Boca Raton Community High School
| Boca Raton Community High School | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | |
| 1501 Northwest 15th Court Boca Raton, Florida, United States |
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| Coordinates | 26°21′44″N 80°07′00″W / 26.362254°N 80.116757°WCoordinates: 26°21′44″N 80°07′00″W / 26.362254°N 80.116757°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1963[1] |
| School district | Palm Beach County School District |
| Principal | Geoffrey McKee |
| Grades | 9 to 12 |
| Number of students | 3097 |
| Color(s) | Blue Gold |
| Mascot | Bobcat |
| Newspaper | The Paw Print |
| Website | Boca Raton HS Home Page |
Boca Raton Community High School is a public, coeducational high school that is part of the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida. The school has been rated an "A" school each consecutive year by the Florida Department of Education since the year 2005. In 2010, Boca High ranked 62 in the 2010 Newsweek list of the 1,000 Top High Schools.[2]
The school is located at 1501 N.W. 15th Ct., Boca Raton, FL 33486.[3]
Contents |
[edit] Campus
In 2002, the school was almost entirely demolished, and then reconstructed as a new, fully functional, state-of-the-art campus. There is a brand new science building.
In August 2007, the building of a new stadium began, and it was finished by July 2008. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the stadium will feature FieldTurf, a type of artificial turf with a thin, blade-like carpet that will allow use no matter what the weather. The new turf is also twice as soft as the previous field, so falling on it is safer.[4] The installation of the artificial turf is the first for any school in the Palm Beach County School District, according to Jim Cartmill, assistant director of program management with the School Board.
The stadium features a nine-lane track, bleachers that stretch from goal line to goal line (for the home team fans)and from 10-yard line to 10-yard line (for visitors), with seating for up to 4,025 people. That's about 1,000 more seats than the old stadium held. The stadium is accessible to the handicapped. It also has a pole vault and high jump, along with seven new lighted tennis courts. Also, an Olympic-sized swimming pool was added and opened in early 2011.[5]
[edit] Student body
[edit] Statistics
- Student-Teacher ratio is 1:17.
- 41% of teachers have Advanced Degrees.
- The average number of years teachers spend teaching is 2.
[edit] Student ethnicity
Student Ethnicity is as follows:[6]
- White 48%
- Hispanic 19%
- Black 25%
- Multiracial 4%
- Asian/Pacific Islander 3%
- American Indian/Alaskan Native <1%
[edit] Student subgroups
Statistics:[7]
- Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch program 21%
- Students with disabilities 11%
- Gifted students 2%
- English language learners 6%
[edit] Academics
[edit] FCAT scores
2009 Passing Rate:
Grade 9
- Reading 70% (State Average: 49%)
- Math 85% (State Average: 68%)
Grade 10
- Reading 58% (State Average: 37%)
- Math 89% (State Average: 69%)
- Writing 89% (State Average: 77%)
Grade 11
- Science 53% (State Average: 37%)[8]
| Year | School Grade |
|---|---|
| 1999 | C |
| 2000 | C |
| 2001 | C |
| 2002 | C |
| 2003 | B |
| 2004 | B |
| 2005 | A |
| 2006 | A |
| 2007 | A |
| 2008 | A+ |
| 2009 | A |
| 2010 | A |
| 2011 | A[9] |
[edit] STEM Program
Boca High is known for its magnet program, called STEM. This stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and was started during the 2004-2005 school year.
- Post-STEM[10]
Boca Raton High School's first class of STEM graduates, the Class of 2008, have enrolled in honors programs at top Florida universities such as Florida State University, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, Florida Atlantic University, and University of Miami, as well as the nation's finest institutions, including Brigham Young University, Cornell University, Emory University, Harvard University, Nova Southeastern University, United States Air Force Academy, United States Naval Academy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Dartmouth University, Northwestern University, and University of Wisconsin. Every STEM graduate qualified for a Bright Futures Scholarship and several qualified for substantial financial aid from out of state universities.
[edit] Advanced placement
In 2011-2012, the following Advanced Placement (AP) exams are available to students:
- Art History
- Art: Studio 2-D Design
- Art: Studio 3-D Design
- Art: Studio Drawing
- Biology
- Calculus AB
- Calculus BC
- Chemistry
- Chinese Language & Culture
- Computer Science A
- Economics: Macro
- Economics: Micro
- English Language & Composition
- English Literature & Composition
- Environmental Science
- European History
- French Language
- Geography: Human
- Government & Politics: U.S.
- Government & Politics: Comparative
- German Language
- Music Theory
- Physics B
- Psychology
- Spanish Language
- Spanish Literature
- Statistics
- U.S. History
- World History[11]
[edit] AICE Curriculum
Recently, Boca Raton High School began to offer AICE classes, or Advanced International Certificate of Education. These courses are college accredited throughout universities in Florida; AICE is run by the University of Cambridge in England. The following AICE classes and standardized tests are offered at Boca Raton High School:
- US History (History of the Americas)
- International History
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Thinking Skills
- General Paper
- English Language
- Spanish Language
- Business
- Art and Design I
- Art and Design II
- Music I
- Marine Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- General Math
- Portuguese Language (initiated during the first quarter of the 2011-2012 school year)
[edit] Athletics
There has been a history of competitive rivalry with the neighboring high school, West Boca Highschool, and Atlantic High School in football. In soccer and volleyball, however, the rivalry is with Spanish River High School.
