Carmel High School (Indiana)

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 5,192 students enrolled for the 2023–2024 school year was:

• Male - 49.8%
• Female - 50.2%
• Native American/Alaskan - 0.1%
• Asian - 16.8%
• Black - 4.3%
• Hispanic - 6.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Pacific islanders - 0.2%
• White - 68.1%
• Multiracial - 4.3% 13.2% of the students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. For the 2020–2021 school year, Carmel was a Title I school.

Athletics

Carmel's Greyhounds are a member of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference. The school colors are blue and gold.

As of the 2025–2026 school year, the following varsity sports were offered:

• Baseball (boys)
• Basketball (girls and boys)
• Competition Cheerleading
• Cross country (girls and boys)
• Dance Team
• ESports (coed)
• Football (boys)
• Lacrosse (girls and boys)
• Golf (girls and boys)
• Soccer (girls and boys)
• Softball (girls)
• Swimming and diving (girls and boys)
• Tennis (girls and boys)
• Track and field (girls and boys)
• Unified flag football (coed)
• Unified track and field (coed)
• Volleyball (girls and boys)
• Wrestling (boys and girls)

Athletic state championships

Carmel is known for their athletic success. They have 182 IHSAA state championships, the most of any school. They have the IHSAA record for most state titles in the same academic year, with seven in 2011–2012, 2016–2017, 2018–2019, and 2020–2021. They also have both the IHSAA and national record for most consecutive state championships in any sport by winning the Indiana Girls Swimming & Diving State Championships 39 times from 1987 to 2025. At the 2023 IHSAA Boys Swimming & Diving State Championships, the Greyhounds broke the NFHS record in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:26.88.

Arts

The Carmel High School marching band were Indiana State Fair Band Day champions in 1984 and ISSMA State Champions in 1990, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2018, and 2022. The band was named BOA National Class AAA Champion in 2001. The band was named BOA Grand National Champion in 2005, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022.

The Carmel High School Marching Greyhounds were invited to perform in the 2004 London New Year's Parade in London, England.

In 2007, the band was invited to play on the USS Missouri, along with the Hawaii's Royal Band. In 2007, the marching band was named Bands of America Regional Champion in Indianapolis and Atlanta, Georgia.

At the 2008 BOA Grand National Finals, the marching band won the caption for best music. Later, the marching band was selected to play in the 2011 and 2022 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The band has also received an invitation to play in the 2014 Tournament of Roses Parade, in Pasadena, California.

In 2016, the Carmel High School Marching Band set a record as the first group to ever tie for first place at the Bands of America Grand National Championships with a score of 97.45. Carmel won the tiebreaker to Avon High School (Indiana) and was crowned Grand National Champion. In 1999, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022, Carmel won the Indiana State School Music Association State Championship.

The band has appeared in Bands of America Grand National finals for over 25 consecutive years, and has won the national title six times, in 2005, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022.

Journalism

The Pinnacle yearbook has received recognition from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, and the Indiana High School Press Association. The publication has received the Gold Crown award and Indiana Hoosier Star Awards, and has been placed in the Walsworth Publishing Company's Gallery of Excellence. It operates an independent website.

The school newspaper, the HiLite, has received national recognition, including a "Superior" rating from Quill & Scroll, the Hoosier Star award, and other general awards from the Indiana High School Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), as well as several individual awards for HiLite staff members. The HiLite was a gold medalist in the CSPA's annual critique, won a George H. Gallup Award from Quill and Scroll, and has been nominated to be a CSPA Crown finalist for the 2011–2012 publications. The newspaper maintains a staff of about 80 students.

The school operates the WHJE radio station on 91.3 MHz on the FM band. In 1999, WIRE, a local station which broadcasts on 91.5 MHz, proposed moving its broadcasting antenna closer to the school. When the school filed an FCC petition in opposition to the proposed antenna move, WIRE filed a response alleging that WHJE broadcasts music with indecent lyrics.

The school television station, CHTV, operates on Channel 99 on cable television. Their variety of work has received multiple accolades, such as Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Awards, primarily for their student produced newscasts, sports broadcasts, and other student produced reports. Statewide, the station receives general distinction from the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters each year, and in 2023 was named the Emerging Media School of the Year. The station's staff maintain a YouTube channel with over 3,500 subscribers.

History

The Carmel/Clay Township area was settled by Quakers in the early 1830s. In 1833, a meeting house was constructed on a hill where the older Carmel Cemetery sits today. It was common practice well into the 20th century for Quakers to give names to their meeting places. Benjamin Mendenhall suggested the name Richland for the new meeting. The same year a school was started in the meeting house and, in 1835, the log structure was doubled in size. Throughout most of the 19th century, education in Carmel, like most of the nation, was provided by public elementary schools and private academies for post-8th grade education.

Richland School was replaced by a larger wood-frame structure a few years later. It sat on the northwest corner of Rangeline and Smoky Row Roads. In 1845, a frame school building was built near the same site. In 1867, the all-brick Carmel Academy was built on land where the Wesleyana Amistad Cristiana Church sits today. By 1887, the size and population of the community warranted a larger and more permanent structure, so on September 23, 1887, on a small hill on the east side of First Avenue SE and Fifth Street SE, the cornerstone of the first Carmel High School was laid. The two-story brick building would house grades one through ten with no frills – just classrooms. Because the town was founded on a boundary separating Clay and Delaware townships, the school was administered jointly by trustees of both. This new Carmel High School was opened in 1888 with its first graduating class in 1890. The first class to receive four years of education graduated in 1901.

