During the 2004–05 school year, Cape Elizabeth School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon SchoolAward of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive. CEHS is consistently ranked in U.S. News & World Report's list of "America's Best High Schools" and Newsweek Magazine's annual list of "America's Top High Schools".
Academics
Cape Elizabeth High School students undertake a college preparatory curriculum that includes at least 4 years of English, 3 years each of Math and Science courses, 2½ years of history courses, 1 year each of technology, art, and physical education courses, ½ year of government courses, and ½ a year of health education. Students are required to take at least 6 courses every semester and may take as many as 8. The school offers Advanced Placement courses to earn college credit. Foreign languages offered include French, Spanish, and Latin. Cape Elizabeth is well known for its substantial music department supporting a Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Concert Choir, Select Choir, and a Treble Choir. A broad selection of elective courses are also offered, ranging from the more unusual, such as motion picture production, boat building, metal working, drafting, and digital design, to more standard fare like art fundamentals, ceramics, photography, painting and drawing, illustration and design, art studio, and typing. The average class size is 22 students. There are 63 professional staff members; 71% have advanced degrees. Last year 100% of 11th grade students took the SAT in accordance with Maine Law, which requires at least 95% of students in each junior class to take the test in order to meet the standards set up by the No Child Left Behind Act.
Facilities
Cape Elizabeth High School was built in 1969 directly adjacent to the middle school and elementary schools, creating a large campus. The high school has about 40 classrooms, a theater, auditorium, 10,000 volume library, a computer lab, and cafeteria. The building was renovated in 2005-06. Athletic facilities at the high school include a gymnasium, the Don Richards 25-yard swimming pool and weight lifting facility, a multi-purpose lighted turf field, six tennis courts, a baseball field, a softball field, a recently resurfaced six-lane track, and two other multi-purpose fields. In 2003 the Gull Crest Fields were built to support the football program, and in 2006 five kilometers of multi-purpose trails were added for running and Nordic skiing.
Extracurricular Activities
Athletics
There are 36 teams at CEHS, 23 of which are varsity. Sports include Soccer, Cross Country, Basketball, Football, Swimming, Diving, Indoor Track, Nordic Skiing, Lacrosse, Golf, Volleyball, Tennis, Track, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Baseball, Softball, and Sailing. Unlike most other high schools, Cape Elizabeth does not have a mascot. Sports teams are referred to as The Cape Elizabeth "Capers". 70% of Cape Elizabeth High Schools students participate in athletics. Teams from all sports in which students currently participate have won at least one state championship except downhill skiing and girls' lacrosse. The Maine Principals' Association recognized the following teams from Cape Elizabeth as having won state titles in the past 20 years.
CEHS Music has 3 large Jazz Ensembles, 3 Jazz Combos, Concert Choir, Select Choir and Treble Choir that participate in District, State and National competitions and festivals. CEHS has won first place in the Berklee College Jazz Festival for Small American High Schools five of the past six years. CEHS Theatre is a leader in State One-Act Festival plays and is often commended for its technical merits and inventive design. Over a hundred students participate in theater each year.
Publications
Students publish the Cape Insight, the school's monthly newspaper. The Bartleby is a quarterly arts publication featuring student works. The Nautilus is the CEHS yearbook.
Clubs and more
Student Advisory Council is the high school's student government and provides a student representative to the Cape Elizabeth School Board. Cape Elizabeth Mock Trial has competed in State Finals seven times since 2002. In 2002, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 the team represented Maine at the National High School Mock Trial Championships. The 2016 team finished #20 in the national competition. The 2017 team finished #8 in the national competition. Other extracurricular activities include National Honors Society, Boys'/Girls' State, Robotics Team, Math Team, Yearbook Committee, Prom Committee, Graduation Committee, Student Rescue, Amnesty International, Siddartha School Project, Gay/Straight Alliance, Ultimate Frisbee, and the BBQ Team. Notably, the Cape Elizabeth Educational Foundation is a private not-for-profit charitable corporation that lends additional support to programming in all of the Cape Elizabeth Schools. Their mission statement reads : "CEEF is committed to fostering innovation and excellence in the Cape Elizabeth school district by 1. Funding initiatives that fall outside the school budget; 2. Partnering with the school district to help achieve its vision; and 3. Building community-wide support for the benefit of our schools."
