Copper Hills High School


Copper Hills High School is located in West Jordan, Utah, United States, situated just east of the Oquirrh Mountains in the southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley near the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine. It is part of the Jordan School District. The school opened in fall 1995 and has an enrollment of 2,761.

Academics

Copper Hills offers concurrent enrollment classes at the school via Salt Lake Community College. Students attend the college-level classes at Copper Hills for either a quarter, semester, or full year. Credit is received based on overall grade performance and, in most cases, a cumulative exam of the information learned in the class. Additionally, Copper Hills offers nationwide Advanced Placement classes to its students.
Copper Hills offers clubs and extracurricular activities including American Sign Language, Future Farmers of America, Cheerleading, Chess Club, Dance, Debate, DECA/FBLA, Drama, French Club, Chasms literary magazine, Yearbook, FCCLA, Social Ballroom Dance, Student Government, Band, National Honors Society, Newspaper, Skills USA/VICA, Spanish language Club, Technology Student Association, and Science Club.
Starting in the 2006-2007 school year, the school required students to take "Partner Adults With Students". PAWS was a mandatory 30-minute class taken every Wednesday where students discussed concerns an issues with their teachers, who would provide further instruction on a provided topic.
Starting in the 2007-2008 school year, Copper Hills included five academies within the school: Business and Information Technology, Performing Arts/Crafts, Industry/Mathematics and Science, English/Social Studies, and Athletics. All students were required to choose an academy. The school grouped students of the same academy to take classes geared toward that particular academy.

Test scores

American College Test
Advanced Placement Test

Orchestra program

The orchestra is led and conducted by Jenna Baumgart. It has achieved many state titles since 2002.
In the 2006-2007 school year, the Chamber Orchestra attended a tour of San Diego, California, playing Handel's Concerto Grosso 1 as well as Paul Hindemith's Acht Stuke. They achieved superior ratings at the Utah State level competition for orchestras held at Brigham.

Student Government

The Student Government of Copper Hills High is currently advised by Scott Adamson and Rae Boren.
The officer corps is made up of ten Student Body Officers and fifteen Class Officers, elected during April of each year.

Choir program

The Concert Choir and Madrigal choirs are led and conducted by Marc Taylor, and have attained many region, state, and national titles.
The choral department is one of the largest in the school. It includes the Concert Choir, Madrigal Choir, Mixed Choir, Men's Choir and Ladies' Choir.

Donation center

In 2016, the school made both local and national headlines for a donation center founded by teacher Rickee Stewart and based in the school. Stewart began the donation center after asking for donations for homeless and impoverished students in the area instead of gifts for her upcoming wedding. Since then, the donation center has been featured in various media outlets such as NBC Nightly News, People, and the Ellen DeGeneres Show. In 2017, Stewart made an appearance on Rachael Ray in which Ray, in association with Burlington Coat Factory, donated 1,000 winter coats for those who unable to afford one, and $10,000 to the school.

Athletics

;Region championships
;State championships
;National championships
In 2004, the school adopted a "policy requiring same-sex couples to get parental permission before attending school dances." This prompted a complaint from the ACLU on December 7, 2004. Two weeks later, the school revoked the policy.

Drill Team Controversy

In 2017, after winning the Utah State Drill Team 5A Championship, Drill Team Head Coach Shannon Mortensen was investigated by the Utah High School Activities Association for collusion with the judges among other charges. Coach Mortensen was ultimately placed on probation along with Copper Hills High School as a result of the investigation.

COVID-19 school cancellation

During the 2019–20 school year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced that in-person classes at Copper Hills High School would be canceled starting on March 18, 2020. All after-school and extracurricular activities at the school were canceled as well. During this time, students were provided with a remote learning experience through online services such as Canvas and Google Classroom.
As of July 29, 2020, new and returning students have the option to enroll in virtual learning for the 2020–21 school year as well as the option to return to a classroom setting, while practicing social distancing and wearing protective face coverings whenever possible.

Notable alumni