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Central Catholic High School (Bloomington, Illinois)

Central Catholic High School (CCHS or Central Catholic) is a private co-educational Catholic high school in Bloomington, Illinois, United States.[1] It serves approximately 320 students in the Bloomington-Normal area.[28] CCHS is one of seven Catholic high schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria[29] and the only Catholic high school in McLean County.[1]

Central Catholic High School
CCHS roundabout entrance
Address
1201 Airport Road

,
Illinois
61704-2534

United States
Coordinates40°29′35″N 88°55′22″W / 40.49306°N 88.92278°W / 40.49306; -88.92278
Information
Former namesTrinity High School
St. Mary's High School
School typeParochial high school[1]
MottoOur difference is our strength.[9]
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic[2]
Patron saint(s)Elizabeth Ann Seton[22]
Established1886; 137 years ago (1886)[10]
FounderMichael Weldon[7]: 152 
StatusOperational
LocaleSmall city[2]
School boardAdvisory Committee[3]
OversightPastors' Board[3]
AuthorizerDiocese of Peoria[4]
SuperintendentSharon Weiss[5][6]
CEEB code140340[1]
NCES School ID00346865[2]
PresidentSean Foster
PrincipalChris McGraw
ChaplainFr. Geoff Horton
Staff6[8] (FTE)
Faculty29[8] (FTE)
Grades9–12
Gendercoed[2]
Enrollment329[27] (2017-18)
Average class size19[1]
Student to teacher ratio12:1[8]
Schedule typeSemester, daily[9]
ScheduleM–F except holidays
Hours in school day6.7[2]
Campus size15 acres[10]
Area100,000 square feet[11]
Campus typeMicro-urban[12]
Color(s)  Navy blue
  White
  Vegas gold[24]
Fight songVictory March variant[9]
AthleticsIHSA 1A/2A/3A[5]
Athletics conferenceIllini Prairie[5]
Sports9 boys', 8 girls'[nb 1][19]
Team nameSaints[5]
RivalU-High[23][nb 2]
AccreditationAdvancED[20]
National rankingWP: 1,339[21] (2017)
NewspaperHerald of the Saints[26]
YearbookCentrix[25]
Endowment$3,842,936 (2014)[10]
Budget$3,603,811.23 (2013–14)[10]
School feesVaries
Tuition$7,445 parish affiliated
$9,300 nonaffiliated[14]
Revenue$3,474,273 (2015–16)[15]
Communities servedMcLean County[1]
Feeder schoolsCCCS, ECS, SMS[16][17]
Graduates (2017)78[18]
AffiliationNCEA,[2] NASSP, IHSA[1]
Websiteblmcchs.org
Last updated: 28 September 2017

Begun in 1886 as St. Mary's High School by Holy Trinity Parish as an extension of the parish grade school, it was renamed Trinity High School in 1928 after construction of a separate high school building. In 1967, the school was renamed again to Central Catholic High School to reflect new roles of other regional parishes in oversight of the school. In 2003 CCHS moved from its location near downtown Bloomington to its current east side location on Airport Road. The school building is more than 100,000 square feet on a fifteen-acre property and has capacity for 500 students.

CCHS offers Advanced Placement and dual credit courses. Vocational education is available through a partnership with the Bloomington Area Career Center. A large majority of Central Catholic graduates pursue further education. In addition to coursework, Central Catholic requires community service as part of its graduation requirements.

Extracurricular activities at the school include sports teams, student clubs and organizations. CCHS participates in Illinois High School Association athletics and is a member of Illini Prairie Conference. Teams at CCHS have won state championships in boys' and girls' basketball, football, girls' track and field, and volleyball.

History edit

St. Mary's High School edit

 
Circa 1896 photograph of the St. Mary's School building

CCHS has roots in St. Mary's School, built at a cost of $26,000[nb 3][30] by Holy Trinity Parish in 1884 during the pastorate of Michael Weldon.[7]: 152  The building was located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Locust and Center Streets in Bloomington, Illinois.[31] Initially only a grade school, the building was altered in 1886 to add high school classes. Two graduates in 1898 composed the high school's first graduating class. The parish paid off the debt for the school building in 1909. In 1912 Illinois State University and the University of Illinois recognized St. Mary's high school curriculum. The graduating class that spring had twenty students.[10]

Sinsinawa Dominican sisters served as faculty at St. Mary's and subsequently at Trinity High School,[10][7] teaching nearly all classes until the 1950s. Catholic priests, however, taught boys' religious educations for three years of high school.[15]

Trinity High School edit

 
Circa 1933 postcard illustrating Trinity High School

By 1920, inspectors from the University of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Education were dissatisfied with the high school facilities at St. Mary's School.[7]: 207  With the student body growing,[32] land for a separate high school building next to Holy Trinity Church at 712 North Center Street[33] was purchased from the Dominican sisters in summer 1922 for $25,000.[nb 4][7]: 201  However, due to the poor health of pastor Michael Weldon, construction was postponed until after his death[7]: 207  The cornerstone of the school building was laid on 25 September 1927.[7]: 223  Costing $285,000,[nb 5] the building was completed on 3 September 1928 and opened one week later as Trinity High School.[7]: 224  Fifty-nine seniors graduated the following June.[10] The St. Mary's School building was renovated in summer 1928 and continued to serve as Holy Trinity Grade School[7]: 226  before demolition in 1969.[34]

