Blanchet High School

Bishop Blanchet High School is a private coeducational Catholic high school located north of Green Lake in Seattle, United States. The school was founded in 1954 by the Archdiocese of Seattle, and named for the first bishop of the diocese, A.M.A. Blanchet (1797–1887). Originally named Blanchet High School, in 1999 the title Bishop was added to make the school easily identified as Catholic.

Bishop Blanchet has an enrollment of approximately 850 students, 60% of whom are Catholic.
The school employs 73 teachers, 69 of them full-time. Most students come from Archdiocesan elementary and middle schools.

Academics

Approximately 50% of students attend Honors or Advanced Placement classes. To graduate, a student must have 52 credits. This school does not offer a Running Start program.
According to the Blanchet Admissions Office, approximately 99% of Bishop Blanchet graduates continue on to higher education.

History

The school was founded in February 1954, and opened in 1955. The school underwent minor renovations in 2002 and 2013.

Extracurricular activities

Blanchet has a range of sports, clubs, and activities. Most students at Blanchet partake in some kind of extracurricular activity. Several student retreats are offered, including a four-day Kairos retreat.

''The Miter''

Bishop Blanchet's student newspaper, ''The Miter'', is published every month during the school year. Articles are published on the newspaper's website. (school newspaper)

Athletics

Blanchet has 36 teams in 17 interscholastic sports, and as of March 2016 had won 164 League Championships. Sports played include cross country, football, basketball, track, soccer, swimming, lacrosse, baseball, bowling, and ping pong. It has won state championships in the following sports:

* Baseball (1): 1996
* Boys Basketball (1): 1963
* Girls Basketball (2): 1995, 1996
* Boys Cross Country (9): 1983, 1984, 1986, 1991, 1992, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2021
* Football (1): 1974
* Boys Soccer (2): 1974, 1980
* Softball (1): 1980
* Volleyball (4): 1991, 2004, 2006, 2009

Athletic scholarship scandal

In 2015, the Bishop Blanchet athletics program was investigated by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association for self-reported violations to the association's recruiting policies. The head coach of the Blanchet football team had set up a scholarship program funded by the school to provide scholarships to Blanchet athletes to stay at the school, even if they did not qualify for normal scholarships or financial aid.

As part of the WIAA's sanctions against the school, the school's girls' basketball and football teams' records in several previous seasons were expunged and the school's athletic program was put on a two-year probation, and the head football coach was fired.

Arts

Band, choir, drama and visual arts courses are available for students. The Drama department has a "black box" theater in the school where the fall play, one acts, improv, classes and rehearsals take place. In the spring, Blanchet performs a musical at the Moore Theatre. In 2008, Bishop Blanchet High School's Drama Program was awarded "The Top High School Theatre Program in the Northwest" by Stage Directions Magazine.

Notable alumni

* Jon Jon Augustavo – filmmaker and music video director
* Caprice Benedetti – actress
* Gillian d'Hondt – professional basketball player
* Bob Ferguson (1983) – lawyer, activist; current Attorney General of Washington
* Bianca Kajlich(1995) – actress
* Jake Lamb (2009) – baseball player (Los Angeles Dodgers)
* Tom Lampkin – baseball player (Seattle Mariners)
* Thayne McCulloh – President, Gonzaga University
* Ellis McLoughlin (2008) – soccer player (San Jose Earthquakes)
* Rick Redman (1961) – football player and coach (San Diego Chargers)
* Pat Shanahan (1980) – former Boeing executive and former acting United States Secretary of Defense
* Josh Sale (2010) – baseball player (Tampa Bay Rays)
* Joe Steele (1975) - football player
* Joseph J. Tyson (1975) – Bishop, Diocese of Yakima
* Tom Workman (1963) – former NBA basketball player ( St. Louis Hawks, Baltimore Bullets)

References

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Educational institutions established in 1954
High schools in King County, Washington
Schools in Seattle
Catholic secondary schools in Washington (state)
High schools within the Archdiocese of Seattle
1954 establishments in Washington (state)