Mentor High School

Mentor High School received ratings of excellent from the Ohio Department of Education from the 2003–2004 school year through the 2011–2012 school year. Since the 2011–2012 school year, the Ohio Department of Education has been constructing a new statewide evaluation model and has not released overall building ratings.[8]

Mentor High School continues to see an increase in student achievement of National Merit recognition.

• 2016-2017 School Year; 7 Finalists, 10 Commended Students
• 2015-2016 School Year; 4 Finalists, 1 Semifinalist, 11 Commended Students
• 2014-2015 School Year; 2 Finalists, 3 Commended Students
• 2013-2014 School Year; 2 Finalists, 1 Commended Student

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Mentor High School has received the following independent rankings.

• 2016 US News High School Rankings: Bronze Medal #163 in Ohio [12]
• 2016 Niche High School Rankings: #40 in Ohio [13]

Mentor High School offers an extensive selection of 23 Advanced Placement courses including the following.[14]

Mentor High School offers a College Credit Plus program where students may earn college credit through taking courses at nearby Lakeland Community College. Two pathways are offered including a 15 credit option and 30 credit option. For the 30 credit pathway, students may choose an area of specialization including the following.[14]

• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
• Humanities
• Business

Mentor High School, through Lakeshore Compact, offers the following Career Tech Education programs in the district and through community partnerships with Lakeland Community College, Euclid High School,Wickliffe High School, and Auburn Career Center. These include the following programs.[15]

There are four concert bands at Mentor High School. These include Freshman Band, Grey Band, Scarlet Band, and Wind Ensemble, at increasing levels of skill. All four bands compete in OMEA contests.

President Barack Obama signs a memorial wall designed by former art student Anthony Gajary at Mentor High after a campaign event, 2012. The wall was also signed by John McCain in 2008

The Mentor High School Fighting Cardinal Marching Band, commonly called the FCMB, is a music program. The band plays at most home and away football games as well as competing at several competitions. The FCMB received its first "Superior Rating", the highest rating possible for competitions at the state contest, in 2004 under the direction of Mr. Shawn Vondran and Mr. Byron Hunsicker. During the 2012–2013 school year, the band earned another Superior rating at state contest with their show "I Believe." They also performed live for Fox 8 News in front of The Rock and Roll hall of Fame, and performed at a campaign rally when President Obama came to Mentor High School during the 2012 Presidential Election. The band qualified for the state contest again in the fall of 2014, where they received their third Superior rating with their show entitled "The Divine Comedy." More recently, the band earned three superior ratings in a row at OMEA State Finals for the 2017-2018, 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 marching seasons, with the shows "To Boldly Go!", "The Hands of Time" and "Uninvited" respectively. This was accomplished under the current band director, Stephen Poremba.[16]

Mentor has four orchestras in its program, including Concert, Sinfonia, Symphony, and Mannheim. Concert Orchestra is the smallest group, composed of stringed instruments and requires no audition to join. Sinfonia is a string-only ensemble for younger students who are committed to practicing but not yet prepared for Symphony Orchestra. Symphony Orchestra is the largest group and consists of string, percussion and wind instruments. Mannheim Chamber Orchestra is the most selective group and consists entirely of stringed instruments.

There are four curricular concert choirs that perform at concerts, festivals, and OMEA adjudicated events throughout the year. In addition, there are two vocal chamber ensembles and an auditioned show choir.

Mentor Science Olympiad has demonstrated a recent history of success. Top team finishes at the Ohio State Tournament include a first-place performance in 2017, second place in 2015, second place in 2009, and second place in 2007.[17] Top team finishes at the National Tournament include a fourteenth-place finish in 2017, fifteenth-place finish in 2015, seventh-place finish in 2009, and fifth-place finish in 2007.[18]

Mentor fans in the crowd at Canal Park during the 2019 OHSAA Division I baseball championship game

Mentor High School is classified as a Division I High School in the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). Formerly of the Lake Erie League (LEL) and the Northeast Ohio Conference (NOC), Mentor now competes in the Greater Cleveland Conference (GCC)[19]

The Mentor Cardinals have won several team and individual state championship titles sponsored by the OHSAA.[20]

Team State Champions

• Boys Track and Field - 1933
• Boys Cross Country - 1985
• Boys Soccer - 1994
• Boys Basketball - 2013
• Girls Track and Field -2021

• Mentor (25-5) defeated Toledo Rogers (21-8), 76–67, to win the boys basketball Division I state championship in front of 9,566 in Value City Arena on the campus of Ohio State University located in Columbus, OH. In the semi-final game, Mentor defeated previously undefeated Columbus Northland (29-1), 80–69.

• Coach Lee Tressel led the Mentor Cardinals football team to 34 consecutive victories in the 1950s.[21]

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