{{Short description|Public high school in Belmont, California}} {{pp-blp|small=yes}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Use American English|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox school | name = Carlmont High School | image = CarlmontHS 1.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = Entrance sign to the high school | motto = | address = 1400 Alameda De Las Pulgas | city = Belmont | state = California | zipcode = 94002 | country = United States | coordinates = {{Coord|37.5063|-122.2901|type:edu_region:US-CA|display=inline,title}} | type = Public high school | established = {{Start date and age|1952}} | district = Sequoia Union High | us_nces_district_id = 0636390<ref name=NCES>{{cite web |url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=0636390&ID=063639006194 |title=Carlmont High |publisher=National Center for Education Statistics |access-date=September 8, 2024}}</ref> | ceeb = | us_nces_school_id = 063639006194<ref name="NCES"/> | principal = Gay Buckland-Murray<ref>{{cite web |title=About CHS: Administration |url=https://www.carlmonths.org/About-CHS/General-Information/Administration/index.html |website=carlmonths.org |access-date=13 November 2022}}</ref> | teaching_staff = 114.48 {{FTE}}<ref name="NCES"/> | grades = 9–12<ref name="NCES"/> | gender = Coeducational | enrollment = 2,360 (2023–2024)<ref name="NCES"/> | ratio = 20.46<ref name=NCES/> | campus_size = {{cvt|42|acre|ha}}<ref name="2022 School Profile">{{cite web |title=Carlmont High School |url=https://www.carlmonths.org/documents/Class-of-2022-Profile-Final.pdf |website=carlmonths.org |year=2022 |access-date=13 November 2022}}</ref> | campus_type = Suburban | colors = {{Color box|blue}}{{Color box|grey}} Blue and Grey | athletics = | athletic_conference = | mascot = Monty | accreditation = Western Association of Schools and Colleges<ref name="2022 School Profile"/> | newspaper = ''The Highlander''<ref name="Newspaper section">[http://www.carlmonths.org/?id=280 Newspaper section]</ref> | publication = ''Scot Scoop''<ref name="Newspaper section">[http://www.carlmonths.org/?id=280 Newspaper section]</ref> | yearbook = ''Vistas'' | website = {{URL|www.carlmonths.org}} }}
'''Carlmont High School''' is a public high school in Belmont, California, United States, serving grades 9–12 as part of the Sequoia Union High School District. Carlmont is a California Distinguished School.
Carlmont was founded in 1952 as "a school within a school" at Sequoia High School, with four hundred fifty freshman and sophomore students.
== History == The school's name is derives from the campus straddling the two adjacent cities of San Carlos and Belmont (thus the portmanteau of San '''Carl'''os + Bel'''mont'''). Because this hilly area is referred to as "the highlands", the school team was named "The Scots", and the mascot is a kilted Scottish highland warrior, named Carl Monty.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} The Carlmont campus was built on {{cvt|42|acre}}<ref name="2022 School Profile"/> at a cost of about $2.5 million.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} Carlmont students come from Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Redwood Shores, and East Palo Alto.<ref name="2022 School Profile"/>
With the closure of Ravenswood High School in East Palo Alto in the late 1970s, instead of the school district complying with the ''Brown v. Board of Education'' (1954) and ''Mendez v. Westminster'' (1947), 2 US Supreme Court rulings that a student is legally required to attend the closest school to their home, the predominantly African-American, Hispanic and Pacific Islander students were forced by the District to be bused to other high schools in the Sequoia High School District, including Carlmont, which had a predominantly white population at the time.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}
=== ''Dangerous Minds'' === The novel ''My Posse Don't Do Homework'' by LouAnne Johnson and subsequent movie adaptation ''Dangerous Minds'' (1995) were based upon her experience as a teacher at Carlmont in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Teacher-Role-Hokey-But-It-Works-for-Pfeiffer-3026732.php |title=Teacher Role Hokey, But It Works for Pfeiffer |date=August 11, 1995 |last1=Guthmann |first1=Edward |work=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=May 7, 2008}}</ref> In the film, the school was named Parkmont. Most of her students were African-Americans and Hispanics bused in to Carlmont from East Palo Alto, a town at the opposite end of the school district from Carlmont.
