools in Monterey County, California
Public high schools in California
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
1940 establishments in California