In 1929, Trinity High School gained accreditation from the North Central Association.[10] The school joined the IHSA in 1941 when private schools were first allowed to participate.[35] A $300,000[nb 6] funding drive in 1954 financed the additions of a cafeteria and south annex to the school. The annex initially housed 7th and 8th grade classrooms to alleviate overcrowding at Holy Trinity Grade School.[10] After construction of new grade schools in 1963,[33] annex classrooms were used for math and physical education classes.[10]

Central Catholic High School edit

 
March 2011 USGS near-infrared aerial orthoimage of Central Catholic High School and McGraw Park

Center Street edit

In the fall of 1967,[1] Trinity High School became a diocesan school and was renamed Central Catholic High School after the diocese requested other regional parishes join in governing and subsidizing the school.[36] Private donations in 1991 and 1992 funded renovations to the chemistry lab, the creation of computer lab, and updates to the biology lab.[37][38][39] In compliance with a diocesan directive, Central Catholic implemented mandatory hair sample drug testing of students beginning in 2000.[40][41][42]

Central Catholic High School's Center Street gymnasium, nicknamed "The Pit" in the 1970s, was known for its high temperatures, loud water hammers,[43] and for intimidating visiting teams due to the close proximity of the stands to the gym floor.[35][44]

Airport Road edit

Church officials began discussing sites for a new school building in 1996, initially considering a west side location in the former Chicago & Alton railroad yards.[45] This site was later rejected due to the large amount of environmental cleanup needed.[46] In February 1998, school officials announced plans to construct a new school building in east or southeast Bloomington after renovation of the current building was deemed to expensive.[44][47] That July, the pastors' board announced fifteen acres of Deneen family farmland in east Bloomington were reserved for a new school building.[48] An $11 million fundraising effort to build a new school on the land gifted to the diocese began in 2001.[10][49]

Construction started on 12 August 2002 with an estimated cost of $11.4 million.[nb 7][50] In June 2003, Mark Williams - pastor of Holy Trinity Parish - announced the decision to demolish the old school building as renovation and repurposing at an estimated cost of $4 million[nb 8] was considered too expensive.[51] The new building at 1201 Airport Road opened on 25 August 2003[52] with 323 students enrolled that fall.[53] In June and July 2004, the Center Street school building was razed[54] and in the following year Bill Hundman Memorial Field was completed.[55]

In 2005, the CCHS accountant was charged with embezzling money from the school.[56] CCHS enrollment peaked in 2009 with 423 students.[55] As $2,000,000[nb 9] in financial pledges for construction of the new school building were left unfulfilled, capital campaigns at the four regional Catholic parishes were started in 2011 to pay off the remaining debt.[57] A 2013 upgrade installed school-wide wireless internet access[58] in conjunction with a new bring your own device program.[10] A student center and welcome center were added in summer 2015 renovations.[15] In recent years, enrollment at the school has dropped, attributed in part to the diminished presence of State Farm Insurance in the area.[59]

In March 2022, it was announced that the school would shift to a President-Principal model, with principal Sean Foster named as the first president of the school effective in July 2022.[60] The next month, Chris McGraw was named the next principal with Sean Foster moving to a superintendent role.[61]

Between 1898 and 2014, 6,556 students graduated from the school. This includes 406 students from St. Mary's High School between 1898 and 1928 as well as 2,482 students from Trinity High School between 1929 and 1967.[10]

Campus edit

Central Catholic High School is located on a 15-acre site[62] at 1201 Airport Road in Bloomington, Illinois. The school property is bordered to the west by Airport Road and to the south by Cornelius Drive. McGraw Park borders the school property to the north and east.[63]

Enclosing more than 100,000 square feet[11] with a capacity for 500 students,[64] the school building is divided into two wings.[11] The academic wing contains sixteen classrooms, four science labs, two art labs, computer lab, and the student center. The social wing is bounded on one end by the 1400-seat Cvengros Gymnasium and on the other by the performing arts center - a 560-seat auditorium, audio lab, band room, and chorus room. Between are a 100-seat chapel, cafeteria, commons area, faculty dining area, welcome center, main office, weight room and four locker rooms.[11][15][62]

A roundabout lies on the south side of the school building. On the north side is the school parking lot and Bill Hundman Memorial Field, which contains the school football field and track.[63] CCHS uses McGraw Park facilities for baseball, softball, and tennis.[65]

 
Cvengros Gymnasium
 
Bill Hundman Memorial Field
 
Auditorium set up for a production of the musical Cinderella
 
Chapel
 
Commons area and cafeteria
 
Student center


Demographics edit

Enrollment for the 2016-2017 school year was 317. The student body in the 2016-2017 school year was 87% white, 6% Hispanic and 7% other. Also in that year, 50% of the student body was female and 50% was male. 6% of students were from families that qualify for lunch subsidies and 4% of students received special education services.[8] 41% of students received tuition assistance in 2015[15] with an average of $1094 received per student.[8]

