Carmel High School (Indiana)

Carmel High School (CHS) is a public high school in Carmel, Indiana, United States, and part of the Carmel Clay Schools District.

Carmel High School
Address
Map
520 East Main Street

,
46032

United States
Coordinates39°58′45″N 86°7′10″W / 39.97917°N 86.11944°W / 39.97917; -86.11944
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1869[1]
School districtCarmel Clay Schools
PrincipalTim Phares [2]
Teaching staff317.09 (on an FTE basis)[3]
Grades9–12[3]
Enrollment5,327 (2021-22)[3]
Student to teacher ratio16.80[3]
Color(s)Blue and gold[5]   
Athletics conferenceIndependent[4]
NicknameGreyhounds[5]
RivalNorth Central High School (Indianapolis)
NewspaperHiLite Newsmagazine
YearbookPinnacle
Websitewww.ccs.k12.in.us/chs

Demographics edit

The demographic breakdown of the 5,415 students enrolled for the 2020–2021 school year was:

  • Male - 49.9%
  • Female - 50.1%
  • Native American/Alaskan - 0.1%
  • Asian - 14.3%
  • Black - 3.8%
  • Hispanic - 3.6%
  • Native Hawaiian/Pacific islanders - 0.3%
  • White - 71.5%
  • Multiracial - 6.4%

17.9% of the students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. For the 2020–2021 school year, Carmel was a Title I school.[3]

Athletics edit

Carmel's Greyhounds started competing as an Independent starting in the spring of 2022, formerly competing in the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference.[4] School colors are blue and gold.

In 2010, 4 basketball players were charged with hazing a fellow student. 2 were charged with criminal misdemeanor of battery and aggravated assault.

As of the 2019–2020 school year, the following Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) sanctioned sports were offered:[5]

  • Baseball (boys)
  • Basketball (girls and boys)
  • Cross country (girls and boys)
  • Football (boys)
  • Lacrosse (girls and boys - Varsity Sport - IHSLA sanctioned)
  • Golf (girls and boys)
  • Soccer (girls and boys)
  • Softball (girls)
  • Rugby (girls)
  • Swimming and diving (girls and boys)
  • Tennis (girls and boys)
  • Track and field (girls and boys)
  • Unified flag football (coed)
  • Unified track and field (coed)
  • Volleyball (girls)
  • Wrestling (boys and girls)

Athletic State Championships edit

Carmel is known for their athletic success. They have 171 IHSAA state championships, the most of any school. They have the IHSAA record for most state titles in the same academic year with 7 in 2011–2012, 2016–2017, 2018–2019, and 2020–2021. They also have both the IHSAA and national record for most consecutive state championships in any sport by winning the Indiana Girls Swimming & Diving State Championships 38 times from 1987 to 2024.[6] At the 2023 IHSAA Boys Swimming & Diving State Championships the Greyhounds broke the NFHS record in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:26.88.[7]

Sport Year(s)
IHSAA Sanctioned Sports
Boys Basketball (5) 1977, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021
Girls Basketball (1) 2008
Boys Cross Country (18) 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1996, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023
Girls Cross Country (19) 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020
Football (9) 1978, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1989, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2019
Boys Golf (7) 1970, 1971, 1982, 1989, 1990, 2018, 2019
Girls Golf (3) 1980, 2013, 2022, 2023
Boys Soccer (1) 2006
Girls Soccer (10) 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2018
Softball (2) 1994, 2011
Boys Swimming (23) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Girls Swimming (39) 1982, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Boys Tennis (15) 1980, 1981, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023
Girls Tennis (12) 1989, 1990, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022
Boys Track (5) 2000, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021
Girls Track (2) 1998, 1999
Volleyball (1) 2014
Other Sports
Competitive Cheer[8] (4) 2000, 2005, 2006, 2017(Co-Ed)
Boys Lacrosse (4) 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2023
Girls Lacrosse (3) 2018, 2019, 2021
Boys Rugby[9] (4) 1997, 1999, 2017, 2021
Girls Rugby[9] (2) 2000, 2021(Fall 7s)

Arts edit

The Carmel High School marching band were Indiana State Fair Band Day champions in 1984 and ISSMA State Champions in 1990, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2018, and 2022.[10][11][12][13] The band was named BOA National Class AAA Champion in 2001. The band was named BOA Grand National Champion in 2005, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

The Carmel High School Marching Greyhounds were invited to perform in the 2004 London New Year's Parade in London, England.[citation needed]

In 2007, the band was invited to play on the USS Missouri, along with the Hawaii's Royal Band. In 2007, the marching band was named Bands of America Regional Champion in Indianapolis and Atlanta, GA.[citation needed]

