Located at 744 West Main Street in Hyannis, Barnstable High School is the largest high school on Cape Cod. It has a student population of roughly 2,000 and a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio. The school is really a set of “schools within schools,” as the students in grades 8 through 12 are divided into five “houses.”
The current building has stood in the same location since 1959 but the institution itself was created in the late 19th century. Today the school boasts strong arts, music and sports departments and regularly hosts performances from the Cape Symphony inside the Barnstable Performing Arts Center. Nearly 20 first languages are spoken in the school with a solid English support program for learners of every kind.
School Hours
Barnstable High School is open Monday through Friday, 6:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. and classes are in session from 7:20 a.m. to 1:55 p.m. On half days, dismissal is at 10:15 a.m. Snow day decisions are typically made by 6 a.m. and can be heard on air at Ocean 104.7 and 99.9 The Q. The school’s principal says they favor going the two-hour delay route in less severe conditions.
Seasonal and holiday closings are always posted on the school’s website.
After School Programs at Barnstable High School
BHS has an extensive roster of clubs to join, everything from Anime and Art clubs to TV and Yearbook. However, the photography, drama, student council and key clubs are the most popular.
The BHS Insight is a student-run newspaper that is printed five times throughout the school year. Insight has been publishing school community news for more than 50 years and has won awards from New England Scholastic Press Association and the Suffolk University Press Association.
Minorities and culture are well represented at Barnstable High School through inclusion-based curriculums and clubs like the Gay/Straight Alliance, Imani Club, East Asian Club and others. Athletic programs run the gamut of similarly-sized schools in the region. Barnstable High School’s Red Raiders are powerhouses in Women’s Gymnastics and Volleyball. The Division 1 volleyball team, nicknamed Coach Turco’s “Big Red Machine,” has earned repeated state championships. One graduate even went on to become Head Volleyball Coach at a prestigious university.
A full list of upcoming games can be found here.
Famous Barnstable High School alums:
– Siobhan Magnus, who placed sixth in the ninth season of American Idol and has toured across the country since, graduated from BHS in 2008. She auditioned for the popular music television program a year after her graduation.
– Neal McDonough, has acted in a wide range of roles, from HBO’s “Band of Brothers” to hit television hit series including “Desperate Houswives,” and ‘Arrow’ as well as the comedy film “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.”
– Casey Sherman wrote “The Finest Hours” about the daring Chatham Coast Guard rescue of the SS Pendleton. The book was adapted for film and produced by Disney.
History of Barnstable High School
Several attempts to start a secondary school in Barnstable failed way back in 1837. It wasn’t until 1871 that the town decided a publicly funded high school was a necessity and even then, trouble ensued. A feud between the villages of West Barnstable, Hyannis and Centerville erupted over where the high school would be placed. A school was established in Hyannis at first, then switched to West Barnstable, and back to Hyannis again in 1879.
After a few more rebuilds and additions, a new modern building was constructed in 1957 at the current West Main Street location. To accommodate growing attendance, several additions were made in 1963 and another in 1976. The latter added the field house, cafeteria, library and additional classrooms.
A new renovation in 1998 demolished an old space in order for the performing arts center and additional classrooms to be built.
