Bishop Kenny High School (commonly referred to as Bishop Kenny or BKHS) is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational

Catholic high school Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

. It is located in and administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine. The founder Archbishop

Joseph Patrick Hurley Joseph Patrick Hurley (January 21, 1894 – October 30, 1967) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine in Florida from 1940 until his death in 1967. Hurley also served as a Vatic ...

established the school in 1952, following the merger of three previous Catholic high schools in the Jacksonville area. Bishop Kenny High School was renamed in honor of William John Kenny, the third

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 c ...

of the Diocese of St. Augustine. Bishop Kenny High School is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Bishop Kenny holds membership in the National Catholic Education Association, the Florida Catholic Conference, The College Board, the

National Association for College Admission Counseling The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), founded in 1937, is an organization of more than 25,000 professionals from around the world dedicated to serving students transitioning from secondary to postsecondary education. ...

, 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 ...

. Bishop Kenny's sports teams, commonly known by their "Crusaders" nickname, are sanctioned by the Florida High School Activities Association (FHSAA). In their 60-year history, the school's varsity sports teams have won thirty-seven state team championships. Among Bishop Kenny's alumni are the computer scientist Philip Don Estridge, the federal administrator Jim Towey, musicians

Billy Powell William Norris Powell (June 3, 1952 – January 28, 2009) was an American musician and keyboardist of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1972 until his death in 2009. Biography Early life Powell was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. He grew u ...

and Virgil Roger du Pont III, the

MLB All-Star The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...

Jonathan Papelbon,

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player

Ben Gamel Benjamin Joseph Gamel (born May 17, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, Clev ...

, television host and model Yoanna House, anchor Donna Deegan, and head coach Pat McMahon.

History

In 1952 three area Catholic high schools were consolidated as Central Catholic High School under the direction of Archbishop John P. Hurley. In 1953 Central Catholic was re-dedicated and named for Bishop William John Kenny, the third bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine. In 1989, Father Michael Houle was named President of Bishop Kenny. Over the last 20 years more than $20 million have been raised and invested to improve the school. In 2015 Father Michael Houle announced his retirement as President of Bishop Kenny, ending the tradition of Priests as Presidents.

Geography and setting

Bishop Kenny High School is located on 55 acres of riverfront property and can be found in the historic Southbank neighborhood of Saint Nicholas. The back of the campus is adjacent to the Saint Johns River. The school is located within the heart of the

Jacksonville Metropolitan Area The Jacksonville Metropolitan Area, also called the First Coast, Metro Jacksonville, or Northeast Florida, is the metropolitan area centered on the principal city of Jacksonville, Florida and including the First Coast of North Florida. According ...

, a growing metropolitan center with a population of more than 1.5 million people. Prior to the school being established it was once the site of a Spanish fortress, and in more modern times the property served as a shipyard during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Spiritual affiliation

Founded in the Catholic tradition, Bishop Kenny has retained its spiritual affiliation in an era when many other institutions have relinquished theirs. The majority of the students are Catholic, however they also have students from a variety of religious backgrounds and secular traditions. The students may attend services at the Paul F. Tanner Chapel which are conducted regularly.

School facts

* 15 varsity sports offered * 48 percent faculty with or attaining graduate degrees * 36 after-school clubs and activities * $9.9 million in college scholarships and grants offered to 2017 graduating class * 37 total state athletic championships won

Admissions

The primary admissions entry point for Bishop Kenny is in 9th grade, with varying transfer opportunities offered in 10th and 11th grades. Transfer is not allowed going into the senior year, unless the student is transferring from a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

or Jesuit Highschool from outside of the Jacksonville area. Admission is based on standardized test scores; recommendations, grade point average, and involvement in extracurricular activities. After an application is completed, then the student must go through a formal interview process.

Statistical profile

Bishop Kenny currently enrolls 1,308 students. Minority populations constitute about 21 percent of the student body, with 5 percent African-Americans, 8 percent Hispanics, and 4 percent Asian-Americans or Pacific Islanders.

Dress code

A student uniform is required. Male students are required to wear navy blue pants, white button down dress shirts, belts, embroidered ties, and brown or black dress shoes, with socks. Girls are required to wear uniform skirts, white button down blouses, and black or brown dress shoes and socks.

Traditions

Homecoming week signals a week of accessorizing the school uniform in a daily themed schedule, which may include " Western day", " College day", and "Color Your Class". Class colors are voted on by the student government and are traditionally: freshmen

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the ...

, sophomores

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

, juniors

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...

, seniors

pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...

. Other traditions include athletic events with rivals The Bolles School and Episcopal School of Jacksonville. "Yearbook Presents" is a ticket-only event held during the final week of senior classes in which the Drumline appears, a teacher produced skit imitating the most popular seniors is performed, and a multimedia presentation of Senior memories is shown.

Tuition

Tuition to Bishop Kenny for the 2019–2020 school year is $8,020 for Catholic students and $12,900 for non-Catholic students. In addition, the cost for funding 2 Catholic student is $12,940 and for 3 or more Catholic students is $17,420. There are also registration fees of $1,200 per academic year.

