The high school was established in 1938 due to the rapid expansion of nearby military posts at Fort Lewis. The cornerstone of the first Clover Park High School was laid June 28, 1938. According to the 1981 Clover Park yearbook, Klahowya, on February 23 of that year a fire destroyed the gym, the music center and the business department. Junior Alfred Shropshire was arrested and convicted for starting the fire. One wing of the original school is now used for the school district's Student Services Center. The class of 1963 was the leading edge of the Baby Boom and was the largest graduating class of CPHS. The class of 1964 was actually larger, but in 1963, the class of 1964 split in half and formed the rival schoolLakes High School. Approximately 1100 students are enrolled each year. Their school mascot is the Warriors and the colors are kelly green, gold, and white. During the 2014/2015 school year the current principal, Tim Stults, took the reins from the former principal, John Seaton. In 2006, CPHS was listed in the OSPI document The High Schools We Need: Improving an American Institution. The OSPI document states, "Clover Park is committed to maintaining high expectations for rigorous performance from students." According to OSPI the evidence of effectiveness:
Between 2002 and 2010, WASL scores increased by 30.4 percent in reading, 4.4 percent in math, 43.7 percent in writing, and 6.9 percent in science.
Over the past seven years, student achievement increased and the gaps narrowed between the racial, ethnic, gender, cultural, and economic class groups within the school.
The annual dropout rate declined from 14.1 percent to 5.5 percent between 2001 and 2010.
The school successfully made adequate yearly progress in all areas in 2005 and was not mandated to do a plan for improvement.
The college retention rate of students who received the Bill and Melinda Gates Scholarship as high school juniors averaged more than 75 percent in each year 2002-2004.
Retention of highly qualified faculty has increased over the last five years.
Students
Out of the approximate 1100 student body, 68 percent are minorities, and 69 percent receive a free or reduced lunch. 10.2% of the student population is transitional bilingual. 69% of the teachers hold master's degrees and 100% are considered "highly qualified" according to No Child Left Behind Guidelines.
In August 2003, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation promised $540,000 over five years to the school to "support personalized learning environments where all students achieve." The school is thus sometimes referred to as a "Gates Grant school," in reference to the donation. The highly diverse school used the grant to engage in major restructuring as part of the "Smaller Learning Communities Program" which is intended to help large schools create smaller and safer communities within themselves. The program has received criticism, as parents complained that dividing the school into separate "houses" limited the selection of courses, and that attempts to "Raise the Bar" for all students had the effect of "dummying down" the challenges available to more able students., CPHS is now recognized as a leader in high school reform by the School Redesign Network at Stanford University and OSPI for the improvements in student learning and for narrowing the achievement gap..
Every year, Clover Park participates in the Pierce County Daffodil Festival. A competition is held in house to select the Clover Park Princess, who goes on to compete against other regional schools, for the Daffodil Festival Queen title. The Queen title is considered the highest honor of the regional festival. The Clover Park band accompanies the float of Clover Park's princesses every year in the parade, held annually in April. Jaymee Marty is the only princess from Clover Park to become queen, in 1985.
Notable Alumni & Staff
Notable Clover Park High School alumni and staff members include:
The CPHS fight song is performed to the music of the Washington State University fight song. Fight, fight, fight for Clover Park High Win the victory Fight, fight, fight for our green and white Best in the west, you know we'll all do our best So on, on, on, on, on to the end Honor and glory we must win, So fight, fight, fight, for Clover Park High and victory
V-I-C-T-O-R-Y up and at em' go and get em' Clover Park High
