In the early 1960s, the Carmelites and the Sisters of Charity were asked to build separate but similar Catholic high schools for the northern part of the Archdiocese of Chicago; an area corresponding roughly to Lake County. The boys school opened in 1962, with the girls school opening the next year. Following a lengthy planning process, the decision was made by the Carmelites and the BVM Sisters to combine the two schools and establish a board of directors. This was done beginning in the 1988–89 school year.[4]
The demographic breakdown of the 1,318 students enrolled in 2015-16 was:[1]
Native American/Alaskan - 0.2%
Asian - 5.0%
Black - 2.5%
Hispanic - 6.6%
White - 80.0%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific islanders - 0.5%
Multiracial - 5.2%
Athletics
Carmel's athletic teams are named Corsairs, and the school's colors are brown, gold, and white. Carmel competes in the East Suburban Catholic Conference in its interscholastic athletics program.
The following teams have won their respective IHSA sponsored state tournament:[7]
Football: 2003
Girls gymnastics: 1992, 1993, 2010, 2011, 2012
Girls soccer: 2015
Girls basketball: 2022
Fine arts
Carmel Catholic's fine arts program includes chorus, band, drama, and visual arts.
The drama program produces one play and one musical per year. The school's current long-range strategic plan includes the construction of a new fine arts wing by 2012. The Fine Arts wing was opened in 2013. The drama program is a troupe of the International Thespian Society and has had students participate in the Illinois High School Theatre Festival.
The choral program has a number of different choirs for students to join: Concert Choir, Treble Choir, Advanced Choir, as well as one show choir, Cadence, and one jazz/ a cappella group, Parkway Singers.
In the band program there are many different groups: The Jazz Band, Jazz Ensemble, Concert Band and Wind Ensemble. During the football season, the Marching Band plays at all home games and at as many playoff games they can get to.
^Lissau, Russell (24 June 2009), "Director of Carmel's Street Scenes show dies", Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL, USA), retrieved 9 January 2010, Music and theater helped define Mary K. "Sissy" DePrima's life. The director of Carmel Catholic High School's popular Street Scenes student show since 1982 ... DePrima's survivors include: a sister, Margaret Skrypkun of Chicago; two daughters, actress Marietta DePrima Newbern of Los Angeles ...
^ abMarshall, Jon (1996-10-26). "Politics comes home to Carmel as two well-known alumni visit". Daily Herald.
^Scifo, Tony (1996-11-05). "Carmel's political alumni return for chat with students Carmel High School". Daily Herald.
^McGraw, Patricia Babcock (November 9, 2007). "For Salvi clan, it's all about family". dailyherald.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)