== Clubs and extracurriculars == === Student newspaper === The school's student newspaper, ''Scot Scoop'', publishes news, opinion articles, casual games, and editorial cartoons for the campus and surrounding community.<ref>{{cite web |title=Scot Scoop: Carlmont High School's Student News Site |url=https://scotscoop.com |work=Scot Scoop |access-date=April 30, 2026}}</ref> In addition to ''Scot Scoop'', a second news-magazine called ''Highlander'' publishes less frequent, longer articles.<ref name="Mata">{{cite web |last1=Mata |first1=Ana |title=Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton High School publications receive 2025 Pacemaker Awards |url=https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/carlmont-menlo-atherton-high-school-publications-receive-2025-pacemaker-awards/article_1bd737c3-404f-4400-b821-63aeb4786294.html |work=San Mateo Daily Journal |date=May 12, 2025 |access-date=April 30, 2026 |archive-date=May 14, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250514234111/https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/carlmont-menlo-atherton-high-school-publications-receive-2025-pacemaker-awards/article_1bd737c3-404f-4400-b821-63aeb4786294.html |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Scot Scoop'' has won the High School Online Pacemaker Award, a national journalism honor, seven times: in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023, 2024, and 2025.<ref name="Mata"/> It was also recognized as an SNO (Student News Online) "Distinguished Site" in 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=Award Winning High School Newspapers |url=https://snosites.com/our-customers/award-winners/ |work=Student News Online |year=2025 |access-date=April 30, 2026 |archive-date=November 13, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251113003429/https://snosites.com/our-customers/award-winners/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
== Controversies == In May 2020, a Change.org petition was started by a Carlmont student, claiming Vice Principal Jennifer Cho had been involved in inappropriate relationships with male students at the school for the past decade, and demanding action.<ref name="Toldeo">{{cite web |last1=Toledo |first1=Aldo |title=Carlmont vice principal investigated for inappropriate conduct with male students |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/03/belmont-carlmont-vice-principal-on-administrative-leave/ |work=The Mercury News |date=September 3, 2020 |access-date=December 17, 2025 |archive-date=September 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903173142/https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/03/belmont-carlmont-vice-principal-on-administrative-leave/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> As a result of the petition an investigation started, and Cho was relieved from the school later that month and reassigned to work at the Sequoia Union High School District office, where she was placed on administrative leave pending the investigation's outcome.<ref name="Toldeo"/> After the petition reached 5,400 signatures, the school district met on the matter on September 2, 2020 and recommended Cho be fired.<ref name="Toldeo"/> Later in September, district superintendent Mary Streshly stepped down from her position, with improper handling of this case cited as one of the main reasons for this decision in a vote of no confidence against her.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Toldeo |first1=Aldo |title=Sequoia Union superintendent resigns under cloud of controversy |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/22/sequoia-union-superintendent-resigns-amid-cloud-of-controversy/ |work=The Mercury News |location=Belmont, California |date=September 23, 2020 |access-date=December 17, 2025 |archive-date=July 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250717084830/https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/22/sequoia-union-superintendent-resigns-amid-cloud-of-controversy/ |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}</ref>
== Demographics == As of the 2024–2025 school year, the campus housed a total of 2,360 students: 1,195 males (50.6%) and 1,165 females (49.4%).<ref name=NCES/> The same year, 220 (9.3%) of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.<ref name=NCES/> Additionally, the student-teacher ratio was about one teacher for every twenty students.<ref name=NCES/>
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Carlmont High School demographics (2024–25) ! scope="col" | Demographic ! scope="col" | Students ! scope="col" | Percentage |- ! scope="row" | White | 960 | 40.7% |- ! scope="row" | Asian | 782 | 33.1% |- ! scope="row" | Hispanic | 360 | 15.3% |- ! scope="row" | Two or more races | 204 | 8.6% |- ! scope="row" | Black | 26 | 1.1% |- ! scope="row" | Native American | 17 | 0.7% |- ! scope="row" | Pacific Islander | 11 | 0.5% |}
== See also == {{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area|Schools}} * San Mateo County high schools * Tierra Linda Middle School (located across the street from Carlmont High)
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons}} * {{Official website|https://www.carlmonths.org/}} * [http://www.scotscoop.com/ Scot Scoop News; Carlmont High School's journalism website] * [https://drive.google.com/file/d/18WEIOwS8tmEl-OelnF2dc8mYeJfx_0O3/view Carlmont High School map and guide]
{{San Mateo County, California Schools}} {{Authority control}}
Category:1952 establishments in California Category:Educational institutions established in 1952 Category:High schools in San Mateo County, California Category:Public high schools in California