St. Xavier High School (Ohio) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Xavier High School Academia Sancti Xaverii Cincinnatensis
Address
600 West North Bend Road Cincinnati , Ohio 45224-1424 United States
Coordinates	39°12′30″N 84°30′14″W / 39.20833°N 84.50389°W / 39.20833; -84.50389 (St. Xavier High School)
Information
Type	Private, college preparatory
Mottoes	Vidit Mirabilia Magna He has seen great wonders Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam For the greater glory of God
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Patron saint(s)	St. Francis Xavier
Established	October 17, 1831; 193 years ago (1831-10-17)
Founder	Bishop Edward D. Fenwick, O.P.
School district	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Authority	Society of Jesus (Midwest Province)
CEEB code	361–110
NCES School ID	01055649
President	Tim Reilly (2018–present)
Principal	Dan Lynch (July 2021–)
Chaplain	Fr. Terry Baum, S.J.
Faculty	120 full-time teachers
Grades	9–12
Gender	Male
Enrollment	1,366 (2022–23)
Campus size	110 acres (0.4 km2)
Campus type	Suburban
Color(s)	Royal blue and white
Slogan	Men for Others, Magis
Athletics conference	Greater Catholic League South
Mascot	Benny the Bomber, Blue Monster
Accreditation	AdvancED, Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association
Newspaper	The Blueprint
Endowment	$107 million (2022)
Tuition	$16,120 (2020-21)

Saint Xavier High School (often called St. X) is a private, all-boys high school near Cincinnati, Ohio. It helps students get ready for college. The school is run by the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. It is one of four all-male Catholic high schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati. St. Xavier is one of the largest private schools in Ohio, with about 1,366 students as of 2022–23.

St. Xavier is the oldest high school in the Cincinnati area. It started in 1831 as part of a larger school called the Athenaeum. From 1869 to 1934, the high school was part of St. Xavier College, which is now Xavier University. The high school moved to its current location in 1960.

The school's sports teams are well-known. The football team is called the Bombers, and the swimming and diving team is called the Aquabombers. Both teams often do well in state championships and national rankings. Many St. Xavier graduates have become professional athletes, politicians, business leaders, authors, and actors.

School History

Early Days Downtown

St. Xavier High School in 1860. The church on the left was changed after a fire in 1882.

St. Xavier High School began as part of the Athenaeum in downtown Cincinnati. This school was opened by Bishop Edward Fenwick on October 17, 1831. It was the first Catholic school for higher learning in the Northwest Territory.

In 1840, the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) took over the school. They renamed it St. Xavier College after St. Francis Xavier. At first, St. Xavier College offered six years of education, including elementary, high school, and college levels. Students came from Cincinnati and other places like Mexico and Cuba.

In the 1850s, the school faced challenges like fewer students and money problems. Because of this, St. Xavier stopped having students live at the school. It became a school mainly for local students.

In 1869, the school's permission to operate was made permanent. Later that year, the school started to separate its high school and college programs.

Growing and Becoming Separate

This old entrance sign now hangs inside the school. It first appeared downtown in 1919.

The seals of St. Xavier and Xavier University both use the same coat of arms.

In 1910, St. Xavier College changed to an eight-year program, like American schools. A branch campus for younger high school students opened in Walnut Hills. This branch later moved and became Xavier Academy.

In the late 1920s, St. Xavier High School started playing sports against other local high schools. On October 6, 1931, these schools formed the Greater Cincinnati League, now called the Greater Catholic League.

On August 4, 1930, the college became Xavier University. St. Xavier High School officially separated from the university in 1934. However, the two schools still shared some resources.

Moving to Finneytown

2000

2005

The school campus, before and after its expansion onto the former Girls' Town site.

St. Xavier High School began moving from downtown Cincinnati in 1955. The school bought 62 acres of land in Finneytown. In September 1960, St. Xavier High School opened its new buildings there. The new campus cost over $4 million.

Since moving, St. Xavier has added many new facilities. In 1969, they built Keating Natatorium, which has a large swimming pool. In 1998, a big expansion project added a new science wing, a chapel, and a gym. From 2003 to 2004, the football stadium was updated and renamed Ballaban Field at St. Xavier Stadium. The school also added a 500-seat theater, art studios, and music rooms.

