Camas High School is an Americanpublic high school located in Clark County, in the city of Camas, Washington. The principal is Tom Morris. It has a grade span of 9th through 12th, and contains a total of 2,063 students as of March 2018. It is operated by the Camas School District and includes a complement of 90 classroom teachers. The Camas High School colors are red, black, and white, the mascot is a Mean Machine, and their team name is the Papermakers.
Demographics
As of the 2016 school year, Camas High School contained 50.6% male students and 49.4% female students. Student ethnicity: 0.4% Native American/Alaskan Native; 6.9% Asian; 0.9% African American; 7.4% Hispanic; 77.0% Caucasian; and 7.1% two or more races. The average years of teacher experience was 11.1. The percentage of teachers with at least a master's degree was 84.4%. The dropout rate for the 2008/2009 school year was 1.1%, with a 92.5% on-time graduation rate. As of May 2010, 10.2% of students were enrolled in some sort of special education program. In the 2012/2013 school year, CHS had 1,893 students. 50.8% were male while 49.2% were female. The student body this year was 0.4% American Indian/Alaskan Native, 6.4% Asian, 0.6% Pacific Islander, 1.2% Black, 5.9% Hispanic, 80.1% White, and 5.3% of two or more races.
Academics
CHS hosts a total of 156 total classes, as well as close to 15 different special education classes. All students are required to take four years of American English, two years of science, three years of mathematics, two arts classes, an occupational education class, and a physical education class. Incoming freshmen also take an orientation course to learn study, research, and technological skills, unless they are students in the school's Math, Science, and Technology Magnet Program. Students have the option of taking at-level courses, Pre-Advanced Placement, or regular Advanced Placement courses for many subjects in each grade level. CHS also hosts programs such as Advanced Placement classes, as well as the ability to take advanced classes at nearby Clark College through taking such exams as Running Start, which when completed, will provide college money and credit for students. Another program at Camas High School is the STEMMagnet program. CHS also has developed a Robotics Magnet program, known as CamTech. Also supported is the Senior Project, which is a program completed by seniors in which students must apply skills they have learned to a culminating project and paper of, totaling at least 40 hours of work. Students often use this as a way to pursue their interests in individual projects or as job shadows of professionals in the community, or benefit their community through charity or community service work. Failure to complete the project and accompanying paper will result in the inability to graduate on time.
Athletics
Camas High School supports athletics, competing in the Greater St. Helens League of WIAA District IV in wrestling, boys' and girls' swimming, girls' volleyball, girls' dance, boys' and girls' basketball, football, baseball, cross country, softball, boys' and girls' golf, boys' and girls' tennis, girls bowling, track and field, boys' and girls' soccer, and girls' gymnastics. Their team name is the Papermakers, and their mascot is a humanized mechanical paper-rolling machine, which commemorates the town's founding industry, the production of paper goods at the Georgia Pacific paper mill.
Clubs Besides sports, CHS also supports various clubs and non-sporting teams. Some major clubs include Key Club International, , , the National Honor Society, FCCLA, an award-winning Mock Trial team, Science Olympiad, in which Camas is a National contender, and Knowledge Bowl, in which Camas is a state contender. Camas High School also operates school programs, such as yearbook, the , and various plays. The drama department has a policy of not repeating a play once it has been performed.
Controversies
In February 2020, Principal Liza Sejkora remarked on the death of former professional basketball playerKobe Bryant on her Facebook page, writing, "Not gonna lie, seems to me that karma caught up with a rapist today" in effect claiming that his death was 'deserved'. Immediately following that post, students protested and organized a walkout; while Sejkora issued an apology, she was placed on administrative leave by the school board.