In the 2012-2013 school year, 56% percent of teachers were female and 44% were male.[66] More than half of the faculty has a graduate degree.[1]

Academics edit

Curriculum edit

Course requirements for graduation[1][67]
Course Credits
Theology 4
English 4
Mathematics 3
Science 3
Social Studies 2.5
Foreign Language/Fine Arts/BACC 2
Wellness (PE and Health)[nb 10] 2
Consumer education 0.5
Write, cite, and communicate[nb 11] 0.5
Comprehensive Fine Arts[nb 12] 0.5
Electives 3
Minimum total credits 25

The Central Catholic High School curriculum emphasizes college preparation.[8] The school requires a total of twenty-five credits of coursework to graduate. Each semester-long course is worth 0.5 credits. Students must also complete a diocesan religion exam, pass the state constitution exam, and perform 5 hours of community service per quarter. At least four of these quarterly hours must be connected to the Catholic Works of Mercy or assist the local parishes.[9][67] More than 11,000 service hours are performed by students annually.[59]

Students generally take electives in their junior and senior years. Central Catholic offers Advanced Placement courses in English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, and U.S. History. On-campus dual credit introductory courses in psychology and sociology are available to juniors and seniors in partnership with Heartland Community College. Upperclassmen may also take vocational education courses through the Bloomington Area Career Center at Bloomington High School. Driver education classes are provided by Normal Community High School.[67]

About forty-six percent of CCHS students take an art class[59] and thirty-one percent take a music class.[8] Approximately half of students take at least one AP course before graduating.[1]

Schedule edit

The CCHS school year generally runs from late-August to late-May and is divided into two eighteen-week semesters and four nine-week quarters.[9] Students typically take seven classes per semester.[1] Classes are held on a daily schedule and each class period is generally forty-five minutes long.[9] The CCHS school day runs from 8:00 AM to 2:40 PM.[68]

Tests, rankings, and statistics edit

CCHS has a 100% four-year graduation rate.[21] Nearly 99% of graduates between 2012 and 2016 sought a college degree or joined the military.[15] In 2016, 84% of graduates planned to attend a four-year college or university, 14% planned to attend a two-year college, and 1% joined the workforce.[8]

The average ACT test score for the class of 2016 was 24.5 compared to a state and national average of 20.8.[1] This score was in the top 15% of scores nationally that year.[69] In the 2015-2016 school year, seventy-five students taking a total of 146 AP exams produced twenty-four scores of 5 and seventy-seven scores of 3 or 4.[1] 37% of 2017 graduates passed at least one AP test.[21] Between 2009 and 2016 the school had seven national merit finalists, four national merit semi-finalists, and twenty-three national merit commended scholars among juniors who took the PSAT/NMSQT.[1]

In its 2017 ranking of the most challenging high schools nationally, The Washington Post ranked Central Catholic High School 1,339th based on its Challenge Index, placing it in the top 6% of US high schools. CCHS was also ranked 54th among Illinois high schools,[21] the most highly ranked school south of the Chicago area.[13]

The daily student attendance rate was 96% in the 2015-2016 school year.[8]

Traditions and extracurriculars edit

Traditions edit

CCHS students raise funds for a charity selected by the senior class throughout the school year, typically donating more than $10,000 each year.[15][70] Annual homecoming traditions at the school include a can sculpture competition, car caravan, and crowning of a homecoming king and queen.[71][72][73] Each January, Central Catholic students participate in March for Life Chicago and upperclassmen travel to Washington D.C. to participate in the main March for Life.[74][75][76] During National Catholic Schools Week, teams of CCHS students compete against each other in a school-wide Olympic-style tournament. The school ends the week with a Catholic Mass alongside students of the area Catholic elementary schools.[77] An annual spring prom occurs in early April at Miller Park pavilion.[78][79]

Extracurriculars edit

Central Catholic has around thirty student activities, clubs, and organizations in addition to sports teams. A school play and musical are performed each fall and spring respectively.[9] Approximately 90% of students are involved in an extracurricular activity.[8]

Athletics edit

 
The first football team at St. Mary's High School in 1924

Central Catholic High School participates in Illinois High School Association athletics and competes in classes 1A, 2A, or 3A for different sports. It is a member of the Illini Prairie Conference.[5] Baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis and track and field are currently offered boys' sports. Basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball are the currently offered girls' sports.[19] More than eighty-percent of students participate in a school sport. In 2014, fourteen out of ninety graduates signed for collegiate sports.[59]

Competitive sports at the high school date to the 1920s. Football started in 1924 at St. Mary's High School under coach Earl Peirce followed by a boys' basketball team in 1926 under coach Charley Bennett and a baseball team in 1928 under coach Bill Connors. The baseball team was undefeated in 1929 and 1930.[5] Before the IHSA allowed private schools to participate in 1941, the boys' basketball team won State Catholic Tournament championships under Bennett in 1927 and 1928 and placed second in the three years following. It was also the State Catholic Tournament champion in 1933 under coach John Callans and in 1940 and 1941 under coach Essau Dotlich.[35][34]