At the 2008 BOA Grand National Finals, the marching band won the caption for best music. Later, the marching band was selected to play in the 2011 and 2022 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.[citation needed]

The band has also received an invitation to play in the 2014 Tournament of Roses Parade, in Pasadena, California.[21]

In 2016, the Carmel High School Marching Band set a record as the first group to ever tie for first place at the Bands of America Grand National Championships with a score of 97.45. Carmel won the tiebreaker to Avon High School (IN) and was crowned Grand National Champion.[22] In 1999, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018, Carmel won the Indiana State School Music Association State Championship.[23]

Journalism edit

The Pinnacle yearbook has received recognition from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, and the Indiana High School Press Association.[24] Additionally, the publication has received the Gold Crown award,[25] Indiana Hoosier Star Awards, and has been placed in the Walsworth Publishing Company's Gallery of Excellence.[citation needed] It operates an independent website.[26]

The school newspaper, the HiLite, has received national recognition, including a "Superior" rating from Quill & Scroll, the Hoosier Star award, and other general awards from the Indiana High School Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), as well as several individual awards for HiLite staff members. The HiLite was a gold medalist in the CSPA's annual critique, won a George H. Gallup Award from Quill and Scroll, and has been nominated to be a CSPA Crown finalist for the 2011–2012 publications. The newspaper maintains a staff of about 80 students.[27]

The school operates the WHJE radio station on 91.3 MHz on the FM band. In 1999, WIRE, a local station which broadcasts on 91.5 MHz, proposed moving its broadcasting antenna closer to the school. When the school filed an FCC petition in opposition to the proposed antenna move, WIRE filed a response alleging that WHJE broadcasts music with indecent lyrics.[28]

The school Television Station, CHTV: Carmel Television operates on Channel 99 on cable television.

History edit

The Carmel/Clay Township area was settled by Quakers in the early 1830s. In 1833, a meeting house was constructed on a hill where the older Carmel Cemetery sits today. It was common practice well into the 20th century for Quakers to give names to their meeting places. Benjamin Mendenhall suggested the name Richland for the new meeting. The same year a school was started in the meeting house and, in 1835, the log structure was doubled in size. Throughout most of the 19th century, education in Carmel, like most of the nation, was provided by public elementary schools and private academies for post-8th grade education.

Richland School was replaced by a larger wood-frame structure a few years later. It sat on the northwest corner of Rangeline and Smoky Row Roads. In 1845, a frame school building was built near the same site. In 1867, the all-brick Carmel Academy was built on land where the Wesleyana Amistad Cristiana Church sits today. By 1887, the size and population of the community warranted a larger and more permanent structure, so on September 23, 1887, on a small hill on the east side of First Avenue SE and Fifth Street SE, the cornerstone of the first Carmel High School was laid. The two-story brick building would house grades one through ten with no frills – just classrooms. Because the town was founded on a boundary separating Clay and Delaware townships, the school was administered jointly by trustees of both. This new Carmel High School was opened in 1888 with its first graduating class in 1890. The first class to receive four years of education graduated in 1901.

In 1921, land was purchased on the east side of Carmel proper and a new school was designed to house grades one through twelve. This facility would contain a gymnasium, a library, and a 600-seat auditorium. Local citizens decided in 1955 that the community needed to organize a school district headed by a superintendent. Forest Stoops, the county superintendent, was hired and the state legislature was persuaded to move the township boundary east to White River. Carmel Clay Schools then began in 1956. By 1958, Carmel High School was opened at its present location. An addition was added to the gymnasium in 1961 and a large addition including a swimming pool, an auditorium, and new classrooms opened in 1969. A third, freestanding addition was opened in 1977 located between the 1921 building (affectionately known as Old North) and the new Carmel High School. A final construction project was begun in 1990 and dedicated in April 1999. In 2006, the CHS Freshman Center was opened to allow incoming freshmen to acclimate to high school life and adapt to the size of the building. In 2014, students and alumni involved with the DECA program opened the Carmel Café & Market, selling various beverages and snacks to students.[29] Today, Carmel High School sits on 55 acres of land and 22 are under roof.

