The Classical Academy High School (California)

Classical Academy High School (CAHS) is a public charter school located in Escondido, California. First enrollment began in 2006, offering grades 9 and 10. In 2007, 11th grades positions were open. Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, CAHS offered grades 9-12. The Principal for CAHS is Dana Moen.

CAHS is part of a group of four charter schools; other are Coastal Academy, Classical Academy Vista, and Classical Academy Online.

Program choices
CAHS offers 2 program choices for students: Studio and Family Students may also blend between the programs as well as take concurrent enrollment at the community college.
 * 1) Studio: This program allows students to take all of their courses on campus Tuesday – Friday with a credentialed teacher.
 * 2) Family: This program allows students to take all of their courses off-site under the supervision of a credentialed teacher and their parent or guardian.

Recently they opened a new campus, Classical Academy Online with Dr. Stacey Perez as principal, replacing their old 'Online' program and cybercafe.

Academics
A wide range of college prep, honors, Advanced Placement, and elective classes are available for students to choose from. , current Advanced Placement courses include US History, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Statistics, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Spanish Language and Culture, Psychology, Biology, World History and Government. Elective choices at CAHS include: Art, Digital Media, Photography, New Media and Video Production, Journalism, Drama, Music Appreciation, Choir, Play Production, Robotics, Synthetic Biology, ASB-Leadership, Work Experience, Office Aide, Teacher's Aide, Dance, Speech, Debate, Anatomy, Psychology, Sports Medicine, Life Skills, and others. Students also have the ability to take elective classes at a local community college or through the local Regional Occupation Program.

CAHS follows a quarter system, where students take 3-4 courses at a time. The majority of the courses are considered "accelerated" where a year's worth of content is covered in 18 weeks. Courses that meet for a full 36 weeks include all levels of math, Advanced Placement courses, physical education, and some of the elective classes.

The average class size is 25-30 students.

Mascot
The official mascot for Classical Academy High School is the Caiman.

Sports
CAHS is a member of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and participates in the Coastal Conference. CAHS offers the following sports for the 2021-22 school year: The Boys' Golf team brought the very first league title to CAHS in 2011-12. The Boys' soccer team won the league championships in 2012 and 2013. The Girls' Varsity Volleyball team brought home the CIF Championship banner in 2013. The (no-longer active) Ice Hockey team participated in the ADHSHL (Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League).
 * Fall: Boys Beach Volleyball, Boys Water Polo, Cross Country, Football, Girls Golf, Girls Tennis, and Girls Volleyball
 * Winter: Boys and Girls Basketball, Boys and Girls Soccer, Girls Water Polo, and Mountain Biking
 * Spring: Baseball, Boys Tennis, Boys Volleyball, Girls Beach Volleyball, Boys Golf, Boys and Girls Lacrosse, Softball, STUNT, Swim & Dive, and Swim & Dive

Controversies
In 2023, the school came under criticism from LGBT advocates after revoking its policy prohibiting staff from disclosing the gender identities of trans students without that student's permission, and instead replaced it with one allowing - and in some cases, requiring - that school staff notify parents if a student begins going by a new name or pronouns. The school issued a statement saying that this new policy strengthens support for students.