CCHS joined the Corn Belt Conference as a founding member in 1950. The conference merged with the former Heart of Illinois Conference in 1972, but CCHS later rejoined the Corn Belt Conference when it re-formed in 1978.[80] After the merging of the Corn Belt and the Okaw Valley conferences beginning in the 2017-18 school year, CCHS became a member of the resulting Illini Prairie Conference.[81]

Central Catholic High School is the first school in the state of Illinois to win state football titles in four different classes.[82][83]

Football practice field edit

On 10 November 2014, the Bloomington city council voted 5-4 to purchase four acres of land near McGraw Park in Empire Business Park using state funds and to rent the land to CCHS for use as a football practice field. The council voted with the understanding the current football practice field on land owned by the Central Illinois Regional Airport was in a Federal Aviation Agency restricted flight path zone and the school would have to move to another location in 2015.[84] In 2009, state senator and CCHS alum Bill Brady had arranged a $750,000 state legislative grant for the purchase as part of a General Assembly capital bill.[85][86] Alderman Jim Fruin, another CCHS alum, voted in favor. CCHS agreed to spend at least $20,000 to improve the land, pay an annual rent of $1,700, and to maintain, mow, and clean the field. The annual cost to the city was estimated to be $2,500 and the land was to be used as a park when not in use by the school.[84]

After the vote, alderman Joni Painter discovered from the school website that Fruin was a member of the CCHS Board of Trustees, an interest not previously disclosed.[87] Council members also learned CCHS could renew the lease for its current practice field for up to another fifteen years. Fruin and CCHS principal Sean Foster stated they had believed the contract could not be renewed past 2015.[88] Mayor Tari Renner refused to sign-off on the approval pending an attorney general opinion on whether any conflict of interest law or ordinance was violated. Fruin stated he would defer to the attorney general and that he did not believe there was a conflict of interest because trustees serve only an advisory role.[89] A Pantagraph editorial later suggested several other potential conflicts of interest: the Deneen family - who donated land for the new school building - were stakeholders in the development firm from which the land would be purchased, Fruin's real estate agency - Coldwell Banker - was to oversee the transaction though he would have no role, and CCHS football coach Mike Moews is the brother of city parks superintendent Bobby Moews.[90]

At the 24 November 2014 council meeting, Painter moved to reconsider the agreement. The council unanimously rejected the land deal after Fruin recused himself from the vote. The council then discussed other potential uses for the money[87] despite prior statements by senator Bill Brady that the money could be reallocated to other communities in his district if it was not used to expand McGraw Park.[87][91][92] Renner stated the grant could be used for any Bloomington parks or trails. According to Brady, the money was directed solely toward McGraw Park at the direction of former Bloomington mayor Steve Stockton. Stockton disputed this characterization, stating he had discussed alternative uses for the money.[87][93]

On 21 November 2014 the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus asked the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to halt the grant. Learning of this two weeks later, Renner disagreed the caucus had authority to prevent use of the money. The city council continued discussions of how to allocate the money while Brady formed a committee headed by former Bloomington mayor Jesse Smart to determine how the grant should be used.[94][95][96] On 7 December 2014 the Bloomington City Council approved use of the grant money for improvements to the Constitution Trail, Miller Park pavilion, and Sunnyside Park.[97]

CCHS renewed its lease for the airport practice field in mid-December 2014.[98] On 14 January 2015, Brady's grant committee completed its review and recommended allocating money for the Sunnyside Park and Miller Park pavilion projects in Bloomington as well as three other projects in Lake Bloomington, Delavan, Illinois, and McLean, Illinois.[99][100] The conflict of interest review was called off after the 21 November vote, though the city legal department clarified conflicts of interest in the city code.[101] As of December 2015 none of the communities have received any money from the grant pending passage of a state budget.[86]

Awards and recognition edit

CCHS was named a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School,[102] one of 342 in the nation and one of 17 in Illinois.[13][69]

Notable alumni edit

Former principals edit

  • Sr. Mary Kremer (19??–1984)[15][103]
  • Richard Morehouse (1984–1991): CCHS enrollment briefly fell below 200 students in 1989 before increasing by 25% near the end of Morehouse's tenure.[104][105][106]
  • Joy Allen (1991–2014): Under Joy Allen, CCHS increased enrollment from 213 students in 1991 to 346 students in 2014. Allen oversaw the planning, design, and capital campaigns for the Airport Road school building and Bill Hundman Memorial Field. During her tenure, Central Catholic increased ACT test scores, added additional Advanced Placement courses, and broadened its curriculum.[55][107]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Does not include cheerleading
  2. ^ The schools are currently in different conferences and do not play each other.
  3. ^ equivalent to $847,000 in 2022
  4. ^ equivalent to $437,000 in 2022
  5. ^ equivalent to $4,801,000 in 2022
  6. ^ equivalent to $3,300,000 in 2022
  7. ^ equivalent to $18,500,000 in 2022
  8. ^ equivalent to $6,400,000 in 2022
  9. ^ equivalent to $2,600,000 in 2022
  10. ^ Taken freshman and sophomore years
  11. ^ Taken freshman year
  12. ^ Taken freshman year

