| Bishop England High School | |
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Celebrating our Traditions--Following our Vision
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| Address | |
| 363 Seven Farms Drive Charleston, South Carolina, 29492 United States |
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| Information | |
| School type | Coeducational Diocesan, private |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christianity |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Patron saint(s) | Our Lady of Mercy |
| Established | 1915 |
| Founder | Rev. Msgr. Joseph L. O'Brien |
| Authority | Bishop of Charleston |
| Oversight | Diocese of Charleston |
| Superintendent | Sr. Julia Hutchinson, SND |
| CEEB Code | 410370 |
| Rector | Rev. Msgr. Lawrence McInerny, J.C.L. |
| Principal | Michael C. Bolchoz |
| Asst. Principal | Mike Darnell |
| Academic Dean | Nancy Heath |
| Chaplain | Rev. Fr. J. Kirby, S.T.L. |
| Teaching staff | 53 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | +/-730 (2008) |
| Hours in school day | 6 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Campus size | 40 acres |
| Athletics | 20 varsity teams |
| Athletics conference | SCHSL Class AA |
| Mascot | Battling Bishop |
| Team name | Bishops |
| Rival | Porter-Gaud School |
| Accreditation(s) | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools [1] |
| Newspaper | Bishop's Quarterly |
| Yearbook | 'Miscellany' |
| Tuition | non-parishioner: $11,000, parishioner: $7,700 annually. |
| Athletic Director | Paul Runey |
| Website | http://www.behs.com, http://www.besports.net |
Bishop England High School is the largest diocesan Roman Catholic four-year high school in South Carolina. Until 1998, the school was located on Calhoun Street in downtown Charleston. It is now located on Daniel Island in the city of Charleston. With an enrollment of 730, it is the largest private high school in the state. The school was founded in 1915 and was named for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston's first bishop, John England.
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On September 22, 1915, Catholic High School opened its doors as a department of the Cathedral School on Queen Street. The Reverend Msgr. Joseph L. O'Brien organized the new school with the cooperation of the Reverend James J. May. At that time there were 67 students enrolled in four grade levels: seventh, ninth, tenth, and eleventh. That first faculty consisted of three diocesan priests and three Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy (O.L.M.).
By the spring of 1916, a growing student enrollment made larger quarters imperative. The main building housed the senior high school, while an annex was converted into a biology lab and a seventh grade classroom. The school offered two courses of study: college preparatory and business.
With the Catholic community of Charleston increasing, a drive was initiated to raise $50,000.00 for a new school building to replace the one being used. The drive was a huge success, and ground was broken on July 5, 1921. The school was opened on February 18, 1922. During construction the high school operated in a former Catholic school for boys, the Central School on George Street. By 1940, 25 years after its inception, the school's enrollment had reached 318 students, and the faculty had nearly doubled.
In 1947, the school's first Rector Monsignor O'Brien retired after having served 32 years, and he was followed by former Bishop England student, Rev. Msgr. John L. Manning.
The Catholic community of Charleston sponsored two expansion drives for the high school in the late 1940s; two new buildings were added to the campus. In 1947 the west wing (which housed an auditorium, science laboratory, and offices) was built, and in 1948 the east wing, which was the Father O'Brien gymnasium, was built. Additional land was acquired in 1957, and a two-story annex was constructed, providing eight new classrooms and additional office space.
In June 1959, the Rev. Fr. William J. Croghan, B.E. class of 1940, was appointed as the third Rector of Bishop England. By 1960 the faculty had grown to 31 members, and 740 students were enrolled. Additional property was purchased in 1963 and in 1964 on Coming Street, Calhoun Street, and Pitt Street; this property would provide classrooms, living quarters for teachers, a maintenance shop, facilities for the school nurse, and a schoolyard. The 1964 school year began with a new Rector, the Rev. Robert J. Kelly, and enrollment grew to nearly 800 students. Because of overcrowding between 1966 and 1968, freshman classes were conducted in the old St. Patrick's School on St. Phillip Street.
Bishop England integrated in 1964; in 1968, it merged with Immaculate Conception High School. The student body numbered 850 students with 250 freshmen. The former Immaculate Conception School building on Coming Street became the Bishop England Freshman Building.
