Apr 19 2011
STUDENTS
Casco Bay High School’s student body (about 275) is demographically representative of Portland, intentionally so. Our goal is to be a great option for any Portland teen who is well-served by a smaller school and/or the Expeditionary Learning approach. About 15% of our students receive special education services and about 20% are considered English Language Learners. Over 45% receive free or reduced lunch.
Casco Bay prides itself on being an inclusive community where each student feels free to be – and to develop – his or her best self. One way to get an inside glimpse into the workings of our community is to check out the video below about the 2011 Casco Bay Quest. Casco Bay Quest is an innovative orientation experience based on Cow Island for all freshmen and seniors at Casco Bay that promotes community, citizenship and leadership through writing and kayaking and adventure-based learning. We partner with two other organizations to make this happen: the Telling Room and Rippleffect. Thanks to the Telling Room’s Molly Haley for creating this documentary: http://vimeo.com/33675309
Because of available space and staffing, we are currently capped at 70 students per grade level. For the fall of 2013, we will be expanding to up to 100 students in grades 9 and 10 to better meet community demand. As of March 11th, 2013 we have a waitlist for spots in next fall’s grades 9 and 11. We do not (as of 3/11/2013) have a waitlist for Portland residents who are in the Class of 2014 or Class of 2016. Regardless of the wait list, interested students are still encouraged to submit a Commitment Form. Details and a rationale are below in the “Prospective Student” section.
Prospective Students
Any student interested in attending Casco Bay High School should complete a Commitment Form and turn it into CBHS or their current school’s guidance office.
Next year’s 9th graders should complete this form:
2012-2013 PPS High School Commitment Form
As of 1/17/13, students interested in being next year’s 9th grade should ALSO complete this form:
ADDITIONAL CBHS INFO Commitment Form
Thanks!
Students currently in high school who are interested in transferring should complete the following:
2013 CBHS Transfer Form for Grades 10-12
All Commitment Forms for spots in the Class of 2017 received prior to February 15, 2013 were considered equal in the lottery that was held February 27, 2013. Any student’s whose commitment form for the Class of 2017 is received after February 15th will be placed at the end of the wait list. The following policy was used for the 2013 Lottery.
This past year, all interested PPS 8th graders had the opportunity to visit each of Portland’s high schools on a designated day. The schedule for Casco Bay was as follows:
Interested King 8th Graders Visit CBHS – January 31st
Interested Moore 8th Graders Visit CBHS – February 5th
Interested Lincoln 8th Graders Visit CBHS – February 12th
Others non-PPS eighth graders were welcome to visit and shadow as well, starting in December.
This spring, high school students interested in transferring for fall 2013 may set up a shadow day at CBHS with their current school’s permission. For more information about setting up a shadowing day, contact Linda Pinard at 874-8160 or pinarl@portlandschools.org.
Wait List
Because of our commitment to maintain a student body that looks like Portland, the next student admitted from the wait list can depend on the demographics of the overall class and/or the person deciding to leave. This means that, in certain circumstances, students with higher numbers on the wait list may still be admitted before students with lower numbers. A student’s wait list number will change over time and can only improve. If a spot opens up, we will notify you as soon as possible. If you would like an update on your position, feel free to contact registrar, Linda Pinard (874-8160, pinarl@portlandschools.org) at any time.
Update as of 4/29/13:
A wait list of about twenty-five remains for next year’s grade 9. There is a wait list of about 50 for next fall’s juniors. There are currently some spots available in next year’s expanded sophomore class. Next year’s senior class is full – but has no wait list at the moment. Please contact Mr. Pierce or Ms. Pinard for more information.