References edit

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  100. ^ Smart, Jesse (14 January 2015). "Grant report to Brady". Pantagraph. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  101. ^ Nagle, Maria (11 March 2015). "Attorney: Vote negates need for Fruin conflict ruling". The Pantagraph. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  102. ^ "Central Catholic High School – Bloomington, IL". National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. U.S. Department of Education. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  103. ^ "Sister Mary Kremer". Dominican University. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  104. ^ Dighton, Daniel (4 July 1991). "Ex-CCHS principal says resignation due to stress: [FINAL Edition]". Pantagraph. Pantagraph Publishing Co. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  105. ^ "Central Catholic principal resigns; successor picked: [FINAL Edition]". Pantagraph. Pantagraph Publishing Co. 3 July 1991. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  106. ^ Ostrowski, Darlene (25 September 1992). "Values, academics lure kids to Catholic school: [FINAL Edition]". Pantagraph. Pantagraph Publishing Co. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  107. ^ Dermody, Tom (March 2014). "Joy Allen to retire after 23 years as Central Catholic principal". The Catholic Post. The Catholic Diocese of Peoria. Retrieved 12 September 2015.[permanent dead link]

External links edit

  • Official website
  • IHSA season summaries
  • St. Mary's Church and School Collection, McLean County Museum of History

