Christian Brothers Academy (Albany, New York)

Christian Brothers Academy is a private Catholic college preparatory junior and senior high school for boys founded in 1859 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers (see Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools). Located within the Colonie School District and the school is located in the town of Colonie, New York near the Albany International Airport on a 126-acre (0.51 km²) campus built in 1998. Christian Brothers Academy is independently run by a board of trustees and is part of the Capital Region Independent Schools Association. The school is known for its academic and sports programs, and has had a 100% college acceptance rate since 1980, along with numerous athletic titles.

History

In 1854, the Christian Brothers were invited to Albany by Bishop McCloskey, to open an orphan asylum for boys. To help support the asylum, the Brothers began a pay school in 1859 in which eighty boys enrolled. Stagecoaches carried the boys from downtown to the school’s rural location. After a few years, a separate building on Madison Avenue was secured. In 1869, the school was chartered by the University of the State of New York and a brass band was incorporated at the school. Over the next twenty years, the school outgrew its facilities several times. Each time, it relocated to a larger site. In 1882, the school moved to Lydius Street and in 1886, the Brothers purchased the former Normal College at 43 Lodge Street from the State Education Department. Classes were conducted in this building for the next fifty-one years.

In 1892 military training was introduced and the Civil War Zouave uniform was adopted for the cadets. Enrollment at Lodge Street followed a pattern of ups and downs. Since the lack of a suitable campus did not help attract students, the building itself became a liability.

In 1935, the Brothers realized that the dilapidated structure, nearly a century old, could no longer support the school's necessary new programs. They began a movement to secure property and funds to erect a new, modern building. Through the interest of influential friends and alumni, city and county officials in 1937 made available to the Brothers a plot of land. Popular response to the fund drive was immediate and generous. Bishop Gibbons and Mayor John Boyd Thatcher II urged all citizens of Albany to contribute. In 1937, accreditation as a military academy was granted by the United States government.

The De La Salle campus, featuring the Georgian Colonial school building, was opened in September 1939 in time for the school's eightieth year. The gymnasium building was added in 1942, and the Brothers' Residence in 1951. The old "alm's house" building on the new University Heights campus, popularly called "the Armory", initially housed the Rifle Range in its basement and the upper floors served as an arms room and military classroom. In later years, a Biology laboratory was added to the lower floor. One unique feature of the lab was the inclusion of live animals, which were cared for by the students. Also in this building was “the cage”, which served as the locker room for the football and track programs.

Eventually, the De La Salle site was in need of updating and refurbishing. The University Heights Consortium made an $8.4 million offer for the property and plans were made to move the school to the Town of Colonie. The new campus was erected with a price of $13.5 million. The new campus would feature a 75,000 square foot academic building along with a 10,000 square foot Christian Brothers Residence. The new campus on Airline Drive incorporated current technological advancements into its design and structure. Four science labs, a technology center, as-well-as a Lecture Hall equipped with all the latest media tools, became available to faculty and students. An 8,000 square foot auditorium was included in the original design to be built sometime in the future. The academic building in its current configuration has a total student capacity of 660 students, however, the school currently has 550 lockers available for students.

CBA currently offers a college preparatory program for young men in grades 6 through 12. Only a small portion of boys come from the City of Albany. CBA also offers leadership training through its (JROTC) Program. In 2012, the JROTC program became optional, although currently, 100% of students participate in the program.

Current enrollment for the 2015-2016 school year is 482 students.

Academics and athletics

In the junior high school, students complete a curriculum centered on the core courses in English, social studies, math and science, as well as religion, foreign language, Fine Arts and physical education. The focus of the program is to provide students with the skills and inspiration necessary to pursue the college preparatory program of the high school.

In both the high school and junior high school, there is an honors course of study available to qualified students. In the junior high, honors students in the eighth grade will be permitted to study Algebra 1 and Biology, which are course offerings at the ninth grade level. The high school program allows students to take honors level courses in all of the core disciplines (math, science, social studies, English and foreign language) through a combination of Advanced Placement(AP) offerings and regularly scheduled courses.

The College Board offers the AP program to high schools as an opportunity for students to pursue advanced credit in specific disciplines. The school normally offers AP courses in World History, Chemistry, Statistics, Physics, United States History, English, Biology, Calculus, Computer Science, Psychology, and Spanish. Students who wish to enroll in AP courses must meet all prerequisites for the Honors Program. Additionally, students enrolled in an AP course are required to sit for the AP exams scheduled in May, and to pay all necessary fees for the course.

The school participates in athletics under the guidelines of Section II and the New York Public High School Athletic Association. Starting in the 2015-2016 scholastic year, Christian Brothers Academy will compete in the Suburban Council. The Athletics Program is classified by Section II as a "Class AA" school.

Athletic teams at CBA include Soccer, Football, Golf, Cross Country, Basketball, Hockey, Wrestling, Swimming, Skiing, Indoor Track & Field, Bowling, Lacrosse, Baseball, Outdoor Track & Field, and Tennis.

