It is set on a hilltop overlooking the San Diego Freeway (I-5) corridor and Saddleback Mountain.

[5] CVHS experienced several population shifts as the district opened the new schools of Aliso Niguel and Tesoro with the building boom in southern Orange County.

[5] Capistrano Valley has a type of brick architecture, seldom seen in the stucco pop up buildings that cover most of Southern California.

From the mall are the administration offices, the food service area, the teachers' lounge, all centered by a stage where music and games are played during events like spirit week or before a school dance.

The C wing has eight classrooms that are electives and ROP courses like auto shop, photography, dance, and drama.

The K wing is often considered "rave-like" because of how busy it is due to sharp turns in the internal architecture.

[2] CVHS also boasts one of the largest high school swimming pools at 50 meters long.

[6] The school has a strong Model United Nations program that functions as a student-operated club and an elective class.

[9] The Capistrano Valley Marching Band, known throughout Southern California as the Black and Gold Brigade, participates in competitive field tournaments, parades and home football games.

On October 13, 2007, the Black and Gold Brigade came in first place for Auxiliary, Music, and Drumline categories at the prestigious Poway Marching Band Invitational in Division 2A.

On October 11, 2008, the Black and Gold Brigade came in first place for Percussion, Visual, and Drum Major categories at the Fullerton High School Marching Band Competition.

Also during the event, they won 1st place in their division This year, Capistrano Valley High School has two wind bands and three string orchestras.

CVHS also has an active ComedySportz team, which competes with other local schools in improvisation-based games.

In a case that drew national media attention, biology teacher John Peloza was accused of proselytizing and teaching creationism instead of evolution, in violation of the state curriculum.

[24] Peloza was not fired, but was reprimanded by the principal and ordered to teach evolution and refrain from proselytizing.

He also alleged that the defendants attempted by harassment and intimidation to force him to teach evolutionism because of a class-based animus against practicing Christians in violation of 42 U.S.C.

Peloza received assistance from the Rutherford Institute and the American Center for Law and Justice.

On October 4, 1994 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of Peloza's lawsuit, but reversed the award of attorney's fees.

[27] In another case that has drawn national media coverage, on December 12, 2007 Chad Farnan, a student, represented by the Advocates for Faith and Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group, filed suit against 19-year AP European History teacher Dr. James Corbett.

[28] The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages and attorney fees, alleges that Corbett typically spent "a large portion of class time propagating his personal views to a captive audience," including criticism of Christianity and traditional Christian viewpoints on topics such as birth control, teenage sex, homosexuality and erectile dysfunction.

[29] In response to the lawsuit, numerous former students of Corbett defended him, holding a protest at the school and forming support groups.

[31] Shortly after the suit was filed, the California Teachers Association intervened as defendants under FRCP 24(b).

[32] On August 19, 2011, the Federal Ninth Circuit of Appeals vacated the lower court's finding against Corbett and the school district.