[edit] Types of sports offered
As of 2008:
- Baseball: Junior Varsity, Varsity
- Basketball: Girls', Boys'- Freshman, Junior Varsity, Varsity
- Bowling: Girls', Boys'- Varsity
- Cross-Country
- Football: Freshman, Junior Varsity, Varsity
- Intermural Flag Football
- Lacrosse: Girls', Boys'
- Marching Band
- Soccer: Girls', Boys'- Junior Varsity, Varsity
- Softball: Junior Varsity, Varsity
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Competitive Cheerleading
- Track/Field
- Water Polo: Girls', Boys'
- Weightlifting: Varsity
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Ice Hockey
- Volleyball: Girls', Boys'
- Wrestling: Junior Varsity, Varsity
[edit] Achievements
Swimming:
- In 2008, after two years of near misses, the girls' team won the state championship. The boys' team placed 37th in 2007, and followed with third in 2008; the second-highest finish in school history.[12] As of 2008, the swim team is coached by Eric Hill.
Soccer: In 2010, the boys' varsity soccer team finished first in Florida.
- In 2009, the boys' varsity soccer team finished 2nd in the state championship.
Boys Lacrosse:
- In 2009, the Varsity lacrosse team went 10-6 before losing to Spanish River 6-5 in the district semifinals. Since 2008, the Boys Lacrosse program is led by Matt Paolano.
Cross Country: In 2008 the boys cross country team defeated St.Thomas Aquinas to capture its first district title in 13 years. The boys team is coached by John Combs.
Marching Band:
- In 2010, the PRIDE of the Gold Coast Marching Band, directed by Laura Beard, won 2nd place in the FMBC State Finals.
Robotics:
- In 2010, Boca High's FLL Team Mafia competed successfully, reaching the state Championship level. They also won "Master Champions" of the Palm Beach County competition.
- In 2011, Team 3622 "Robocats" competed in FRC, winning the "Rookie All Star Award" and earned a place at the FIRST Championships in St. Louis, MO.
[edit] Student Government Association (SGA)
The Student Council of Boca Raton Community High School has a dominant presence at the Florida Association of Student Councils, and has been recognized accordingly. The leadershipians have won more project awards in more categories then any other school in the state of Florida. For the 2011-2012 school year, Boca High has been elected President of the Florida Association of Student Councils.The Leadershipians most recently accomplished the following at the 2010 FASC States Competition:
- Gold Medallion Council
- 1st Place School Spirit
- 1st Place Community Service
- 1st Place Membership Motivation
- 2nd Place Environmental Concerns
- 2nd Place Citizenship Development
- 3rd Place Faculty and Staff Relations[13]
[edit] Boca Raton NJROTC
The Bobcat Battalion was started in 1994 by LCDR Kenneth A. Bingham USN (Ret.) and Chief Petty Officer Edwin A. Morales, USN (Ret.). It has since become one of the best in the nation.[14] The Battalion consists of three companies, with approximately 180 cadets in the unit as of 2011. Cadets' daily curriculum involves academics, physical training (PT) and general knowledge on life in the United States navy. The JROTC main goal is to develop informed citizens. The current CO of the unit is c/CDR Christopher Brown
[edit] External links
- Boca Raton Community High School Homepage
- Official Bobcats Football Website
- JROTC Website
- School District of Palm Beach County Homepage
- Bobcat Lacrosse
- [3]
- National Federation of American Students Chapter at Boca Raton
[edit] References
- ^ Boca Raton High School Profile
- ^ [1]
- ^ [1501 N.W. 15th Ct., Boca Raton, FL 33486 Boca High School Location]
- ^ New Stadium for Boca Raton Community High School
- ^ New Stadium
- ^ Student Ethnicity
- ^ Student Subgroups
- ^ [2]
- ^ "Search 2009 FCAT Results for Florida Schools". 2009. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education/sfl-db-school-grades-2008,0,2305644,results.formprofile?Lib=turbine_cdb_lib%3Aresult_doc_id+result_doc_rank+document_id+cdb_num+cdb_01_txt+cdb_02_txt+cdb_03_txt+cdb_04_txt+cdb_05_txt+cdb_06_txt+cdb_07_txt+cdb_08_txt+cdb_09_txt+cdb_10_txt+cdb_11_txt+cdb_12_txt+cdb_13_txt+cdb_14_txt+cdb_15_txt+cdb_16_txt+cdb_17_txt+cdb_18_txt+cdb_19_txt+cdb_20_txt+cdb_21_txt+cdb_22_txt+cdb_23_txt+cdb_24_txt+cdb_25_txt+cdb_26_txt&SortBy=COMPOSITE_RANK+asc%2Ccdb_03_txt&PageSize=50&Page=1&MinCoarseRank=500&QueryType=CONCEPT&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_03_txt=BOCA+RATON+COMMUNITY+HIGH+SCHOOL&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_17_txt=3&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_02_txt=Palm+Beach. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ Post-STEM Studies
- ^ Advanced Placement Information
- ^ 2008 State Title
- ^ http://www.fasa.net/upload_documents/FASCwinners2010.pdf
- ^ Boca Raton Community High NJROTC
