Lafayette Central Catholic Jr/Sr High School

Lafayette Central Catholic
Jr/Sr High School

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
For the Greater Glory of God
Address
2410 South Ninth Street
Lafayette, Indiana, 47909-2499
United States
Coordinates 40°23′35″N 86°53′9″W / 40.39306°N 86.88583°WCoordinates: 40°23′35″N 86°53′9″W / 40.39306°N 86.88583°W
Information
Type Private, Coeducational
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic
Established 1956
Principal Neil Wagner
Vice principal Melissa Robertson
Faculty 16 full-time, 22 part-time
Grades 7–12
Enrollment 338
Student to teacher ratio 14:1
Education system Lafayette Catholic School System
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
Rivals Lafayette Jeff
West Lafayette
Guerin Catholic
Accreditation North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Yearbook Lance
Athletic Director Tim Bordenet
Website School website
[1][2]

Lafayette Central Catholic Jr/Sr High School (often referred to as simply Central Catholic or CC) 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.

Academics

Central Catholic is known for its high academic standards and 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. They also create a local economy that needs a highly educated workforce, thus forcing area schools to have high academic standards.

The competition from local schools, like West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School, 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 1990, citing a lack of support, money, and enrollment, CC threatened to close its doors. Former bishop, William Higi, announced in the spring of 1990 that CC's doors would close at the end of the school year. The announcement resulted in a strong showing of support from the principal at that time, Dave Worland, which eventually led to the reversal of the decision to close the school's doors.

Athletics

Central Catholic is currently a member of the Hoosier Athletic Conference. The following sports are offered at CC:[3]

  • Baseball (boys)
    • State champion - 2004, 2007, 2009–2013[4]
  • Basketball (boys & girls)
    • Boys state champion - 1998, 2000, 2003[4]
    • Girls state champion - 2006, 2015[4]
  • Bowling
  • Cheerleading
  • Cross country
  • Football (boys)
    • State champion - 1976, 1999, 2009-2012[4]
  • Golf (girls)
  • Soccer (boys & girls)
  • Softball (girls)
  • Swimming & diving
  • Tennis (boys & girls)
  • Track & field
  • Volleyball (girls)
    • State champion - 2010[4]
  • Wrestling (boys)

Rivalries

The Knights have held several rivalries with area schools, but historically none have been more passionate than those with the Jefferson Bronchos and the West Lafayette Red Devils.

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. A traveling trophy known as the Bishop's Cannon was donated by former Bishop, William Higi. Traditionally, the Bishop will sit for the first half on the side of the team that won the coin toss, then switch sides at halftime.

Other Facts

Notes

  1. ↑ NCA-CASI. "NCA-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  2. ↑ Indiana Department of Education Statistics for Lafayette Central Catholic Jr/Sr High School/ Accessed January 9, 2008.
  3. ↑ http://cc.lcss.org/campus-life/athletics/
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 http://www.ihsaa.org/TourneyInfo/TourneyInfoStatistics/FormerStateChamps/StateChampionshipsbySchool/tabid/581/Default.aspx

References

External links