Coral Gables Senior High School

The school opened in 1950, for the education of white students only.[3][4] High school students had been moved from the previous campus, Ponce de Leon High School. The new Coral Gables High retained the school yearbook name, Caveleon, and the school mascot, "Cavaliers".[5] Ponce de Leon High School became Ponce de Leon Junior High School.[6]

In 1965, when integration of public schools was mandated by the federal courts, the nearby black school, Carver was closed, and many black students transferred to Coral Gables. Initially, black students were not allowed to attend school social events, but sports became a great unifier. Football coach Nick Kotys and others manned the doors to allow entrance to black students. One of the new students, Craig Curry, became known as "the Negro quarterback" and led the team to an undefeated season in which they dominated the mostly all-white competition, ultimately being named "The Team of The Century" by the FHSAA[3]

In September 2009 a 17-year-old student stabbed another 17-year-old student to death at the school. The perpetrator received a 40-year prison sentence.[7] Francisco Alvarado of the Miami New Times said that the incident "spawned a lot of reactionary comments from Coral Gables High parents and former students, expressing shock that such a violent episode could take place at an otherwise well-behaved school in an affluent neighborhood," and that he had received two emails that said that Coral Gables High was in decline.[8]

Coral Gables SHS is 82% Hispanic (of any ethnicity), 6% Black, 10% White non-Hispanic and 2% Asian/other.[9]

During the 1950s some Jewish students were in the attendance zone for Coral Gables High but were instead sent to Miami High School; this was especially the case with girls, as many high-status girls' clubs at Coral Gables High did not admit Jews.[10]

highlights is the Coral Gables SHS news magazine. It has been in circulation since 1948. The 2015-2016 school year was the first that highlights was published as a news magazine with six yearly issues instead of a newspaper format with seven to eight yearly issues. The change was made due to perceived shifts in the taste of the student body. Each issue of highlights has 32 pages and includes 6 sections: Features, News, Opinion, Sports, The Scene, and Insight sections.

highlights participates in the Florida Scholastic Press Association's (FSPA) district and statewide conventions, and has received the top 'All-Florida' award for several years. It received the highest rating in the state, the Sunshine Standout award from FSPA at the 2019 state convention. The staff's work has been nationally recognized by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) and the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA).

Catharsis is the literary magazine of Coral Gables SHS. It was previously called Encore. The 30-member staff produced its first magazine under the new name in 2010. It has been accepted to membership in the Florida Scholastic Press Association (FSPA) and the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA).[11]

Model United Nations is a club in which students participate in various competitions around the state of Florida and The United States as a whole. MUN is an educational simulation and/or academic activity in which students can learn about and practice their skills in diplomacy, international policy, policymaking, international relations, and the United Nations. Currently, there are four competitions in which the team attends, including; Miami-Dade College MUN, Florida International University MUN (FIUMUN), Gator Mun hosted by the University of Florida, and MICSUN hosted by the University of Miami. The club hosts a yearly Model United Nations competition for middle schoolers called Cav MUN, in which middle schoolers may practice their skills in Model United Nations within a High School environment.

The Gablettes are the Coral Gables Senior High School Dance Team, originally founded in 1975.[12]

The Coral Gables Band of Distinction is a student group dedicated to music. The group contributes to the community by entertaining at pep-rallies, football games, and competitions. Band members participate in competitions such as the Florida Bandmasters Association's solo and ensemble competitions.

The Gables Guard is the color guard of Coral Gables SHS. During the fall, the band and color guard perform together at school football games and marching competitions. In winter, the color guard performs and competes in indoor competitions, such as SFWGA. The Coral Gables Guard is well known for their intricate, innovative routines. Each member competes in the Florida Bandmasters Association's solo and ensemble competitions.[13]

• Allan Bakke (Class of 1958) - applied to the University of California Medical School at Davis but was rejected two times on the basis of a racial quota system; this led to the U.S. Supreme Court's Regents of the University of California v. Bakke decision
• Zach Banks - American race car driver
• Steve Cohen - member of Congress from Memphis, Tennessee
• Keith Davids - Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and director of the White House Military Office
• Gail Edwards - actress on It's a Living, Blossom, Full House
• Robert H. Frank (class of 1962) - professor of economics at Cornell University and business columnist for The New York Times[14][15]
• Lillian Glass - author, media personality
• Gil Green - music video and film director
• Paul Jennings Hill - first person to be executed for killing an abortion provider
• Silvio Horta - television producer, Ugly Betty, Jake 2.0
• Maxx Klaxon (Class of 1989) - electropop musician and performance artist
• Katherine Kurtz - fantasy writer
• William B. Lenoir - astronaut on early Columbia space shuttle mission
• Donna Jo Napoli - writer of children's books
• David Norona - television actor
• Paul Steinhardt (Class of 1970) - co-discover of icosahedrite, a naturally-occurring icosahedral quasicrystal
• Janet Reno (Class of 1956) - former US Attorney General; captain of Coral Gables High debate team
• Karen Russell (Class of 1999) - author
• Winston Scott - former NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Captain
• Roy Sekoff (Class of 1978) - founding editor of Huffington Post
• Hugh Wilson (Class of 1961) - movie director/writer, creator of WKRP in Cincinnati, Emmy winner
• George Winston (Class of 1967) - jazz/new-age pianist
• Frank Zagarino (Class of 1978) - action movie actor
• Maxine Clark (Class of 1967) - founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop

• Miami-Dade County public schools