central, catholic, high, school, bloomington, illinois, central, catholic, high, school, cchs, central, catholic, private, educational, catholic, high, school, bloomington, illinois, united, states, serves, approximately, students, bloomington, normal, area, c. Central Catholic High School CCHS or Central Catholic is a private co educational Catholic high school in Bloomington Illinois United States 1 It serves approximately 320 students in the Bloomington Normal area 28 CCHS is one of seven Catholic high schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria 29 and the only Catholic high school in McLean County 1 Central Catholic High SchoolCCHS roundabout entranceAddress1201 Airport RoadBloomington Illinois 61704 2534United StatesCoordinates40 29 35 N 88 55 22 W 40 49306 N 88 92278 W 40 49306 88 92278InformationFormer namesTrinity High SchoolSt Mary s High SchoolSchool typeParochial high school 1 MottoOur difference is our strength 9 Religious affiliation s Roman Catholic 2 Patron saint s Elizabeth Ann Seton 22 Established1886 137 years ago 1886 10 FounderMichael Weldon 7 152 StatusOperationalLocaleSmall city 2 School boardAdvisory Committee 3 OversightPastors Board 3 AuthorizerDiocese of Peoria 4 SuperintendentSharon Weiss 5 6 CEEB code140340 1 NCES School ID00346865 2 PresidentSean FosterPrincipalChris McGrawChaplainFr Geoff HortonStaff6 8 FTE Faculty29 8 FTE Grades9 12Gendercoed 2 Enrollment329 27 2017 18 Average class size19 1 Student to teacher ratio12 1 8 Schedule typeSemester daily 9 ScheduleM F except holidaysHours in school day6 7 2 Campus size15 acres 10 Area100 000 square feet 11 Campus typeMicro urban 12 Color s Navy blue White Vegas gold 24 Fight songVictory March variant 9 AthleticsIHSA 1A 2A 3A 5 Athletics conferenceIllini Prairie 5 Sports9 boys 8 girls nb 1 19 Team nameSaints 5 RivalU High 23 nb 2 AccreditationAdvancED 20 National rankingWP 1 339 21 2017 NewspaperHerald of the Saints 26 YearbookCentrix 25 Endowment 3 842 936 2014 10 Budget 3 603 811 23 2013 14 10 School feesVariesTuition 7 445 parish affiliated 9 300 nonaffiliated 14 Revenue 3 474 273 2015 16 15 Communities servedMcLean County 1 Feeder schoolsCCCS ECS SMS 16 17 Graduates 2017 78 18 AffiliationNCEA 2 NASSP IHSA 1 Websiteblmcchs wbr orgLast updated 28 September 2017Begun in 1886 as St Mary s High School by Holy Trinity Parish as an extension of the parish grade school it was renamed Trinity High School in 1928 after construction of a separate high school building In 1967 the school was renamed again to Central Catholic High School to reflect new roles of other regional parishes in oversight of the school In 2003 CCHS moved from its location near downtown Bloomington to its current east side location on Airport Road The school building is more than 100 000 square feet on a fifteen acre property and has capacity for 500 students CCHS offers Advanced Placement and dual credit courses Vocational education is available through a partnership with the Bloomington Area Career Center A large majority of Central Catholic graduates pursue further education In addition to coursework Central Catholic requires community service as part of its graduation requirements Extracurricular activities at the school include sports teams student clubs and organizations CCHS participates in Illinois High School Association athletics and is a member of Illini Prairie Conference Teams at CCHS have won state championships in boys and girls basketball football girls track and field and volleyball Contents 1 History 1 1 St Mary s High School 1 2 Trinity High School 1 3 Central Catholic High School 1 3 1 Center Street 1 3 2 Airport Road 2 Campus 3 Demographics 4 Academics 4 1 Curriculum 4 2 Schedule 4 3 Tests rankings and statistics 5 Traditions and extracurriculars 5 1 Traditions 5 2 Extracurriculars 5 2 1 Athletics 6 Football practice field 7 Awards and recognition 8 Notable alumni 9 Former principals 10 Notes 11 References 12 External linksHistory editSt Mary s High School edit nbsp Circa 1896 photograph of the St Mary s School buildingCCHS has roots in St Mary s School built at a cost of 26 000 nb 3 30 by Holy Trinity Parish in 1884 during the pastorate of Michael Weldon 7 152 The building was located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Locust and Center Streets in Bloomington Illinois 31 Initially only a grade school the building was altered in 1886 to add high school classes Two graduates in 1898 composed the high school s first graduating class The parish paid off the debt for the school building in 1909 In 1912 Illinois State University and the University of Illinois recognized St Mary s high school curriculum The graduating class that spring had twenty students 10 Sinsinawa Dominican sisters served as faculty at St Mary s and subsequently at Trinity High School 10 7 teaching nearly all classes until the 1950s Catholic priests however taught boys religious educations for three years of high school 15 Trinity High School edit nbsp Circa 1933 postcard illustrating Trinity High SchoolBy 1920 inspectors from the University of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Education were dissatisfied with the high school facilities at St Mary s School 7 207 With the student body growing 32 land for a separate high school building next to Holy Trinity Church at 712 North Center Street 33 was purchased from the Dominican sisters in summer 1922 for 25 000 nb 4 7 201 However due to the poor health of pastor Michael Weldon construction was postponed until after his death 7 207 The cornerstone of the school building was laid on 25 September 1927 7 223 Costing 285 000 nb 5 the building was completed on 3 September 1928 and opened one week later as Trinity High School 7 224 Fifty nine seniors graduated the following June 10 The St Mary s School building was renovated in summer 1928 and continued to serve as Holy Trinity Grade School 7 226 before demolition in 1969 34 In 1929 Trinity High School gained accreditation from the North Central Association 10 The school joined the IHSA in 1941 when private schools were first allowed to participate 35 A 300 000 nb 6 funding drive in 1954 financed the additions of a cafeteria and south annex to the school The annex initially housed 7th and 8th grade classrooms to alleviate overcrowding at Holy Trinity Grade School 10 After construction of new grade schools in 1963 33 annex classrooms were used for math and physical education classes 10 Central Catholic High School edit nbsp March 2011 USGS near infrared aerial orthoimage of Central Catholic High School and McGraw ParkCenter Street edit In the fall of 1967 1 Trinity High School became a diocesan school and was renamed Central Catholic High School after the diocese requested other regional parishes join in governing and subsidizing the school 36 Private donations in 1991 and 1992 funded renovations to the chemistry lab the creation of computer lab and updates to the biology lab 37 38 39 In compliance with a diocesan directive Central Catholic implemented mandatory hair sample drug testing of students beginning in 2000 40 41 42 Central Catholic High School s Center Street gymnasium nicknamed The Pit in the 1970s was