Carlsbad High School is located in Carlsbad, New Mexico, United States, and has a student population of over 1600 students. the school serves Carlsbad and the nearby communities of La Huerta, White's City, Queen, Otis, and Malaga.CHS received a "C" grade from the New Mexico Public Education Department in 2016.CampusThe Carlsbad High School Campus was opened in 1962, with the conversion of the previous high school into what is present-day Carlsbad Intermediate School. Carlsbad High School consists of nine buildings scattered across a large campus. The Main Building is a three-story building with an interior atrium opening to the northeast. Also on campus are the Freshman Academy (where classes for most freshmen are held), the Science Building, the PAD (housing the History and Math departments), the cafeteria (also housing the theatre department), the Gym Complex (including a public-access natatorium), the Performing Arts Center (containing the band, choir, dance, and cheerleading programs), the Arts and Crafts building, and the Building Trades Center. CHS is the largest high school campus in the state of New Mexico, and one of the largest in the country.Mascot and colorsCHS' athletic teams are known as the Cavemen (boys) and Cavegirls (girls), a tribute to the world-famous Carlsbad Caverns located near the city.The school's mascot is a caveman named "Rusty". Rusty received his name from the first Caveman statue placed on display in the Main Building. This statue was often decorated and dressed in blue for special occasions (e.g. district championships, rivalry victories, state championships). Rusty was often subject to abuse from rival high schools. For example, Artesia High School students once kidnapped and dropped him at Lake Avalon, just north of Carlsbad. Local residents retrieved him from the lake after a few years had passed. He now resides in the library (on the third floor of the Main Building) facing out the window and overlooking the campus.
