Como Park Senior High School

Como Park Senior High School
Como Park Senior High Schools main entrance, post renovation
Location
740 Rose Ave W

Saint Paul
,
Minnesota 55117

United States

44°58′33″N 93°7′52″W / 44.97583°N 93.13111°W / 44.97583; -93.13111
Information
TypePublic
Established1979
Principal
Diana Brown [1]
Teaching staff
55.11 (FTE)[2]
Grades9-12
Enrollment1,074 (2023-2024)[2]
Student to teacher ratio
19.49[2]
ColorsBlack and Gold   
MascotCougar
Websitecomosr.spps.org

Como Park Senior High School (commonly known as CPSHS or CPHS) is a public high school in the Lake Como area of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, serving grades 9 through 12. Along with nine other public high schools, Como Park comprises the Saint Paul Public Schools. Newsweek ranked the school on its List of the Top High Schools in America in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010.[3]

History

Como Park Senior High School opened its doors for classes in 1979 and remained the youngest high school in the district until Arlington Senior High opened in 1997.

After opening in 1957, Como Park Junior High School was converted into a senior high school in 1979, accepting students from the just closed Washington and Murray High Schools, both of which became junior highs that same year. The school originally had only three classes—sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The freshman class was added in 1981. Construction was not completed when the school year began. The class of 1985 was the first four-year graduating class.[4]

Renovation

In 2016, a school design committee drafted plans to renovate CPHS, including redoing artificial turf on the sports field, a building addition and interior renovations to create capacity for 100 new students through new education spaces, and a two-story addition to the building. Construction of these additions broke ground in 2017. The returfing of the field was completed that year and the other projects were completed in 2020.[5]

Education

Como Park's average score on the ACT exam was 21.2 compared to a state average of 22.6 and a national average of 21.1.[6][7][8] 51.56% of students were considered proficient in reading while 22.08% were proficient in math. The school meets 83.9% of the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements, not meeting AYP in mathematics. Como Park has an AYP graduation rate of 96%.[9]

Through Minnesota's Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program, students may take classes at state colleges and universities.

Enrollment

Como Park enrolled 1,163 students in the 2020–21 school year.[2] Of them, those identifying as African American and Asian were 33% each, while 20% identified as Caucasian and 10% as Hispanic. American Indian students were 1%, and 3% identified as two or more ethnicities. 62% qualified for Free and Reduced Price Lunch, a measure of poverty. 37% were enrolled in English Language Learning, and 13% in special education.[10]

Athletics

Cougar athletic programs compete in Class 4AA of the Minnesota State High School League.[11]

Fall sports

  • Boys': Cross-Country, Football, Soccer
  • Girls': Cross-Country, Soccer, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Volleyball

Winter sports

  • Boys': Basketball, Hockey, Nordic Skiing, Swimming & Diving, Wrestling
  • Girls': Alpine Skiing, Basketball, Gymnastics, Hockey, Nordic Skiing

Spring sports

  • Boys': Baseball, Golf, Tennis, Track & Field, Ultimate
  • Girls': Badminton, Golf, Softball, Track & Field, Ultimate

State championships

In 2013, Como Park's boys soccer team won the class A state title in a 2–1 victory against Hill-Murray, earning their first state championship title.[12]

In 2025, the Cougars Cross Country team won the class AA state championship under head coach Tim Kersey.

Extracurricular activities

Robotics

Team 2855s robot, "The New Style", for the 2024 season

Como Park's robotics team, BEASTBOT#2855, has competed in the FIRST Robotics Competition since 2009. From its founding until 2019, the team competed in the Minnesota 10,000 lakes regional, Minnesota State High School League State Championships, Minnesota Robotics Invitational, Lake Superior Regional and the Minnesota North Star Regional. In 2016, It won the Minnesota 10,000 Lakes Regional Entrepreneurship Award and came in first at the Minnesota Robotics Invitational as the backup robot. Due to lack of coaches, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent distance learning, the team stopped operating in 2020, but came back to compete in the 2023 Minnesota 10,000 lakes regional, where it won the Team Spirit Award. In 2024, the team made it to the third match of semifinals, the best result in its history.[13][14]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ "Administration - Como Park Senior High School".
  2. 1 2 3 4 "COMO PARK SENIOR HIGH". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  3. ↑ "America's Best High Schools 2010". The complete list of the 1600 top U.S. schools. Newsweek. 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  4. ↑ Sigvertson, Jene T. From the Past to the Present: An Inventory of Saint Paul Public School Facilities (PDF). Saint Paul Public Schools. p. 266. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2006.
  5. ↑ "Planning, Design and Construction / Como Park Senior High". www.spps.org. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  6. ↑ Hawkins, Beth; Allison Wickler (September 2008). "Making the Grade". Minnesota Monthly. Retrieved October 24, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Minnesota's Class of 2007 leads the nation in ACT scores". KARE 11. Associated Press. 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ↑ "2008 Average ACT Scores By State". ACT, Inc. 2008. Archived from the original on August 4, 2009. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
  9. ↑ "COMO PARK SENIOR HIGH (212)". Minnesota Department of Education. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  10. ↑ "SPPS Student Placement Center". Saint Paul Public Schools. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  11. ↑ "St. Paul Como Park H.S. | Schools | MSHSL". www.mshsl.org. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  12. ↑ "High school soccer: Como Park wins boys Class A state title". Twin Cities. October 30, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Como Park High School robotics team gets a reboot – Park Bugle". Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  14. ↑ "BEASTBOT - Team 2855". The Blue Alliance. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Xiong, Jay - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
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