| Lafayette Central Catholic Jr/Sr High School |
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For the Greater Glory of God
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| Address | |
| 2410 South Ninth Street Lafayette, Indiana, (Tippecanoe County), 47909-2499 United States |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private, Coeducational |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1956 |
| President | Joseph Brettnacher |
| Principal | Joseph Brettnacher |
| Vice principal | Neil Wagner |
| Faculty | 16 full-time, 22 part-time |
| Grades | 7–12 |
| Enrollment | 338[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 14:1 |
| Color(s) | Navy Blue and White |
| Slogan | He Shepherds, We Shape, They Shine |
| Song | Fight on, Central Catholic |
| Athletics conference | Hoosier Conference |
| Team name | Knights |
| Rival | Guerin Catholic |
| Accreditation(s) | North Central Association of Colleges and Schools [2] |
| Athletic Director | Tim Bordenet |
| Website | http://www.lcss.org |
Lafayette Central Catholic Jr/Sr High School (often referred to as simply Central Catholic, CC, LCC, or Lafayette Catholic) is a Roman Catholic high school located on the south side of Lafayette, Indiana, which lies 65 miles (108 km) northwest of Indianapolis. The school was founded in 1956 under the direction and guidance of Bishop John George Bennett of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana.
The current enrollment nears 400 total students. Grades seven and eight (Junior High) occupy their own separate wing of the building. Central Catholic is the first Catholic high school in the diocese and draws most of its students from the six local parishes, although some students come from parishes outside of the county. The vast majority of Central Catholic students come from the three Lafayette Catholic elementary schools, St. Mary, St. Boniface, and St. Lawrence. 95% of the student body is Roman Catholic.
Central Catholic has a high number of students that graduate with degrees beyond the state's core 40 requirement; at least one-fifth of the students have graduated with the Indiana Academic Honors Diploma (AHD) over the past two years. Only one out of 220 students graduated with the Standard Diploma (STD). This may be in large part due to the characteristics of the school community and the city of Lafayette which creates a good environment for high school institutions:
The presence of Purdue University and Ivy Tech not only populate the county with highly educated citizens, but may also keep the community focused on the value of education.
The local economy, dominated by Purdue and a growing high-tech sector, needs a highly-educated workforce, thus forcing area schools to have high academic standards.
The competition from local schools also demands high academic standards. For Central Catholic to survive and flourish, families must be willing to give up a free education in public schools to send their children to a private school with tuition costs.
Central Catholic has a high college attendance rate—89% over the past four graduating classes.
In 1959, Senator John F. Kennedy brought his Presidential Campaign to the halls of Central Catholic. He spoke before thousands at a fund-raising dinner in McHale Gymnasium.
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Central Catholic has a long tradition of excellence in the IHSAA and is a member of the Hoosier Athletic Conference. The Knights have had much success, most notably in boy's basketball when the state switched to the class system in 1998, and more recently in baseball where they have been a state finalist six out of the last seven years. In 2010, the Knights football team repeated as state champions to win their 4th class A football state title. As of 2011, no other Indiana Class A school has experienced as much athletic success as Central Catholic. As of 2011, Lafayette Central Catholic has captured 15 state titles (5 in baseball, 5 in football, 3 in boys basketball, 1 in girls basketball and 1 in girls volleyball).
In the early 1980’s, Central Catholic became the first high school in Indiana to hire a female to coach a boy's athletic team. Sheila Donahue became the boy’s tennis coach and later received Coach of the Year honors in the conference.
In 2005, Central Catholic hired former Purdue standout Dave Barrett to become the head coach of the boy's basketball program. Barrett, a graduate of Central Catholic, helped lead the Knights to the Lafayette Regional Championship in 1987. While at Purdue, he helped Gene Keady and the Boilermakers capture the 1988 Big Ten Championship.
In 2006, Central Catholic began a football rivalry series with St. Theodore Guerin High School, the only other Catholic High School in the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. There is a traveling trophy known as the Bishop's Cannon, donated by Bishop William Higi. Bishop Higi was the bishop that oversaw the building and development of St. Guerin. Traditionally, the Bishop will sit for the first half on the side of the team that won the coin toss, then switch at halftime. Central Catholic currently holds a 6-0 lead in the all-time series.
Central Catholic Champions
Boy's Basketball
Boy's Cross Country
Girl's Basketball
Girl's Cross Country
Girl's Golf
Girl's Softball
Girl's Swimming
Girl's Tennis
Girl's Volleyball
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