O'Connell College Preparatory School

O'Connell College Preparatory School
Address
1320 Tremont
Galveston, Texas, (Galveston County) 77550
United States
Coordinates 29°17′49″N 94°47′26″W / 29.29694°N 94.79056°W / 29.29694; -94.79056Coordinates: 29°17′49″N 94°47′26″W / 29.29694°N 94.79056°W / 29.29694; -94.79056
Information
Type Private, Coeducational
Religious affiliation(s) Christian
Denomination Roman Catholic
Established 1967
Founder

Ursuline Academy Founded 1847

Dominican High School

Founded 1882

Kirwin High School

Founded 1927

O'Connell High School

Founded 1968

O'Connell College Preparatory School

Founded 2007 - Present
School board

President

Mr. Wayne Mallia

Vice President

Mr. Michael Christiansen

Members

Mr. Mike Wisner

Mr. John Cartwright

Mr. Trey Apffel

Mrs. Tonya Arnold-Callendar

Fr. EJ Stein
Oversight Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Principal Mrs. Patti Abbott
Staff

Finance Director Shanna Pennington

College Prep Coordinator Mrs. Paula Lamb

Admissions Director Ms. Roberta Taylor

Director of Facilities/Technology Mr. Russell Johns

Administrative Assistance Ms. Chantal Rodriguez

Athletic Trainer

Ms. Lauryn McCurry
Grades 9–12
Enrollment Approx. 125[1] (2014)
Student to teacher ratio 15:1
Color(s) Red and Black         
Athletics conference T.C.A.L.
Team name Buccaneers
Accreditation Catholic Schools Accreditation Agency
Newspaper The O'Chronicle
Tuition $8,300
Communities served Galveston County, Texas
Feeder schools Holy Family Catholic School, Our Lady of Fatima, True Cross Catholic, Ambassador Preparatory Academy, Mainland Preparatory Academy, Trinity Episcopal
Athletic Director Mr. Anthony Cann
Website http://www.oconnellprep.com

O'Connell College Preparatory School (formerly O'Connell Consolidated High School) is a 4-year coeducational parochial/private high school in Galveston, Texas, United States that offers university-preparatory programs. It was founded in 1968 as a consolidation of Galveston Island's three existing Catholic high schools: Kirwin High School (Boys, founded in 1927) and Dominican High School (Girls, founded in 1882) and Ursuline Academy (Girls, founded in 1847) and is the only Roman Catholic high school in Galveston County.[2]

History

In the fall of 1968, the religious orders operating the three schools agreed on consolidation as a means of continuing Catholic secondary education in Galveston, offering a broader curriculum than was possible in any of the three smaller high schools. Bishop John Morkovsky, S.T.D., approved the plan and appointed a Board of Trustees composed of laymen and priests representing all the parishes in Galveston County. The Board named the newly consolidated school after the Right Rev. Monsignor Daniel P. O’Connell, P.A., pastor of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Galveston from 1933 until his death in 1966, and a longtime supporter of Catholic education.[3]

In 2003, after incurring many years of financial debt, Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza announced O’Connell High School would close at the end of the 2003-2004 school year.

Archbishop Fiorenza offered to allow the school to remain open, if funding could be secured that would enable the school to operate without any subsidy from the Archdiocese.

In the spring of 2004 a plan was presented to the Archbishop in which a private foundation, the O’Connell Foundation, would be established with funds from alumni and others in the community. The foundation would offset any expenses previously covered by the Archdiocese, as well as provide for the lease of the campus, which the Archbishop wanted to sell.

Archbishop Fiorenza approved the plan and on July 1, 2004 the school was reopened as O’Connell Consolidated High School. In the spring of 2007, the school's board of trustees decided to rename the school O'Connell College Preparatory School, to help distinguish it from other local public and private schools of secondary education.[2]

In 2008 the Houston Press reported that O'Connell may close due to damage from Hurricane Ike.[4]

In 2013 O'Connell was awarded a 5 million dollar grant by the Moody Foundation. as reported in the Texas Catholic Herald on February 26, 2013.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Statistical information gathered from Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston's official site
  2. 1 2 Taylor, Heber. "O'Connell seeks to redefine itself." Galveston County Daily News. September 23, 2007.
  3. ↑ O'Connell Student Handbook
  4. ↑ Connelly, Richard. "Galveston's O'Connell High May Close." Houston Press. Friday November 7, 2008. Retrieved on November 5, 2009.
  5. ↑ http://www.archgh.org/mobile/default.aspx?pid=500&hid=1280
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