St. Xavier also bought the former Girls' Town of America land across the street. This became the "South Campus" with new baseball and soccer fields. In 2017, the school added a "makerspace" where students can build and create things.

In 2017, Tim Reilly became the first president of St. Xavier who was not a priest. In 2021, the school's football program received a $1 million donation, and the stadium was renamed RDI Stadium. Keating Natatorium also reopened in 2021 after a $5.5 million renovation.

Academics

As of 2023, St. Xavier has 1,366 students. This is the most students of any Catholic high school in the area. Tuition for the 2022–23 school year was $16,600. More than half of the students receive financial aid.

The school has 120 full-time teachers, including six Jesuit priests. Most teachers (86%) have a master's degree or higher.

How to Apply and Student Body

Students apply to St. Xavier by taking a special test and sending in their elementary school records. About 56% of freshman applicants are accepted. Many students come from the greater Cincinnati area, and some come from other states like Indiana and Kentucky. As of 2021, 20% of students are students of color. About 80% of students are Roman Catholic.

St. Xavier also welcomes students from other countries through exchange programs. For example, a partner school in Barcelona, Spain, sends students to St. Xavier.

What Students Learn

All students at St. Xavier follow a college preparatory program. They need 23½ credits to graduate. The school offers 27 elective classes that are like Advanced Placement (AP) courses. These AP courses can give students college credit.

Since it is a Catholic school, St. Xavier requires all students to study religion and theology every year.

St. Xavier students can also earn credit for work done at Xavier University. In the summer, students can take a Marine Science class in Hawaii.

Daily Mass is offered during lunch periods at the Holy Companions Chapel.

The school year runs from August to May. It is divided into two semesters. A school day starts at 8:00 am and ends at 3:05 pm. The day has eight periods, but only six classes meet each day. Classes rotate in a special schedule to help reduce stress.

Since 2018, students have been required to use an iPad for schoolwork. However, starting with the class of 2021, students can bring their own laptops, but not Apple devices like iPads.

Achievements and Graduation

Many St. Xavier students receive honors from standardized tests like the National Merit Scholarship Program. In 2018, 17 seniors were finalists in this program. Also in 2018, 603 students took 1,076 AP exams. Many earned high scores, with seven named National AP Scholars. The class of 2018 had an average ACT score of 29.2, which was the highest in the school's history.

The United States Department of Education recognized St. Xavier as a Blue Ribbon School in 1983–84 and 1984–85.

Graduation ceremonies are held in late May. Most graduates (99%) go on to a four-year college or university. About 82% get into their first-choice school. Many students from St. Xavier attend the University of Cincinnati, Ohio State University, and Miami University.

School Traditions

St. Xavier shares many traditions with other Jesuit schools. For example, graduating students are expected to be "Men for Others." This means they should be open to growth, smart, religious, loving, and committed to justice.

The school holds Masses (religious services) on important days. Students can also attend optional daily Mass in the Holy Companions Chapel.

Spiritual retreats are often offered at St. Xavier. These include programs for different grade levels, like Knightwatch for sophomores and Kairos for seniors.

School Song

St. Xavier's school song, or alma mater, is based on the song of another Jesuit school, St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. St. Xavier changed the last two lines to fit its own name and colors. The song is sung after school events and graduation.

Fundraising Efforts

The St. Xavier license plate features the school's logo.

St. Xavier has two main fundraisers each year to help students with financial aid. The "Walk For X" is a 10 km (6.2 mi) student walkathon. Students walk through Finneytown neighborhoods once a year instead of having classes. The "X-Travaganza" is a dinner and auction event.

In 2018, Ohio allowed a special license plate with St. Xavier's logo and the words "The Long Blue Line." Money from these plates helps the school's tuition assistance programs.

Campus Features

The front entrance to St. Xavier was updated in 1998.

St. Xavier's campus is 110 acres in a suburban area. It has a wooded walking trail, a mock courtroom, and a school history exhibit. The school has 11 computer labs with over 330 computers for students. The school library has 23,000 books. The makerspace in the Fine Arts wing has tools like 3D printers for students to use.

The campus also has many athletic facilities. These include a football stadium and an indoor swimming pool, which is shared with the Cincinnati Marlins swim team. The school has one of the largest tennis court complexes in the area.

