Cab Calloway School of the Arts

History

The building that currently houses Cab Calloway is the former location of Wilmington High School. Cab was established in 1992 by a group of parents who wanted their children to have an arts-centered education; for the first six years, Cab existed as Red Clay's Creative and Performing Arts Middle School, offering sixth and seventh grades and operating out of an empty wing of Wilmington High. When Wilmington closed in 1999 due in part to decreasing enrollment, Cab took up residence in the rest of the school and expanded into the 6-12 institution it is today. In homage to Wilmington, Cab kept the words "Wilmington High" on the building near the entrance to honor its historic ties to the community.

The class of 2005 was the first to use the three-tiered diploma system, which would rank graduate degrees as "basic", "standard", or "distinguished", a controversial plan under Governor Ruth Ann Minner meant to standardize the school to better fit No Child Left Behind. When students, parents, faculty, and lawmakers criticized the three-tier system, it was reduced to a two-tier system, until the idea was abandoned altogether in 2005.

School symbols

CCSA's fight song is "Minnie the Moocher" by Cab Calloway despite its many references to drugs and prostitution. The school colors are silver, black, and purple and the mascot is The Spirit, though CCSA does not have athletics. CCSA students who want to participate in sports are able to join teams offered by the Charter School of Wilmington, whom they share a building with.

The ''Sentinel''

In 2002, the city dedicated Sentinel #3 (known simply as Sentinel), a statue by Jim Paulsen, to CCSA to mark its tenth anniversary. Paulsen refurbished the wood and metal structure in early 2002 after vandals destroyed the initial design, unveiled in 1985. CCSA and Charter students helped with the restoration and the statue was moved from downtown Wilmington to the front of Cab Callway School in fall 2002. A fundraiser was held to cover the cost.

Academics

CCSA students have the option to take courses offered by their building-mate the Charter School of Wilmington and vice versa.

CCSA has consistently been ranked highly by organizations such as Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report for a number of years. In 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked CCSA #338 of nearly 18,000 high schools in the United States.

Arts

CCSA has nine majors to choose from: digital media and communication arts (web/print design, cinema/videography, photography, typography, digital audio production); dance; instrumental music; piano; strings; technical theatre (stage tech - high school only); theatre arts; visual arts; and vocal music.

In fall 2004, CCSA opened its own gallery, which has been used to showcase students and local artists. In 2009, the building underwent a $22 million renovation that focused on important upkeep such as ensuring doors were up to fire code, plumbing, HVAC system replacement, and window installation. In 2012, the 1,028-seat theatre was torn down and a $9.8 million theatre was built in its place. It opened in fall 2014.

Theatre

The Communication Arts department directs videography for most of the school and all shows are edited, produced, and/or live-streamed by students.

Notable alumni

• Sarah McBride (class of 2009), U.S. Congresswoman and transgender rights activist.
• Anna Uzele (class of 2014), American actress known for originating the role of Catherine Parr in the Broadway musical SIX.
• Ben Jackson Walker (class of 2014), American actor known for originating the role of Romeo in the Broadway musical & Juliet. Walker is also known for his roles such as Gary in Honor Society.

References

References

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7. (2020-02-18). "Could bringing back Wilmington High help fix school inequities?". WHYY.
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24. (2018-07-30). "Live-streams". Cab Calloway School of the Arts.
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26. "At Texas State, Anna Uzele found an unexpected path to her Broadway dreams". Hillviews Magazine.