Academics

Every student at Bishop Kenny is involved in a rigorous college preparatory curriculum. Honors and Advanced Placement sections exist in each of the curricular disciplines. Admissions are based on grades, an entrance exam, and various other criteria. Bishop Kenny is known for its academic rigor, and the diploma requirements exceed the requirements for a

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 ...

high school diploma.

Faculty

The faculty at Bishop Kenny includes a total of 83 men and women. Approximately half of the faculty hold advanced degrees (master's or doctorates). Faculty members are state certified teachers with an average teaching experience of 17 years. Bishop Kenny High School is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ( SACS). Bishop Kenny High School has an honor system, which is formally known as the Honor Code. Students are obligated to follow the Honor Code and are expected to protect the privilege and not tolerate any violations.

Service

Bishop Kenny places a particularly strong emphasis on

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...

, encouraging their students to serve the community. All students are required to fulfill community service requirements of 25 hours per academic year. If a students fails to complete the service requirements, then they will face an academic penalty. During the 2016–2017 academic year the student body performed 17,248 hours of community service.

AP curriculum

Advanced Placement Program Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

(AP) courses includes the following:

Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps

Bishop Kenny has a prestigious Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps. Officially founded in 1973, it is one of the largest programs in the state. The program teaches discipline, honor, and dedication through the uniform inspections, drill instruction, and academics placed in the hands of the students. The curriculum teaches four naval science courses for students who are in the program. The program is sponsored by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and has a staff of two retired military personnel.

Student newspaper

''The Shield'' is the student paper. In Spring 2009, the

Florida Times-Union ''The Florida Times-Union'' is a daily newspaper in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Widely known as the oldest newspaper in the state, it began publication as the ''Florida Union'' in 1864. Its current incarnation started in 1883, when th ...

bestowed the Henry A. Blumenthal Memorial Trophy to ''The Shield''. This is an annual High School Journalism Awards contest for the best student newspaper in the

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

area. ''The Shield'' also was awarded the Campus & Community Coverage award for the 2010–11 and 2011–12 academic years.

Athletics

Bishop Kenny's athletic sports teams, known as the "

Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...

", compete in the

(FHSAA). Athletic competition has long been a part of the Bishop Kenny tradition. In the 1970s the William H. Johnston Football Stadium was built and included bleachers, concession stands, and a press box. In addition the stadium is located on the St. Johns River, and is directly across the river from

TIAA Bank Field TIAA Bank Field is an American football stadium located in Jacksonville, Florida, that primarily serves as the home facility of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) and the headquarters of the professional wrestling prom ...

(home of the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...

). The school won its first state championship in men's basketball in 1957, and the Baldwin Gymnasium (named after the late Kenny basketball coach John Baldwin) was completed in October 1961, which was the largest in the city of Jacksonville at the time. Bishop Kenny competes in sports against schools from throughout the state of

. Teams are fielded at the varsity, junior varsity, and freshmen levels. There are 20 different sports in interscholastic competition. The athletic program has been awarded as the top program numerous times by the Jacksonville Sports Hall of Fame. In addition, the school field teams in every sport sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association. The official colors are red and white. The school offers 10 girls' sports and 12 boys' sports. Bishop Kenny maintains athletic rivalries with the Bolles Bulldogs and Episcopal Eagles. Male *

Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

* Cross country * Football *

Golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...

Sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cou ...

* Soccer *

Swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

and

diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), a ...

Tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

Track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

Weightlifting Weightlifting generally refers to activities in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells or barbells. People lift various kinds of weights for a variety of different reasons. These may include various types of competition; promo ...

Wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

Female *

* Cross country *

* Soccer *

Softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

and

Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

Athletic facilities

Bishop Kenny has several athletic facilities, such as the John Baldwin Athletic Center, a multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

and home to the basketball teams and volleyball team. William Johnston Stadium is home to the football team and the track & field teams. The Abbie Lenahan Tennis Courts are home to the tennis teams (which consists of 6 courts). In addition, Bishop Kenny has a

baseball stadium A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to pla ...

, multiple

weight room Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the physical strength, strength, size of skeletal muscles and maintenance of strength.Keogh, Justin W, and Paul W Winwood. “Report for: The Epidemiology of Injuries Acros ...

s, the Roger Strickland Field House, and a softball field.

Championships

In their 60-year history of athletic competition, Bishop Kenny's varsity athletic teams have won 40 state championships as of 2020.

Activities

Student organizations and clubs range from cultural and athletic to subjects pertaining to philanthropy. Some of the most popular organizations are Key Club, the Student Newspaper, the

Yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...

, Chorus,

Band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...

, the Drama Club, and Student Government.

Alumni affairs

The Bishop Kenny Booster Club (BK Boosters) is an

alumni organization An alumni association or alumnae association is an association of graduates or, more broadly, of former students (alumni). In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, schools (especially independent schools), ...

and booster club for the school. It is a membership organization for alumni and friends, as it does not require one to be a graduate. In addition, Bishop Kenny's academics & athletics have been supported by this organization for over 30 years. In total the BK Boosters have raised over $3.5 million to support the school's athletic and extra-curricular programs. The BK Boosters serve the school through programs, events, and services targeted at alumni and friends. Some of the programs include membership options, golf tournaments, auctions, and tuition raffles.