A famous sculpture called Open End by Clement Meadmore is also on campus.

Activities and Sports

Athletics

The entrance to RDI Stadium.

RDI Stadium at Ballaban Field can seat 7,500 people.

St. Xavier has a large sports program, ranked 13th in the nation in 2008 by Sports Illustrated. The school offers 17 different sports, including baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, swimming, and tennis. The teams are part of the Greater Catholic League (GCL). St. Xavier competes with other all-male schools like Elder, La Salle, and Moeller high schools.

St. Xavier's sports teams are known as the "Bombers." The official mascot is "Benny the Bomber," a bomber pilot. Another mascot is the "Blue Monster," a furry, Muppet-like character that cheers at games.

Swimming and Diving

Keating Natatorium is home to the St. Xavier Aquabombers and Cincinnati Marlins.

The St. Xavier swimming team, called the "Aquabombers," started in 1930. They began winning state titles in 1970 after Keating Natatorium opened. The team has won 42 Ohio state championships since then. They were also named national high school swimming team champions in 1973, 1992, 2001, and 2017. Many famous swimmers have come from this program, including Olympians.

Football

The Bombers football team won their first state title in 2005. They had a perfect season that year, winning every game. In 2007, they won their second state championship and were even rated as one of the top high school football teams nationally. St. Xavier won its third state championship in 2016 and its fourth in 2020. The 2020 win set a record for the largest winning difference in an Ohio Division I state championship game.

Other Sports

St. Xavier also won the state basketball championship in 2000. The Cross Country team has won many state championships, including in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2012, 2013, and 2019. The triathlon team, called the TriBombers, has won three Ohio state championships and a national championship.

Championship Titles

As of 2021, St. Xavier's teams have won 61 state titles sponsored by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). This is tied for the most by any single school in Ohio.

St. Xavier's OHSAA state titles include:

• Cross country – 1998, 2000, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2019
• Baseball – 2003
• Basketball – 2000
• Football – 2005, 2007, 2016, 2020
• Golf – 1957, 1995, 2008, 2015, 2016
• Lacrosse – 2018
• Soccer – 1983
• Swimming – 1970–1981 (12 years in a row), 1984, 1990–1995 (6 years), 1997, 1999–2007 (9 years), 2009–2021 (13 years)
• Volleyball – 2024

St. Xavier has also won other state titles not sponsored by OHSAA, such as in lacrosse, team tennis, triathlon, and water polo.

The Arts

St. Xavier has strong programs in performing arts (drama), visual arts, and musical arts.

Theatre Xavier

Theatre Xavier (TX) is the school's drama group. It includes both St. Xavier students and students from other local high schools. TX puts on plays and comedies each fall and spring. They perform in the Walter C. Deye, S.J., Performance Center, a large theater space that opened in 2004.

Musical Groups

St. Xavier has many musical groups. The Marching Bombers perform at football games. Other groups include the jazz ensemble (Out of the Blue), the wind ensemble, and the string ensemble. These groups perform at school concerts and national competitions.

Community Service

In 1974, St. Xavier became one of the first high schools in Cincinnati to include service-learning in its curriculum. This was inspired by the Jesuit idea to "form men for others." Most students (75-80%) choose to participate in community service programs.

The school's biggest service program is an annual canned food drive during Advent. Students collect thousands of pounds of food. They deliver it to families and food pantries in Cincinnati and Appalachia. In 2020, students collected over 75,000 pounds of food.

Student Publications

The X-ray from 1942

The Blueprint is the school's student newspaper, published every month. The school also has X-Ray, which is the annual yearbook, and Xpressions, a student literary magazine started in 1964.

Other Clubs

The St. Xavier Quiz Team competes in academic tournaments. They have done well in many statewide competitions. The team won its first state championship in 1997.

Notable People

St. Xavier calls its graduates the "Long Blue Line." This refers to the school colors and the blue robes worn at graduation. Over 18,000 living graduates have come from St. Xavier. Many alumni are well-known in Cincinnati and across the country. They include athletes who have won the Super Bowl, Olympians, politicians, and successful people in business and the arts.

See also

In Spanish: Colegio San Javier (Cincinnati) para niños

• List of Jesuit sites