known for its high temperatures loud water hammers 43 and for intimidating visiting teams due to the close proximity of the stands to the gym floor 35 44 Airport Road edit Church officials began discussing sites for a new school building in 1996 initially considering a west side location in the former Chicago amp Alton railroad yards 45 This site was later rejected due to the large amount of environmental cleanup needed 46 In February 1998 school officials announced plans to construct a new school building in east or southeast Bloomington after renovation of the current building was deemed to expensive 44 47 That July the pastors board announced fifteen acres of Deneen family farmland in east Bloomington were reserved for a new school building 48 An 11 million fundraising effort to build a new school on the land gifted to the diocese began in 2001 10 49 Construction started on 12 August 2002 with an estimated cost of 11 4 million nb 7 50 In June 2003 Mark Williams pastor of Holy Trinity Parish announced the decision to demolish the old school building as renovation and repurposing at an estimated cost of 4 million nb 8 was considered too expensive 51 The new building at 1201 Airport Road opened on 25 August 2003 52 with 323 students enrolled that fall 53 In June and July 2004 the Center Street school building was razed 54 and in the following year Bill Hundman Memorial Field was completed 55 In 2005 the CCHS accountant was charged with embezzling money from the school 56 CCHS enrollment peaked in 2009 with 423 students 55 As 2 000 000 nb 9 in financial pledges for construction of the new school building were left unfulfilled capital campaigns at the four regional Catholic parishes were started in 2011 to pay off the remaining debt 57 A 2013 upgrade installed school wide wireless internet access 58 in conjunction with a new bring your own device program 10 A student center and welcome center were added in summer 2015 renovations 15 In recent years enrollment at the school has dropped attributed in part to the diminished presence of State Farm Insurance in the area 59 In March 2022 it was announced that the school would shift to a President Principal model with principal Sean Foster named as the first president of the school effective in July 2022 60 The next month Chris McGraw was named the next principal with Sean Foster moving to a superintendent role 61 Between 1898 and 2014 6 556 students graduated from the school This includes 406 students from St Mary s High School between 1898 and 1928 as well as 2 482 students from Trinity High School between 1929 and 1967 10 Campus editCentral Catholic High School is located on a 15 acre site 62 at 1201 Airport Road in Bloomington Illinois The school property is bordered to the west by Airport Road and to the south by Cornelius Drive McGraw Park borders the school property to the north and east 63 Enclosing more than 100 000 square feet 11 with a capacity for 500 students 64 the school building is divided into two wings 11 The academic wing contains sixteen classrooms four science labs two art labs computer lab and the student center The social wing is bounded on one end by the 1400 seat Cvengros Gymnasium and on the other by the performing arts center a 560 seat auditorium audio lab band room and chorus room Between are a 100 seat chapel cafeteria commons area faculty dining area welcome center main office weight room and four locker rooms 11 15 62 A roundabout lies on the south side of the school building On the north side is the school parking lot and Bill Hundman Memorial Field which contains the school football field and track 63 CCHS uses McGraw Park facilities for baseball softball and tennis 65 nbsp Cvengros Gymnasium nbsp Bill Hundman Memorial Field nbsp Auditorium set up for a production of the musical Cinderella nbsp Chapel nbsp Commons area and cafeteria nbsp Student centerDemographics editEnrollment for the 2016 2017 school year was 317 The student body in the 2016 2017 school year was 87 white 6 Hispanic and 7 other Also in that year 50 of the student body was female and 50 was male 6 of students were from families that qualify for lunch subsidies and 4 of students received special education services 8 41 of students received tuition assistance in 2015 15 with an average of 1094 received per student 8 In the 2012 2013 school year 56 percent of teachers were female and 44 were male 66 More than half of the faculty has a graduate degree 1 Academics editCurriculum edit Course requirements for graduation 1 67 Course CreditsTheology 4English 4Mathematics 3Science 3Social Studies 2 5Foreign Language Fine Arts BACC 2Wellness PE and Health nb 10 2Consumer education 0 5Write cite and communicate nb 11 0 5Comprehensive Fine Arts nb 12 0 5Electives 3Minimum total credits 25The Central Catholic High School curriculum emphasizes college preparation 8 The school requires a total of twenty five credits of coursework to graduate Each semester long course is worth 0 5 credits Students must also complete a diocesan religion exam pass the state constitution exam and perform 5 hours of community service per quarter At least four of these quarterly hours must be connected to the Catholic Works of Mercy or assist the local parishes 9 67 More than 11 000 service hours are performed by students annually 59 Students generally take electives in their junior and senior years Central Catholic offers Advanced Placement courses in English Language and Composition English Literature and Composition Calculus Chemistry Physics and U S History On campus dual credit introductory courses in psychology and sociology are available to juniors and seniors in partnership with Heartland Community College Upperclassmen may also take vocational education courses through the Bloomington Area Career Center at Bloomington High School Driver education classes are provided by Normal Community High School 67 About forty six percent of CCHS students take an art class 59 and thirty one percent take a music class 8 Approximately half of students take at least one AP course before graduating 1 Schedule edit The CCHS school year generally runs from late August to late May and is divided into two eighteen week semesters and four nine week quarters 9 Students typically take seven classes per semester 1 Classes are held on a daily schedule and each class period is generally forty five minutes long 9 The CCHS school day runs from 8 00 AM to 2 40 PM 68 Tests rankings and statistics edit CCHS has a 100 four year graduation rate 21 Nearly 99 of graduates between 2012 and 2016 sought a college degree or joined the military 15 In 2016 84 of graduates planned to attend a four year college or university 14 planned to attend a two year college and 1 joined the workforce 8 The average ACT test score for the class of 2016 was 24 5 compared to a state and national average of 20 8 1 This score was in the top 15 of scores nationally that year 69 In the 2015 2016 school year seventy five students taking a total of 146 AP exams produced twenty four scores of 5 and seventy seven scores of 3 or 4 1 37 of 2017 graduates passed at least one AP test 21 Between 2009 and 2016 the school had seven national