People

Presidents

The President of Bishop Kenny served as the principal executive officer for the school. Bishop Kenny has had many individuals lead it throughout its history: * Monsignor Terence Farrelly (1952-1956) * Monsignor Mortimer Danaher (1956–1967) * Monsignor Daniel Logan (1970–1989) * Father Michael Houle (1989–2015)

Notable alumni

Bishop Kenny has over 16,000 alumni and a large number of them are supporters of the school after they graduate. The following is a select list of notable alumni of Bishop Kenny High School sorted by last name: Donnadeeganbooksigning

* Philip Don Estridge (1955) - Computer specialist, known as "Father of the IBM PC" *

Roger Strickland Sir Roger Strickland (1640–1717) was an English admiral and Member of Parliament. Life Strickland was the second son of Walter Strickland of Nateby Hall, Lancashire, and lived at Thornton Bridge near Aldborough in Yorkshire, a property a ...

(1958) - Former professional basketball player with

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

* Maxey Dell Moody III (1961) - Former CEO of M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. * Pat McMahon (1971) - Former Head Coach for the Florida Gators and

Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball The Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball team representing Mississippi State University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The program is a member of the West Division of the Southeastern Conference ...

baseball teams, current Head Coach for the

Staten Island Yankees The Staten Island Yankees were a minor league baseball team located in the New York City borough of Staten Island from 1999 to 2020. Nicknamed the "Baby Bombers", the Yankees were the Class A Short Season affiliate of the New York Yankees and pla ...

(1970) - Keyboardist of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd * H. James Towey (1974) - Former president of

Saint Vincent College Saint Vincent College is a private Benedictine college in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846 by Boniface Wimmer, a monk from Bavaria, it is operated by the Benedictine monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey, the first Benedictine monastery in the ...

, and director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives * Megan Blake (1976) - pet lifestyle expert and co-host of

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

show Animal Attractions,

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, and Miss Georgia in 1983. * Donna Deegan (1979) - Former weekday anchor for

WTLV WTLV (channel 12) is a television station in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside Orange Park–licensed ABC affiliate WJXX (channel 25). Both stations share studios on East Adams Stre ...

/ WJXX * Ernest Gibson (1979) - Former NFL player for the New England Patriots and

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

* Carla Harris (1980) - Named to Fortune Magazine's list of "The 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America, and gospel singer who has performed at Carnegie Hall. The on-campus performing arts center opened for the 2011–2012 school year and is named in her honor. * P. Gardner Howe III (1980) - Retired

vice admiral,

Navy SEAL The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting s ...

, and associate director for military affairs at the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

; retired 55th President of the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associ ...

and former Commander,

Special Operations Command Pacific The Special Operations Command Pacific, known as SOCPAC, is a sub-unified command of the United States Department of Defense for special operations forces in the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) area of responsibility. History Th ...

* Toni Yates (1980) - Current news reporter and anchorwoman for

WABC-TV WABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station maintains studios in the Lincoln Square neig ...

* Joi Williams Felton(1984) - Current Head Coach for UCF Women's Basketball 2007–present. *

Tommy Raffo Thomas G. Raffo is an American college baseball coach and former first baseman. Raffo is the head coach of the Arkansas State Red Wolves baseball team. Amateur career Raffo attended Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, Florida. He was named ...

(1986) - Former

baseball prospect with the Cincinnati Reds, and current head baseball coach for

Arkansas State University Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osa ...

* Todd Dunn (1988) - Former

Baseball player for the Milwaukee Brewers * Virgil Roger du Pont III (1989) - Founding member and lead singer of the band The Crüxshadows *Kevin Witt (1994) - Former

baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays, and the St. Louis Cardinals *Sam Rivers (bassist), Sam Rivers (non-graduate) - Current bassist, and co-founder of the band Limp Bizkit *Travis Chapman (1996) - Former

baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies, and currently first base / infielders coach for the New York Yankees. *Kevin Gilbride, Jr. (1998) - Currently tight ends coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League and former tight ends coach for New York Giants * Yoanna House (1998) - American fashion model. Winner of America's Next Top Model * Jonathan Papelbon (1999) - Former

baseball player and closer for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies - , *Darren O'Day (2001) - Current Major League Baseball, Major League Current Pitcher for the Atlanta Braves and former pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. *Mat Gamel (2003) - Major League Baseball player *Tony Taylor (footballer, born 1989), Alejandro Taylor (2007) - Current professional soccer player with Liga de Honra *

(2010) - Major League Baseball player *John Wolford (2014) - National Football League quarterback for the Los Angeles RamsAbout John Wolford
/ref>

References

External links

*
Bishop Kenny High School official website
{{authority control Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Augustine Educational institutions established in 1952 High schools in Jacksonville, Florida Catholic secondary schools in Florida Education in Jacksonville, Florida 1952 establishments in Florida