About
Our Vision Statement reads:
Guided by the lessons of the Gospel, Bishop Kenny graduates will be persons of integrity, capable of making life-decisions and positive contributions to their faith, family and global communities.
History
Bishop Kenny High School is located on 55 acres of property that was once the site of Fort San Nicholas, a Spanish fortress (1740-1817). The property also served as a shipyard during World War I. After coming into the hands of the Diocese of St. Augustine, it was determined that it would be the ideal site for a Catholic High School designed to serve approximately 400 students from Jacksonville and surrounding areas. In 1952, Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley, with the help of the Catholic Community in Jacksonville, initiated the consolidation of three Catholic high schools to form one diocesan high school.
The doors to Jacksonville’s Central Catholic High School opened on September 3, 1952. The school was renamed and dedicated later in that same school year in honor of Bishop William J. Kenny, the first American-born bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine. The original school, which consisted of an administration building, a classroom wing, and locker room facilities, located adjacent to the present gymnasium, was built at a cost of $782,500. Today Bishop Kenny High School's facilities are built to easily accommodate our current population of 1350 students.
Sisters of Saint Joseph
Any history of Bishop Kenny High School would be incomplete without recognizing the significant contributions made to the school by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Seventy-five Sisters of Saint Joseph served as teachers and administrators at Bishop Kenny between 1952 and 2013. Five of Bishop Kenny’s eleven principals were Sisters of St. Joseph. In 2013, a statue of St. Joseph was dedicated to the Sisters who have served our school. At the dedication ceremony BK President Rev. Michael Houle addressed Sr. Jane Stoecker, SSJ, General Superior of the congregation and other assembled guests:
Sister Jane, to you and the many Sisters of your community who have served here for six decades, since this school’s founding, we are grateful to you and give thanks to God not only for the Sisters’ dedication and service, but also for the mark each one has left on the school and its students and its mission – but even more importantly, how your community has set God’s own seal upon this school, its mission, and its future – a seal that will guide it forevermore. I believe strongly that those people and places where God has sent his religious, whether for a short while or a long time, that those people and places have been extraordinarily blessed. Those people and places have had in their midst, sent from God, religious who because of their vows and the example of their consecrated lives have taught them the most important of life’s lessons – how to lead this life with hearts, eyes, and minds firmly set on the life of the world to come.
Bishop Kenny High School Today
Today there are nearly 16,000 graduates of Bishop Kenny High School. Our alumni live in virtually every state in the union and in countries all over the world. A large majority of graduates remain in Jacksonville and many choose BK for their children’s high school education. This year alone we have nearly 200 legacy students coming from second or even third generation BK families.
After the school day ends, our students are still in action. The boys’ and girls’ Crusader athletic teams are always competitive and it is not unusual for them to bring home any number of district, regional, or even state championships each year. The Campus Ministry program is a lively and important part of campus life helping encourage and coordinate a Christian Service Program that results in an estimated 50,000 hours of community service annually. Our students reach out to every corner of the community and make a difference in the lives of the people who live there.
Bishop Kenny High School has been accredited without interruption by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since its founding and recently added two new accreditations by the Florida Catholic Conference and the National Council for Private School Accreditation. Each year 99% of Bishop Kenny graduates go on to college armed with millions of dollars in scholarships and, in surveys, our alumni rate their preparation for college as excellent.
Campus Growth
Since 1952 the Bishop Kenny facilities have grown to accommodate a steadily increasing student population, an expanded curriculum, and an award-winning athletic program. The following is an overview of many of the improvements and additions that have been made to the BK campus.
