Cab Calloway School of the Arts
| Cab Calloway School of the Arts | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | |
| 100 N. DuPont Road Wilmington, DE 19807 |
|
| Coordinates | 39°45′13″N 75°35′15″W / 39.7537°N 75.5876°WCoordinates: 39°45′13″N 75°35′15″W / 39.7537°N 75.5876°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public secondary art school |
| Motto | Arts + Academics = Excellence |
| Established | 1992 |
| Principal | Dean Julie Rumschlag |
| Grades | 6–12 |
| Enrollment | 897 |
| Website | http://cabcallowayschool.org/ |
The Cab Calloway School of the Arts is an arts-oriented magnet school in Wilmington, Delaware, operated by the Red Clay Consolidated School District, which focuses on a strong academic curriculum along with an education in the arts. It is a public school, but students must audition within a field of study in order to be admitted. It is one of the most selective public schools in the United States. Cab Calloway encompasses both a middle school and a high school, with students ranging from 6th to 12th grade, and each student chooses a particular concentration in a field of arts that they study through high school.
In 1960, long before Cab Calloway School of the Arts existed, the building in which CCSA is housed opened as Wilmington High School. Once considered a top-notch school, Wilmington High School suffered through dropping enrollment and an increasingly bad image as it made its way through the 1980s and 1990s. Eventually it was decided that the school would close near the end of the decade. The incoming freshmen class of 1994 was the last one accepted at the school.
Cab Calloway School of the Arts was established in the fall of 1992 after a group of Red Clay parents joined together to investigate what kind of school should be put in the failing Wilmington High School campus. Cab Calloway School of the Arts was originally known as the Creative and Performing Arts Middle School, and was named after Cab Calloway in 1993 because of his status as a performer and ties to the state of Delaware. The school served students from 6th to 7th grade, and soon added an 8th grade. The need for the school to expand to a high school program soon became apparent, as some middle school alumni were not satisfied with the area high schools they went to. As a result, during the 1997–1998 school year, the performing arts school added a ninth and tenth grade to the program.
Wilmington High graduated the last class in 1999, and closed in June 1999. To honor the school, Cab Calloway kept the words "Wilmington High" on the front building entrance.
The school has a "Wall of Fame" with various descriptions of WHS alumni who have made outstanding contributions to society.
In 2000, Cab Calloway graduated its first senior class. The following year, the Class of 2001 would become the first Cab Calloway class to have gone through all seven years of the school.
In the fall of 2002, a ceremony was held to honor the 10th anniversary of the school.
Also notable that year was the dedication of the Sentinel. Moved from downtown to the front of the high school, this interesting statue of many different colors gives passersby an unusual view. Although the attractiveness of the structure has been debated, most students believe the Sentinel is an important piece to the landscape of the school.
...
Wikipedia