Bishop Hafey High School

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Bishop Hafey High School was a Catholic high school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, located in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in the northeast region of the state. By order of Bishop Joseph Martino, it was closed in June of 2007.

The school's mascot was the Viking. The school's colors were gold and white.


Contents

[edit] History

Bishop Hafey High School was constructed in 1972 in West Hazleton, Pennsylvania. The prime location between PA State Route 234 and PA State Route 309 allowed for ease of transportation access. The school was the replacement to the first Catholic high school in the Hazleton area, St. Gabriel's.

The school was recommended for closure in 2006 by Meitler Consulting, who was retained by the Diocese of Scranton to study the school's feasibility. In a controversial decision, Bishop Joseph Martino ordered the school to be closed at the end of the 2006-2007 academic year.

In August 2007, the school reopened as Holy Family Academy. It is now a K-8 site. It is the only remaining Catholic school in the Hazleton area.

[edit] Facilities

The two-story brick high school building's entrance is covered with a metal canopy. As one enters the building, the gymnasium prominently displays banners of championship sports teams. Continuing down the main hall, the cafeteria/auditorium features two food service windows.

Both the first and second floor classrooms include a medley of styles, ranging from traditional classrooms, to tiered lecture settings, and science laboratories with fume hoods. Many classrooms take on the subject matter, as it is not uncommon to see artistically painted ceiling tiles in the art room or a myriad of mathematical equations on the wall of the calculus room.

The library contained many volumes of current and archived periodicals, as well as books, research journals, reference guides, and computers.

Along with the building, a football field, a soccer field, and a baseball field are located on the property. Both student and faculty parking lots are on location.

[edit] Academics

Bishop Hafey High School featured grades 7 through 12. The curriculum was intended for college preparatory students, however vocational classes are available via the Hazleton Area School District's Career Center. Rigorous studies in Mathematics, English, History, and Theology fill the courses of most students. Specialized classes including accounting, psychology, anatomy and physiology, and physics allow students to broaden their horizons in education.

At the high school level specifically, Hafey provided AP level courses. The Advanced Placement courses, made available under conditions set by College Board, allowed for students to obtain college credit after successfully completing a rigorous examination.

The Bishop Hafey graduating class of 2006 included 76 students. Total college scholarship endowment reached well over $3,000,000.00.


[edit] Athletics

Bishop Hafey High School athletic program included the following sports:

-Boys and Girls Cross Country -Boys and Girls Soccer -Football -Boys and Girls Tennis -Boys and Girls Basketball -Baseball -Softball -Golf -Boys and Girls Track and Field

Of note, the Boys cross country team has been undefeated in the Wyoming Valley conference since 1995. The boys and girls team have won the conference championship every year since 1994. The boys team won the Pennsylvania AA State Championship in 1999 with standout runners Steve Sanko and Chuck Dinofrio. Head coach Tom Kostic has led the team throughout the years.

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[edit] Future

As of July 1, 2007, Bishop Hafey was consolidated with the three other diocesan high schools in Luzerne County (Bishop Hoban, Bishop O'Reilly, and Seton Catholic) into Holy Redeemer High School, which is located at the current Bishop Hoban site.

Not one Bishop Hafey student transferred to Holy Redeemer.

Several students who did not wish to (or could not) travel to the new high school instead attended Marian Catholic High School in Tamaqua, a high school of the Diocese of Allentown.

Many students are moving out of state because their parents are upset about what the diocese has done. Others just move to different counties or cities. A popular location is Pittsburg, PA. The students at Bishop Hafey loved their school and they are incredibly upset about it's closing.