|
1952 |
Central Catholic High School Opens in September |
|
1953 |
Central Catholic renamed BKHS |
|
1953 |
A library addition and cafetorium are completed |
|
1960 |
Girls’ school is completed (First two wings) |
|
1962 |
Gymnasium completed (later re-named John Baldwin Athletic Center) |
|
1964 |
Third wing of the girls’ school completed |
|
1973 |
William Johnston Football Stadium opens |
|
1978 |
Tennis Courts added to athletic facilities |
|
1986 |
BK library renamed Demetree Library after significant renovations are completed |
|
1986 |
Baseball field added to athletic facilities |
|
1988 |
Softball field added to athletic facilities |
|
1992 |
Fine Arts (300) Building is added to campus |
|
1992 |
BK Gymnasium renamed John Baldwin Athletic Center |
|
1992 |
St. Joseph Shrine added to 200 building courtyard |
|
1994 |
All original lockers replaced with full length red lockers |
|
1995 |
Shrine to Blessed Virgin Mary added to 400 building walkway |
|
1996 |
Buildings 400 and 500 are added to campus |
|
1996 |
Shrine to Sacred Heart of Jesus added on lawn behind Demetree Library |
|
1997 |
Bishop Paul F. Tanner Chapel is added to campus |
|
1997 |
200 building office addition complete |
|
1998 |
St. Francis Shrine added outside of Paul F. Tanner Chapel |
|
1999 |
Four classrooms added to 100 Building |
|
1999 |
Elevator added to100 Building |
|
1999 |
Shrine to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton added to 100 Building courtyard |
|
2001 |
Campus Ministry Center added to campus |
|
2002 |
John Baldwin Athletic Center air-conditioning project completed |
|
2002 |
Statue of St. Catherine Drexel - A gift from Diocese of St. Augustine on the occasion of BK’s 50th Anniversary |
|
2003 |
Kitchen renovation and expansion project complete |
|
2003 |
Original boys’ locker room air-conditioning project complete |
|
2003 |
Roger Strickland Field House completed |
|
2006 |
Building 600 completed |
|
2006 |
Statue of the Good Shepherd added to 600 building courtyard |
|
2007 |
All windows in original classroom buildings are replaced |
|
2008 |
Pedestrian plaza completed (all underground utilities upgraded) |
|
2008 |
State-of-the-art expanded weight room replaces existing weight room |
|
2009 |
BK football field renamed J. Joseph Parete Field |
|
2009 |
Statue of St. Paul dedicated in honor of Bishop Victor Galeone, located at main entrance to school |
|
2010 |
Statue of St. Sebastian dedicated at athletic complex |
|
2011 |
Carla Harris Performing Arts Center and 3rd of three cafeteria expansions complete |
|
2011 |
Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary dedicated in honor of the 41-year career of Maria Perez Randle |
|
2011 |
Class of 2011 erects permanent Cross at William Johnston Stadium as gift to the school |
|
2013 |
Dedication of Statue of St. Joseph to the Sisters of St. Joseph |
|
2014 |
Demetree Learning Commons replaces Demetree Media Center |
|
2014 |
Football Stadium Renovations including new press box, restroom, concession and gathering facilities open |
|
2014 |
Student Art Gallery Opens |
|
2014 |
Main Office Lobby redesigned and renovated |
|
2014 |
Statue of St. Augustine dedicated in honor of Bishop Felipe Estévez to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine |
|
2016 |
200 building Administrative Office renovation |
|
2017 |
Renovations made to restrooms in 100 and 200 buildings and extensive renovation of the John Baldwin Athletic Center; addition of a Robotics Lab in the 100 building |
| 2018 | Security enhancements made throughout the campus, including glass entry doors on the 100 building and gated entrances to additional buildings |
| 2019 | Dave Williams Outdoor Volleyball Courts opened on the riverfront |
| 2020 | Baseball field renamed Bob West Baseball Complex; enclosed batting cages added |
| 2021 | Plaque installed and dedicated by Bishop Estévez to honor the "Pedro Pans," Cuban exiles who attended Bishop Kenny High School during the 1960s |
| 2021-2022 | Major renovation to the 100 building, including reconstructed classrooms, labs, hallways, and the addition of a historical timeline. |
| 2022 |
Dedication of new campus facilities: |