CHS achieves national ranking from US News and World Report
CARIBOU, Maine — Staff and students of Caribou High School held a press conference on April 28, 2016, announcing that they were ranked “silver” by the US News and World Report.
This ranking is based on numerous variables, such as graduation rate and college readiness. Overall, Caribou ranked number 17 in the state and 2,566 nationally. The school has an 82 percent graduation rate and 36 full-time teachers to a total 380 students. Forty-eight percent of CHS students met or exceeded reading proficiency standards while 55 percent met or exceeded mathematics proficiency standards based on the school’s assessment tests. Additionally, out of all CHS students that took AP exams, 70 percent passed.
According to the metrics of this study, CHS was the highest ranking school in Aroostook County.
“We believe that this distinction recognizes what we know is true about Caribou High School,” said Principal Travis Barnes. “(We have) a faculty dedicated to student outcomes by providing instruction that meets their needs. We teach a curriculum that will prepare students for life after High School,” he added.
Superintendent Tim Doak, who has had experience in numerous schools throughout Maine, commented on Caribou’s exceptional dedication to learning.
“It’s been a short time that I’ve been here as a superintendent and it didn’t take me too long to realize how special this school is,” Doak said. “You get a feeling, walking through this high school, that learning is okay, that it’s a cool thing to be smart and aspire to go to college. There are a lot of Maine high schools where that is not the case; it’s very environmentally driven. Here, I get the feeling from the students that it’s okay to take school seriously and aspire to pursue post-secondary education.”
Chathu Karunasiri, a CHS senior and recipient of the 2016 Principal’s Award, commented on the opportunity to pursue college credits at the high school level.
“We, as students, are proud to be a part of this high school,” Karunasiri said. “CHS offers both AP (advanced placement) and dual enrollment, which isn’t something you find everywhere. You can get college credits for just a fraction of the price, which is truly unique to the county and even the state.”