In 1921, land was purchased on the east side of Carmel proper and a new school was designed to house grades one through twelve. This facility would contain a gymnasium, a library, and a 600-seat auditorium. Local citizens decided in 1955 that the community needed to organize a school district headed by a superintendent. Forest Stoops, the county superintendent, was hired and the state legislature was persuaded to move the township boundary east to White River. Carmel Clay Schools then began in 1956. By 1958, Carmel High School was opened at its present location. An addition was added to the gymnasium in 1961 and a large addition including a swimming pool, an auditorium, and new classrooms opened in 1969. A third, freestanding addition was opened in 1977 located between the 1921 building (affectionately known as Old North) and the new Carmel High School. A final construction project was begun in 1990 and dedicated in April 1999. In 2006, the CHS Freshman Center was opened to allow incoming freshmen to acclimate to high school life and adapt to the size of the building. In 2014, students and alumni involved with the DECA program opened the Carmel Café & Market, selling various beverages and snacks to students. Today, Carmel High School sits on 55 acres of land and 22 are under roof.

Viral TikTok

On February 8, 2023, the school's DECA team posted a TikTok featuring a tour of the campus, which was followed by a part two the next day on February 9. The videos, which showcased various amenities at the school, including an on-campus bookstore, an auto shop, an Esports room, a jewelry room, a 10,000 seat football stadium, a market, radio, and planetarium, amongst other features, received a combined total of 34 million views on TikTok and versions posted to Twitter.

The videos drew attention to the school's amenities. This sparked responses from alumni of other schools, particularly those from poorer areas and started a discussion regarding the United States' education system and spending in the system. The debate was inflamed by the racial demographics of the school, which is majority white, leading to many pointing to this being an issue of racial inequities. Critics decried the stark difference between Carmel High School and schools in poor-income areas, which was often blamed on the supposed greater funding towards schools like Carmel; this claim was disputed in the libertarian magazine Reason, which pointed out that Carmel spends less per pupil compared to public high schools in Indianapolis.

Tim Phares, CHS principal, claimed that the incident was an entertaining but educational experience, adding that "[W]e are excited they seemingly hit the jackpot with millions of people viewing the tour of our exceptional school. Like with much of social media, they have also witnessed some negativity and the experience has provided multiple lessons about being online." The comments on the video have since been disabled.

Notable alumni

• Ted Allen – television personality and author; host of Chopped and former food and wine specialist on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
• Sarah Litzsinger - actress and singer; Broadway performer in Wicked, Kinky Boots, and Anastasia
• Jeffrey Anderson – professional tuba player and educator; former principal tubist with major U.S. orchestras
• Rich Balchan – soccer player, former MLS defender for the Columbus Crew SC
• Nishesh Basavareddy – tennis player; ITF and ATP Challenger Tour Competitor
• Nate Becker – college football tight end; former player for the Indiana Hoosiers
• Amy Bilquist – competitive swimmer; former NCAA All-American
• David Broecker – life sciences executive and entrepreneur; former CEO of multiple biotechnology companies
• Mike Delph – politician and former member of the Indiana Senate
• Stu Douglass – former college basketball player for the Michigan Wolverines; 2013 NCAA runner-up
• Keeley Dowling – professional soccer defender; former NWSL and Irish national team player
• Matt Elliott – former NFL offensive lineman for the Detroit Lions
• A. J. Hammons – former professional basketball player; Purdue Boilermakers standout and NBA G-League player
• Haste the Day – Christian metalcore band, multiple Billboard-charting albums
• Matt Hedges – professional soccer player; MLS Defender of the Year (2016) with FC Dallas
• Will Heldt – college football defensive end; former player for the Clemson Tigers
• Mark Herrmann – former football quarterback; played for the Purdue Boilermakers
• Steve Inskeep – journalist & author; co-host of Morning Edition
• Drew Kibler – Olympic swimmer; gold medalist at the 2020 Summer Olympics
• Jake Lloyd – former actor; portrayed young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
• Kyle Lloyd – professional baseball pitcher; played in Major League Baseball for the Miami Marlins
• Josh McRoberts – former NBA player; played for multiple teams including the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers
• Jake Mitchell – Olympic swimmer; medalist at the 2020 Summer Olympics
• Morgan Newton – former college football quarterback and tight end; played for the Kentucky Wildcats
• Tommy O'Haver – film and television director; known for Ella Enchanted and Get Over It
• Rajeev Ram – professional tennis player; multiple-time Grand Slam champion in men's doubles and mixed doubles
• Austin Roberts – former NFL tight end; played for the Cincinnati Bengals
• Rob Schmitt – television news anchor and commentator; former Fox News host
• Alex Shackell – Olympic swimmer; member of Team USA
• Aaron Shackell – Olympic swimmer; international medalist for the United States
• Billy Shepherd – former basketball player
• Avriel Shull – architect; known for mid-century modern residential design in the American Midwest
• Sage Steele – television anchor and sportscaster; former ESPN host
• Olaoluwatomi Taiwo – basketball player
• Collin Taylor – college football wide receiver; former player for the University of Colorado
• Danielle Trotta – sportscaster and television host; former NASCAR and Fox Sports personality
• Todd Young – United States senator from Indiana

References

References

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