Catholic High School (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

Catholic High School is an all-male Catholic college-preparatory school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, run by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. It offers grades eight through twelve.

History

Catholic High School was founded in 1894 as St. Vincent's Academy. The school was so named in recognition of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, who helped organize and establish the school. The original site of the school was an old frame building in downtown Baton Rouge, and the enrollment was 106 students. By the 1920s, the enrollment had grown to approximately 300 students, and in 1928, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart built a new school, gym, and brother's residence at the corner of North Street and Fourth Street, and was renamed to Catholic High School.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the school's enrollment continued to increase, prompting the Brothers to acquire 10 acres (40,000 m²) of land in midtown Baton Rouge to build a campus to accommodate a larger student body, which was donated by R. Frank Cangelosi. After 10 years of delayed construction, Catholic High School, with its student body of 450 students, moved to its present location at 855 Hearthstone Drive in September 1957. The original buildings on the new campus included a residence for brothers and teachers, a small building used as a PE locker room and band room, and a main building. The main building at the time contained several offices, a library, six classrooms, and a few science lab classrooms.

CHS's main building, the oldest on the current campus, was built in 1957.

In 1963, the gymnasium was built. In 1971, the R. Frank Cangelosi Mall was built between the main building and gym for student use as an auxiliary cafeteria. In 1972, a new student wing, containing six classrooms, a cafeteria called the Union, and a library was added; the original library was converted into a faculty workroom.

In the early 1980s, a football practice field and baseball field were added, along with an all-weather track (which was renovated and repaved in 2000). In 1985, the Fine Arts-Computer Center, containing a computer lab and classroom, a band room, a chorus room, art room, drafting room, and several classrooms was added. Around this time, the original band room was converted into a weight room. In 1990, a maintenance shed was added, and in 1991, in preparation for the school's 100th anniversary, the Centennial Courtyard was built. Also in the early 1990s, the school purchased three homes across the street from the campus to use as additional offices.

In the fall of 2002, the gymnasium was renovated to install air conditioning, and at that time CHS dedicated a new Health and Physical Education Center with a weight room, a wrestling room, locker rooms for athletes and PE students, and two new classrooms. In 2005, the Brother Gordian Udinsky Science Center, containing updated science labs for biology, chemistry, and physics, a new computer lab, and several classrooms, was dedicated and opened.

Academics

The Brother Gordian Science Center, Catholic High's newest building, was finished in 2005.

CHS was designated as a “National School of Excellence” in 1989, 1993, 1998, 2003, and 2014 by the U.S. Department of Education. It offers five AP courses: US History, World History, Calculus, English Literature, and Biology, as well as foreign language instruction in French, Latin, and Spanish, and honors level courses in mathematics, science, social studies, English, and the foreign languages. Elective classes are offered in: accounting, architectural drafting, art, band, business law, chorus, computer applications and science, foreign languages, physics, psychology, publications, speech, theater, and word processing.

Each year, a student must take at least one class in English, math, religion, and physical education. During freshman and sophomore years, students must take a required semester class that alternates with P.E. Those classes are Civics and Free Enterprise. Starting with the Class of 2013, religion became a full year class junior year. In each year, a service requirement, ranging from 5 hours for the 8th grade year to 40 hours as part of a Christian Service Experience for junior year, is done concurrently with the religion course. A science class is mandatory for all students save seniors; they are nevertheless encouraged to take physics. American history is required of juniors, and world history is required of seniors.

Eighth graders have a separate curriculum of courses in which they must take: Algebra I, Louisiana History, Religion 8, English 8, Physical Science, Physical Education 8, and one elective.

Students who maintain a 4.0 GPA each year receive Principal's Honors (also known as Highest Honors), and students who have a 3.5-3.99 GPA receive First Honors. A student can letter in academics if he maintains at least a 3.5 GPA for two years.

As of 2006, there are 99 faculty and staff. The average class size is 28.

Costs

Tuition for the 2011-2012 school year is $8,040 for returning students and $8,140 for new students. Books and additional fees may also apply. Financial aid is available upon condition of participation in a summer work study program for upperclassmen. This program involves simple manual labor and pays a minimum wage salary (in addition to any aid grants the student might receive).

Awards and recognition

During the 1988-89, 1992–93, 1997–98, 2003–04, and 2013-14 school years, (one of only two schools in the nation to receive the award five times) Catholic High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education.^[2][3]

Notable alumni

• Kurt Ainsworth, Class of 1996, baseball player for the San Francisco Giants and the Baltimore Orioles
• Major Applewhite, Class of 1997, football player and former co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach at the University of Texas
• Warren Capone, Class of 1970, football player for the Dallas Cowboys and the Birmingham Americans
• David Dellucci, Class of 1991, retired Major League Baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles, Arizona Diamondbacks (a member of the 2001 World Series team), New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, and Toronto Blue Jays
• Warrick Dunn, Class of 1993, former running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons
• Jeff Fortenberry, Class of 1978, Nebraska U.S. Representative
• John Fred, Class of 1959, musician and co-writer of the song "Judy in Disguise"
• Garret Graves, Class of 1990, Louisiana U.S. Representative
• Brandon Harrison, Class of 2003, football player for the Houston Texans and currently the United Football League's California Redwoods
• Gayle Hatch, Class of 1957, head coach for the 2004 USA Men’s Olympic Weightlifting Team
• Paul M. Hebert, Class of 1924, Dean of the LSU Law School (now known as the Paul M. Hebert Law Center)
• Donnie Jones, Class of 1999, football player for the LSU Tigers (1999–2003); Seattle Seahawks (2004); Miami Dolphins (2005 & 2006); St. Louis Rams (2007–2011); Houston Texans (2012) and currently Philadelphia Eagles (2013). Holder of numerous awards and team records, including being named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in two successive Eagle games in 2013.
• Fred S. LeBlanc, Class of 1916, former Louisiana attorney general, mayor of Baton Rouge, and judge
• John Maginnis, Class of 1966, Louisiana political journalist, author, and commentator^[4]
• P.J. Mills, Class of 1951, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Shreveport; former president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana
• Travis Minor, Class of 1997, football player for the Miami Dolphins and St. Louis Rams
• Aaron Nola, baseball player^[5]
• Austin Nola, baseball player^[6]
• Frank J. Polozola, Class of 1959, United States district court judge
• Erich Ponti, Class of 1983, member of the Louisiana House from Baton Rouge
• Carl Weiss, Valedictorian of the Class of 1921, a local doctor and alleged assassin of Huey Long
• Chris Williams, Class of 2003, football player for the Chicago Bears
• Blaine Salamoni, Baton Rouge Police Officer who killed Alton Sterling. The shooting sparked weeks of protests and violence against police in Baton Rouge and around America.
• Derrius Guice, LSU running back

Notes

• As a Brothers of the Sacred Heart school, CHS is not a parochial school, falling outside the direction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge.
• Catholic High School is one of the few United States schools without a federally funded lunch program. The school has an independent lunch program which offers either a hot plate or hot sandwich meal for students to purchase using their student ids as debit cards. In addition, the program also offers breakfast before school begins and snacks after school. Piccadilly Cafeterias began running the lunch program in 2011.
• Catholic High School runs several classes and extracurriculars jointly with St. Joseph's Academy (Baton Rouge), the all-girls school located near CHS.

References

External links

• Official Site