Clay-Chalkville High School (CCHS) is a publichigh school in Pinson, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It is the second largest of the Jefferson County Board of Education's fourteen high schools. School colors are navy blue and silver, and the athletic teams are called the Cougars. CCHS competes in AHSAA Class 6A athletics.[2] The school was recognized by "Niche.com" as the 42nd "Best High School for Athletes in Alabama" among the top 50 in 2020. CCHS was one of only two Jefferson County System schools designed among the state's more than 300 high schools.[3]
Student profile
Enrollment in grades 9-12 for the 2020-21 school year is 1,259 students. Approximately 78% of students are African-American, 20% are white, 1% Asian-American, and 1% are two or more races. Roughly 50% of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch.[4]
CCHS has a graduation rate of 94%.[5] Approximately 84% of its students meet or exceed state proficiency standards in mathematics, and 81% meet or exceed standards in reading.[6] The average ACT score for CCHS students is 21 and the average SAT Score is 1480.[7]
Campus
The CCHS campus was constructed in 1996 and is located on the border of Clay and Pinson. It consists of a one-level building with 53 classrooms, four computer labs, four science labs, a choral room, a band room, a media center, a fine arts room, a video production studio, a lunch room, practice and spectator gymnasiums, a 650-seat auditorium, and 766 spaces for parking. The school has fields for baseball, softball, football, and practice. Stadium seating was removed from the old Shades Valley High School and repaired for use at CCHS. The 9,880 sq. ft. media center is a focal point for the school and includes a time capsule placed by the Class of 2001. It overlooks an outdoor amphitheatre through a curved wall of windows. The auditorium has a fully complemented stage with fly tower and scene room.
CCHS students can also take courses in one of six career-based academies:[9]
Arts & Communication Academy, including vocal and instrumental training, theater, journalism, and visual arts
Building Science Academy, including agriscience, construction, drafting and design
Business, Marketing, and Information Technology Academy, which offers courses in entrepreneurship, leadership, and computing fundamentals
Culinary Arts Academy, offering both training in both culinary arts and tourism/hospitality
Educational Training & Human Services Academy, which offers a variety of courses in consumer sciences, child development, psychology, and education
Health Science Academy, with classes in sports medicine, wellness, and nursing fundamentals
CCHS students are eligible for dual enrollment at Jefferson State Community College, allowing them to earn high school and college credit simultaneously.[9]
CCHS has won state championships in baseball (2003)[citation needed] and football (1999, 2014, 2021 & 2023).[11]
Football
The Cougars won the Class 6A football Super 6 ion 1999, beating Robert E. Lee-Montgomery, 30–27, in overtime for the school's first AHSAA state championship.[11] The Cougars would win their second AHSAA Class 6A football title in 2014 by beating the Saraland Spartans in a competitive 36–31 game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.[12] The victory capped a 15–0 season which ended with the Cougars being ranked 35th in the nation by Max Preps and being featured on the website's Tour of Champions.[13]
In 2011, the CCHS football team, undefeated at the time, was caught up in controversy when it used an ineligible player for nine games and therefore had to forfeit those games.[14] It appealed the forfeits to the AHSAA, but the appeal was denied.[citation needed] It later took the case to the Jefferson County Circuit Court, where it was granted an injunctive relief and allowed back in the AHSAA playoffs.[citation needed] However, the Etowah County School System challenged the court's decision in order to put Gadsden City High School, who was the 4th seed in region 7 when CCHS forfeited the wins, back in the playoffs.[citation needed] Gadsden City ended up competing instead of CCHS, losing in the first round.[15]
Other sports
In 2003 the Cougars' baseball team won the 6A state championship in Montgomery.[citation needed]
Notable alumni
This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations.(August 2016)