CBA is known for its athletic programs which include numerous championships in all sports. The CBA Basketball Team won the Section II-Class AA title in 7 out of 9 years (2004,2005,2006,2009,2010,2011,2012) including other division championships throughout CBA history, multiple regional titles, multiple appearances in the NYS Final Four, and 1 State Championship in 2010.

The CBA Football Team has a history of winning. Their success includes 23 League Championships, 3 Section II Championships (1985, 2006, 2013), 2-time Sectional Finalists (1982, 1999), State Ranked 10 times(1973,1974,1976,1977,1982,1985,1993,1995,2006,2013), 1 Empire Division Championship (2013). As of 2010, since 1932, CBA Football had an overall record of (373-230-17). The CBA Football Team won the 2013 Section 2 Class AA Championship at UAlbany's Bob Ford Field.

Battle for the Sabre

An annual tradition between Christian Brothers Academy and rival LaSalle Institute is the "Battle for the Sabre" football game. The winner of the football game each year is awarded the "Sabre" to keep at their respective school for the year until the next year's meeting. The "Sabre" itself dates back to the early 1900s. The first meeting was in 1932. The schools, however, did not play in 1977-1978, 1984-2000, and 2005. The all-time series record stands at (38-21-6) with Christian Brothers Academy leading with 38 wins by 2015.

Structure

The academic building, built in 1998, houses grades 6-12. The building has updated classrooms, modern science labs, the 100-seat college style Lecture Hall, computer lab, 1,200 seat Ned McGraw Gymnasium, large cafeteria, the newly refurbished Alumni Library including the Honorable Anthony Cardona Technology Wing, art studio, music studio, Cadet Chapel, administrative offices, Brother Aloysius Myers FSC Guidance Center, among others.

The 126 acre campus is home to modern athletic facilities. Facilities include modern locker rooms,multiple Soccer/Lacrosse fields, 2 practice football fields, 2 baseball fields, 6 tennis courts, long and high jump pits, shot put court, discus court, pole vault pit, and the Puleo Stadium which features an all-natural grass playing field surrounded by a 400-meter running track.

Also located on the grounds is the Christian Brothers Residence. The large house is used to accommodate Brothers (DeLaSalle Christian Brothers) involved in the school, or those who are retired.

Christian Brothers Academy operates on a 6-day rotation cycle with 48 minute periods on a standard day.

Faith

Each school day, along with numerous school functions, begins with the Lasallian call and response, "Let us remember, that we are in the Holy Presence of God." A prayer follows this, ending with "St. John Baptist de La Salle, Pray for us...Live Jesus in our hearts, Forever!" Students are required to take a Theology class throughout their stay at CBA. School-wide masses are held monthly in the Ned McGraw Gymnasium.

Failed mergers

In 1998, the new CBA campus opened with 379 students. By 2004, CBA's enrollment peaked at 530 students. In 2008, the recession took a toll on enrollment and by 2008 enrollment had hit a low of 330 students. Shortly after, La Salle Institute in Troy, in a similar situation, began looking at options with CBA that included combining services or merging. In 2009, numerous open-door meetings were held at both schools and after months of discussion, the merger was rejected. A large financial contribution by alumni, family, and friends helped CBA recover from its struggles.

Since the merger was rejected in 2009, CBA has been on an upswing. Enrollment has rebounded from 330 students to 482 students in 2015. CBA has had the privilege of being the fastest growing private school in the Capital District. Not only has enrollment grown but so has CBA's academic program. Each year more AP, College in the High School, and University in the High School programs are being added. In the 2013-2014 scholastic year, CBA introduced a STEM program through Rochester Institute of Technology featuring courses geared toward the field of Engineering.

Capital Campaign

In September 2015, CBA launched a 3 year, $5.2 million Capital Campaign, Our Defining Moment. The Campaign focuses on 7 distinct areas to address the current needs of the school's academcics and facilities.

Campus locations

Accreditation

The school is accredited by the New York State Board of Regents, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools,^[1] and the high school JROTC program, and as an "Honor Unit With Distinction" by the United States Department of the Army.

References

External links

• Official website

Diocese of Albany Ordinaries Bishops John McCloskey John J. Conroy Francis McNeirny Thomas Martin Aloysius Burke Thomas Cusack Edmund Gibbons William Scully Edwin Broderick Howard James Hubbard Edward Bernard Scharfenberger Churches Cathedral Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Albany Parishes St. Clement's Church, Saratoga Springs St. Mary's Church, Albany Saint Stanislaus Parish, Amsterdam Closed parishes St. Joseph's Church, Albany Education High schools Bishop Maginn High School, Albany Catholic Central High School, Troy Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons High School, Schenectady Saratoga Central Catholic High School, Saratoga Springs Independent schools Christian Brothers Academy, Albany La Salle Institute, Troy Catholicism Portal