Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School (BMCHS) is a

private high school Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

located in northern

Pasco County Pasco County is located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the 2020 census, the population was 561,691. Its county seat is Dade City, and its largest city is Zephyrhills. The county is named after Samuel Pasco ...

, Florida, United States, not far from Spring Hill, in the Diocese of St. Petersburg. BMCHS is fully accredited by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

(SACS), and also holds memberships in the

National Catholic Education Association The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) is a private, professional educational membership association of over 150,000 educators in Catholic schools, universities, and religious education programs. It is the largest such organization ...

(NCEA) and the

Florida High School Athletic Association The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high schools in Florida. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Florida uses ...

(

FHSAA The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high schools in Florida. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Florida uses ...

General information

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School was established in 2003. It is named after

Charles Borromeo McLaughlin Charles Borromeo McLaughlin (September 28, 1913 – December 14, 1978) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Saint Petersburg in Florida from 1968 to 1978. He previously serve ...

, the first

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg The Diocese of Saint Petersburg ( la, Dioecesis Sancti Petri in Florida) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Florida. It comprises , encompassing Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, and Citr ...

. An avid pilot, Bishop McLaughlin would meet the pastoral demands of a large diocese by flying from event to event in order to keep pace with his schedule. This fast-paced ministry affectionately earned him the nickname of "Hurricane Charlie." Therefore, BMCHS is the home of the "Hurricanes."

Academics

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School is ranked as the 7th Best Catholic High School in the state of Florida for 2020, as rated by NICHE, with an overall grade of "A." BMCHS is experiencing continued growth and is known for its high academic standards, use of technology in the classroom, sports program and fine arts program. In 2017, BMCHS's STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art and Math) Club won the Innovations in Catholic Education Technology Integration Award for its work in three-dimensional printing of prosthetic hands for children with limited upper limb mobility as a result of birth defect or injury, and was also honored by District Administration magazine as part of its Schools of TechXcellence program for this work. BMCHS is also one of the few private high schools in the

Tampa Bay area The Tampa Bay area is a major populated area surrounding Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. It is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the Unite ...

to offer an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program.

Financial aid

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School offers various forms of financial assistance. Diocesan assistance includes the Catholic School Tuition Assistance Grant (C-STAG), Mary C. Forbes Foundation Scholarships and grants from the Catholic Foundation. BMCHS also accepts government-managed scholarships such as Step Up For Students, Gardiner Scholarships, AAA Scholarships and McKay Scholarships. BMCHS also manages several privately funded scholarships.

Athletics

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School's athletic program is a Division 3A participating member of the

(

). BMCHS offers participation in competitive sports such as Football, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Boys Baseball, Girls Softball, Girls Volleyball, Boys Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Swimming, Track & Field, Cross-Country Running, Tennis and Cheerleading. Known as "Thee Beach at Bishop," BMCHS also has one of the largest

Beach Volleyball Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two or more players on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side of the ...

facilities in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, including 10 regulation-size sand volleyball courts. In late 2021, BMCHS received sanctions from the FHSAA regarding the Football, Baseball, and Boys' Basketball teams, citing "improper contact with student-athletes, impermissible benefits and athletic recruiting" that took place under the watch of athletic director Rex Desvaristes, dating back to September of the previous year. The fines levied totaled $70,000. Violations of FHSAA rules included "two student-athletes with grade point averages below 2.0 take part in 11 interscholastic contests and another student-athlete playing in eight interscholastic contests despite being in high school for a fifth year" This resulted in the firing of three coaches from the three athletic programs concerned. The football team received a three-year ban from all FHSAA-sanctioned events, though this ban was rescinded in early 2022.

Performing arts & activities

Bishop McLaughlin's facilities include an 880-seat state-of-the-art theater known as the Eleanor Dempsey Performing Arts Center (EDPAC). The EDPAC hosts school events (such as plays, musicals, concerts and speaking engagements), and is recognized as being a public entertainment venue by live entertainment ticket sales and distribution companies such as

Ticketmaster Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an American ticket sales and distribution company based in Beverly Hills, California with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010, it merged with Live Nation under the name Live Nation Entert ...

and Live Nation Entertainment. Clubs, societies and activities include Student Government, National Honor Society, Yearbook, STEM Club, SADD (

Students Against Destructive Decisions Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), formerly Students Against Driving Drunk, is an organization whose aim is to prevent accidents from students taking potentially destructive decisions. Mission "SADD empowers and mobilizes students a ...

), Key Club, Teen Court, Student Ambassadors, Peer Ministry, Show Choir and Drama Club.

Significant dates

January 20, 2000 - Diocese acquired the land for the future home of BMCHS. May 30, 2002 - Construction of the new BMCHS begins. August 11, 2003 - BMCHS welcomed its first freshman class. May 29, 2007 - Commencement was held for the school's first graduating senior class.

Notable alumni

Notable alumni of Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School: *

Nate Pearson Nathan Alexander Pearson (born August 20, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020. High school and college Pearson attended Bishop McLaughlin Cat ...

, A BMCHS varsity baseball player (Class of 2015), Nate Pearson was considered one of the top prospects for the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. Pearson was selected 28th overall by the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

, and signed his contract with the Blue Jays on June 28, 2017, which included a $2.45 million signing bonus. *

Dillon Mitchell Dillon Mitchell (born May 16, 1997) is an American professional gridiron football wide receiver for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Oregon and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the ...

, college basketball player (Class of 2022), plays for the

Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...

References

External links

{{authority control Private high schools in Florida Catholic secondary schools in Florida Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg 2003 establishments in Florida Educational institutions established in 2003