Cony High School is a public school located in Augusta, Maine that educates students from 7th to 12th grade. Cony draws its students from Augusta, as well as the surrounding communities of Chelsea, China, Jefferson, Palermo, Somerville, Vassalboro, Whitefield, and Windsor. The school's origins are in the Cony Female Academy, which was founded in 1816 by Daniel Cony to provide free education to orphans and other girls under the age of 16. The school later expanded into a co-ed high school. In the fall of 2006, the city of Augusta opened a new Cony High School adjacent to the Capital Area Technical Center on Pierce Drive. Three years later, it was consolidated with local middle schools, and currently serves grades 7-12. The new building is architecturally linked to the design of the Old Cony High School building which featured a wedge-shaped flatiron design. The flatiron building has been preserved as a building of historical significance and is in the National Register of Historical Places in Maine. The current enrollment for Cony High is approximately 1,000 students.
Academics and Rankings
In 2019, Cony High School was ranked 43rd out of 125 high schools in the state and 7,384th nationally, according to US News & World Report. In 2019, approximately 20% of students passed with proficient ratings in the math section and 51% in the reading section of the Maine Educational Assessment, as compared with 40% across the state of Maine for reading. Approximately 26% of students took at least one AP exam in their high school careers. The graduation rate was approximately 78%.
Athletics
Cony competes in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference as a Class A school in all sports but football. The Rams field teams in football, soccer, field hockey, cross country, golf, volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, ice hockey, indoor track, swimming, wrestling, baseball, softball, tennis, lacrosse, and outdoor track. Cony and rival Gardiner Area High School hold the longest-running high school football rivalry in the country. Since 1892, the two teams have met 123 continuous years, with Cony holding a 65-55-10 advantage. Cony is well known for having one of the rowdiest student cheering sections in the state, referred to as the "Cony Crazies."
Baseball - Class A State Champions.
Girls' Basketball - Class A State Champions.
Boys' Basketball - Class A State Champions.
Football - Class B State Champions
Field Hockey - Class A State Champions.
Softball - Class A State Champions.
Girls' Tennis - Class A State Champions.
Boys' Tennis - Class A State Champions.
Chizzle Wizzle
Cony High School's "Chizzle Wizzle" variety show is the longest running high school production in the United States. It originated in the 1890s as a football fundraiser and has evolved into a major part of the Augusta community. In 2016, the production hit the stage for its 125th consecutive year. The show consists of two halves, Olio and Minstrel. The production runs for 4 nights at the end of every March and culminates with the Chizzle Wizzle Ball on Saturday night. The name, "Chizzle Wizzle" comes from one of the school's many old cheers: "Chizzle Wizzle, Chizzle Wizzle, sis boom bah! Cony High, Cony High, rah, rah, rah!"