Cleveland Heights High School was established in 1901 by the Cleveland Heights Board of Education. The building that is currently being used opened in 1926. The current student population was, 1,772 as of the 2018-2019, school year with 15.02 student/teacher ratio. The student body is mostly African-American, with 75 percent identifying themselves as such, and Caucasian, multiracial, Hispanic, and Asian minorities. Heights athletic teams play in Division I. The school is known for its strong music departments, including the Vocal Music Department which includes A Cappella, Men's and Women's Barbershop, Singers, and Men and Women's choruses. The Heights Gospel Choir was founded in 1974, and remains active as an extracurricular ensemble. The Instrumental Music Department consists of the Heights High Symphony, Symphonic Winds, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Concert Orchestra, Marching Band, Jazz Lab, and Jazz Band. During the 1960 and 1970s, Heights High's music programs were nationally recognized, with the Choir and Orchestra considered among the best in the country. For a number of years, world-renowned musicians performed with the Orchestra. The Heights Band & Orchestra Parents organization and Heights Choir Parents Organization played a major role in promoting music and making Heights High synonymous with the highest quality music. The Heights High Symphony, Symphonic Winds and Jazz Ensemble competed in the 2007 Heritage Festival in Chicago, Illinois, culminating with an award ceremony at Medieval Times where the Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Jazz Ensemble, received Gold ratings. The life stories of 48 graduates of Cleveland Heights High School are featured in the book Every Tiger Has a Tale, written by Gary Stromberg, a 1968 graduate of the school. In 1991, the school won the 23rd National High School chess tournament. The team consisted of Andy Gard, Joshua Jex, Ari Singer and Wenning Xing. Xing also tied for the second place individual spot with a score of 6.0 out of seven, and Waitzkin took first place with 6.5 out of seven. In the summer of 2015, the building began going under major renovations. The building re-opened on August 21, 2017, and the students used the original building for the 2017-2018 school year. The students used the Wiley campus for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years.
In popular culture
Cleveland Heights High School was featured in the 2006 movie The Oh in Ohio, featuring Mischa Barton and Danny DeVito. The cafeteria and pool are easily recognizable, along with other spots frequented by Heights High students such as Coventry Village. Seventeen magazine also did a featured spread on the senior class in 1975.
Hugh V. Perkins, Jr. '36, author and former professor of Education, University of Maryland, College Park; son of 1945-1960 Heights High Assistant Principal Hugh V. Perkins, Sr.