Nicholas J. Theos became principal in 1973. He established the BEHS endowment fund in 1985, which quickly grew to one million dollars. In 1990, Rev. Msgr. Lawrence B. McInerny became the third B.E. graduate named as Rector of the school.
In 1976, a former church building at 172 Calhoun Street was purchased from the College of Charleston. Occupancy took place in 1977 and housed the freshmen.
In 1993, four modular units (eight rooms) were added to accommodate increasing enrollment, providing four classrooms, a conference room, and a chapel where Mass was celebrated. Enrollment in 1995 was 805, the largest of any private high school in the state. In September 1995, Bishop Thompson officially announced that the school was moving to Daniel Island and its current property would be sold to the College of Charleston. The Daniel Island Development Company, which was partially owned by the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, donated 40 acres (160,000 m2) of land for the new school. To help offset the cost of the new school, a campus campaign was kicked off in January 1997 with a goal of $2.5 million. Construction began in 1996, and Bishop Thompson blessed the ground at the site of the new Bishop England High School in June 1997. In 1998 Mr. Theos retired after 25 years of service to Bishop England. Mr. David Held, who was serving as associate principal since 1997, then became the new principal. With the help of students, alumni, faculty, and volunteers, the school was moved to the new campus on Daniel Island in the summer of 1998. In the fall of 2010, it was announced that Michael C. Bolchoz would assume the position of Principal at Bishop England. Mr. Bolchoz is a member of the Graduating Class of 1983 from the same and had previously servered as Assistant Principal of the Cardinal Newman School in Columbia, SC.
The school is well respected in the Charleston area for its rigorous curriculum, and boasts SAT and ACT scores well above the national and state averages. Bishop England offers three levels of courses, including Honors level courses for most subjects. Students are required to take four years of Theology, Mathematics, and English. Catholic Mass and various prayer services are compulsory throughout the year. Students are also required to earn credits in world language, social sciences, fine arts, technology, lab sciences, and physical education. Language instruction is offered in Spanish, French, and Latin. Bishop England also offers twelve AP (Advanced Placement) courses:
Bishop England's pass rate for Advanced Placement examinations in 2010 was 85%, well above most schools in the tri-county area. On average each year, 98% of BE graduates enter college immediately after graduation. [2]
Bishop England offers a variety of clubs and activities throughout the year.[3] They include:
On average each year, 63% of the student body participates in athletics, while 85% participates in at least one on-campus extra-curricular activity.
The athletic program at Bishop England is among the top in the country. In 2005, the Bishop England athletic program was named number one in the state of South Carolina by Sports Illustrated Magazine,[4] regardless of size. Over the last decade, many teams including volleyball, soccer, baseball, tennis, and cross-country/track have won several state championships in a row.[5] The Be a Bishop Backer Club, dubbed "the Triple B Club," funds a staff of on-campus medical trainers for BE athletes.
The volleyball program is particularly dominant, and currently holds the National record for state championships with 22 overall. The team has won every state title since 2000, and their championship win on November 4, 2011 gave the Battling Bishops their 12th consecutive title, a South Carolina record.[6] On December 2, 2011, the football program won its first ever AA state championship, bringing the school's overall state title count in all sports to 100, the highest of any South Carolina school.[7] The school has been awarded the SC Athletic Director's Cup for each of the last 12 years, given to the top athletic program in the state.[8] BE is one of four private schools in the state that compete in the SCHSL instead of SCISA.
Bishop England's biggest rivals in most sports are the Porter-Gaud Cyclones and the Wando High School Warriors. In girls' sports, a heavy rivalry with Ashley Hall also exists.
Fall Sports: Volleyball, Football, Girls' Tennis, Swimming, Cross Country, Sailing, Cheerleading
Winter Sports: Wrestling, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Cheerleading
Spring Sports: Baseball, Softball, Soccer, Track, Boys' Tennis, Golf, Lacrosse.[9]
Portions of the film "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys," starring Jodi Foster, were filmed inside the buildings from the school's former location at Calhoun Street.