Viral TikTok edit

External videos
Two TikToks by the school's DECA team showcasing a tour of the school
 
via TikTok
  [1] - Take a tour of the school where champions are made!! (February 8, 2023)
  [2] - Did someone say part 2? (February 9, 2023)

On February 8, 2023, the school's DECA team posted a TikTok featuring a tour of the campus, which was followed by a part two the next day on February 9. The videos, which showcased various amenities at the school, including an on-campus bookstore, an auto shop, an Esports room, a jewelry room, a 10,000 seat football stadium, a market, radio, and planetarium, amongst other features, received a combined total of 34 million views on TikTok and versions posted to Twitter.[30][31][32]

The videos drew attention to the school's amenities. This sparked responses from alumni of other schools, particularly those from poorer areas and started a discussion regarding the United States' education system and spending in the system. The debate was inflamed by the racial demographics of the school, which is majority white, leading to many pointing to this being an issue of racial inequities. Critics decried the stark difference between Carmel High School and schools in poor-income areas, which was often blamed on the supposed greater funding towards schools like Carmel; this claim was disputed in the libertarian magazine Reason, which pointed out that Carmel spends less per-pupil compared to public high schools in Indianapolis.[33][34][30]

Tim Phares, CHS principal, claimed that the incident was an entertaining but educational experience, adding that "[W]e are excited they seemingly hit the jackpot with millions of people viewing the tour of our exceptional school. Like with much of social media, they have also witnessed some negativity and the experience has provided multiple lessons about being online."[35] The comments on the video have since been disabled.[34]

Notable alumni edit


See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Ambrogi, Mark (September 27, 2019). "Carmel High School celebrating 150th anniversary this year – to everyone's surprise". Current Publishing. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  2. ^ "Administration". Carmel Clay Schools. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Carmel High School". nces.ed.gov. US Department of Education. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Hall, Richie (January 14, 2022). "Carmel to compete as independent". Hamilton County Reporter.
  5. ^ a b c "myIHSAA". www.myihsaa.net. Indiana High School Athletic Association. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  6. ^ "INDIANA GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING & DIVING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS". SwimSwam. February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  7. ^ VanTryon, Matthew (February 26, 2023). "Carmel boys swimming set national record, then just kept going on way to 8th-straight title". IndyStar. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  8. ^ "Indiana Cheer Championship State Finals". ISSUU. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "History- Carmel Rugby Club". Carmel Rugby Club. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  10. ^ "ISSMA - Indiana State School Music Association". www.issma.net. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  11. ^ "2018 Marching Band State Finals Placing". Indiana State School Music Association. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  12. ^ "Results From the 1980s". Indiana High School Summer Track Marching Bands. ndianatrackmarchingbands.com. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  13. ^ "Marching Band State Finals Results". Indiana State School Music Association. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  14. ^ "2022 Grand Nationals Championship" (PDF). Music for All. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  15. ^ "2018 Grand Nationals Championship". Music for All. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  16. ^ "2005 Grand Nationals Championship" (PDF). Music for All. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  17. ^ "2012 Grand National Finals Results". Music for All. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  18. ^ "2016 Grand National Championships Results". Music for All. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  19. ^ Ambrogi, Mark (November 16, 2017). "Carmel High School marching band repeats as national champion". Current in Carmel. Current. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  20. ^ Asbill, Debbie Laferty. "Grand Nationals 2018 Results". Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  21. ^ "Carmel HS Marching Band headed for Rose Bowl Parade". wthr.com. December 28, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  22. ^ "2016 Grand National Championships at Indianapolis, IN Lucas Oil Stadium - November 12" (PDF).
  23. ^ "Indiana State School Music Association". www.issma.net. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  24. ^ "Hilite Awards". Hilite Online. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  25. ^ "Columbia Scholastic Press Association". CSPA. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  26. ^ "Pinnacle —". carmelyearbook.com. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  27. ^ "Hilite Awards". Hilite Online. Archived from the original on January 14, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  28. ^ Flora, John (September 4, 1999). "Feud continues between school district, radio station". The Indianapolis news. p. N2 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Fittes, Emma Kate. "Peek into the 1 million-square-foot Carmel High School". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  30. ^ a b Camp, Emma (February 15, 2023). "Bad schools aren't always underfunded". Reason.com. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  31. ^ Stanford, Kaitlin (February 28, 2023). "TikTok tour of fancy Midwest high school highlights glaring disparity between public schools around the U.S.: 'Makes me so sad'". In The Know. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  32. ^ "Carmel High School seems to have it all and TikTok users are finding out in viral videos". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  33. ^ "A viral high school tour underscores the haves and have-nots in America's schools". NBC News. February 25, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  34. ^ a b Diaz, Adriana (February 17, 2023). "Indiana public high school goes viral for swanky campus". Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  35. ^ IndyStar (February 20, 2023). "Carmel High School went viral on TikTok. Meet the student behind the video". Head Topics. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  36. ^ "Carmel High School graduate makes mark as Newsmax host • Current Publishing". May 31, 2022.

External links edit