Clam Lake Public School opened in early 1873, with 35 enrollees, and a high school unit was added in 1877.[5]
The brick Cadillac High School building was erected on the site in 1891.[6]
1975 Homecoming game
In October 1975, rock group Kiss visited Cadillac and performed at the Cadillac High School gymnasium. They played the concert to honor the school's football team. In previous years, the team had compiled a record of sixteen consecutive victories, but the 1974 squad opened the season with two losses. The assistant coach, Jim Neff, an English teacher and rock'n'roll fan, thought to inspire the team by playing Kiss music in the locker room. He also connected the team's game plan, K-I-S-S or "Keep It Simple Stupid", with the band. The team went on to win seven straight games and their conference co-championship. After learning of their association with the team's success, the band decided to visit the school and play for the homecoming game against the Chippewa Hills Warriors. Cadillac won the rest of the games that season.[7][8][9][10]
Demographics
The demographic breakdown of the 899 students enrolled in 2021-22 was:[11]
Male – 51.3%
Female – 48.7%
American Indian/Alaska Native – 0.44%
Asian – 0.67%
Black – 1.2%
Hispanic – 3.0%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander – 0.33%
White – 91.8%
Multiracial – 2.6%
Additionally, 411 students (45.7%) were eligible for reduced-price or free lunch.
Academics
In 2015, U.S. News ranked Cadillac High School #949 it in its list of "America's Best High Schools".[12]
Athletics
Cadillac's athletic teams are known as the Vikings. Sports include football, volleyball, cross country, soccer, tennis, basketball, track, softball, skiing, cheerleading, ice hockey, wrestling, bowling and girls' swimming.