merit finalists four national merit semi finalists and twenty three national merit commended scholars among juniors who took the PSAT NMSQT 1 In its 2017 ranking of the most challenging high schools nationally The Washington Post ranked Central Catholic High School 1 339th based on its Challenge Index placing it in the top 6 of US high schools CCHS was also ranked 54th among Illinois high schools 21 the most highly ranked school south of the Chicago area 13 The daily student attendance rate was 96 in the 2015 2016 school year 8 Traditions and extracurriculars editTraditions edit CCHS students raise funds for a charity selected by the senior class throughout the school year typically donating more than 10 000 each year 15 70 Annual homecoming traditions at the school include a can sculpture competition car caravan and crowning of a homecoming king and queen 71 72 73 Each January Central Catholic students participate in March for Life Chicago and upperclassmen travel to Washington D C to participate in the main March for Life 74 75 76 During National Catholic Schools Week teams of CCHS students compete against each other in a school wide Olympic style tournament The school ends the week with a Catholic Mass alongside students of the area Catholic elementary schools 77 An annual spring prom occurs in early April at Miller Park pavilion 78 79 Extracurriculars edit Central Catholic has around thirty student activities clubs and organizations in addition to sports teams A school play and musical are performed each fall and spring respectively 9 Approximately 90 of students are involved in an extracurricular activity 8 Athletics edit nbsp The first football team at St Mary s High School in 1924Central Catholic High School participates in Illinois High School Association athletics and competes in classes 1A 2A or 3A for different sports It is a member of the Illini Prairie Conference 5 Baseball basketball cross country football golf soccer swimming and diving tennis and track and field are currently offered boys sports Basketball cross country golf soccer softball tennis track and field and volleyball are the currently offered girls sports 19 More than eighty percent of students participate in a school sport In 2014 fourteen out of ninety graduates signed for collegiate sports 59 Competitive sports at the high school date to the 1920s Football started in 1924 at St Mary s High School under coach Earl Peirce followed by a boys basketball team in 1926 under coach Charley Bennett and a baseball team in 1928 under coach Bill Connors The baseball team was undefeated in 1929 and 1930 5 Before the IHSA allowed private schools to participate in 1941 the boys basketball team won State Catholic Tournament championships under Bennett in 1927 and 1928 and placed second in the three years following It was also the State Catholic Tournament champion in 1933 under coach John Callans and in 1940 and 1941 under coach Essau Dotlich 35 34 CCHS joined the Corn Belt Conference as a founding member in 1950 The conference merged with the former Heart of Illinois Conference in 1972 but CCHS later rejoined the Corn Belt Conference when it re formed in 1978 80 After the merging of the Corn Belt and the Okaw Valley conferences beginning in the 2017 18 school year CCHS became a member of the resulting Illini Prairie Conference 81 Central Catholic High School is the first school in the state of Illinois to win state football titles in four different classes 82 83 Notable IHSA state appearances 5 School year Sport Place Class Coach1975 1976 Boys golf 3rd A1982 1983 Football 1st 2A John McIntyre1982 1983 Girls basketball 4th A Jo Ann Bowers1983 1984 Football 2nd 2A John McIntyre1982 1983 Boys golf 3rd A1983 1984 Boys golf 3rd A1987 1988 Football 1st 1A John McIntyre1990 1991 Football 2nd 1A Dan Boynton1994 1995 Football 1st 3A Bobby Moews2003 2004 Volleyball 3rd A Daniel Rolph2007 2008 Football 2nd 4A Bobby Moews2007 2008 Girls track and field 3rd A DeWayne Griffin2008 2009 Football 1st 4A Bobby Moews2008 2009 Girls golf 3rd A Mary Jo Bell2008 2009 Girls track and field 1st 1A DeWayne Griffin2009 2010 Girls basketball 1st 2A Debbie Coffman2009 2010 Girls golf 2nd A Mary Jo Bell2009 2010 Girls track and field 2nd 1A DeWayne Griffin2010 2011 Girls basketball 2nd 2A Debbie Coffman2010 2011 Volleyball 2nd 2A Emily Kauten2013 2014 Boys basketball 1st 2A Jason Welch2014 2015 Girls basketball 3rd 2A Debbie Coffman2015 2016 Volleyball 1st 2A J R Banister2016 2017 Girls tennis 3rd 1A Joe Rondone2016 2017 Volleyball 4th 2A J R Banister2016 2017 Girls basketball 2nd 2A Debbie CoffmanFootball practice field editOn 10 November 2014 the Bloomington city council voted 5 4 to purchase four acres of land near McGraw Park in Empire Business Park using state funds and to rent the land to CCHS for use as a football practice field The council voted with the understanding the current football practice field on land owned by the Central Illinois Regional Airport was in a Federal Aviation Agency restricted flight path zone and the school would have to move to another location in 2015 84 In 2009 state senator and CCHS alum Bill Brady had arranged a 750 000 state legislative grant for the purchase as part of a General Assembly capital bill 85 86 Alderman Jim Fruin another CCHS alum voted in favor CCHS agreed to spend at least 20 000 to improve the land pay an annual rent of 1 700 and to maintain mow and clean the field The annual cost to the city was estimated to be 2 500 and the land was to be used as a park when not in use by the school 84 After the vote alderman Joni Painter discovered from the school website that Fruin was a member of the CCHS Board of Trustees an interest not previously disclosed 87 Council members also learned CCHS could renew the lease for its current practice field for up to another fifteen years Fruin and CCHS principal Sean Foster stated they had believed the contract could not be renewed past 2015 88 Mayor Tari Renner refused to sign off on the approval pending an attorney general opinion on whether any conflict of interest law or ordinance was violated Fruin stated he would defer to the attorney general and that he did not believe there was a conflict of interest because trustees serve only an advisory role 89 A Pantagraph editorial later suggested several other potential conflicts of interest the Deneen family who donated land for the new school building were stakeholders in the development firm from which the land would be purchased Fruin s real estate agency Coldwell Banker was to oversee the transaction though he would have no role and CCHS football coach Mike Moews is the brother of city parks superintendent Bobby Moews 90 At the 24 November 2014 council meeting Painter moved to reconsider the agreement The council unanimously rejected the land deal after Fruin recused himself from the vote The council then discussed other potential uses for the money 87 despite prior statements by senator Bill Brady that the money could be reallocated to other communities in his district if it was not used to expand McGraw Park 87 91 92 Renner stated the grant could be used for any Bloomington parks or trails According to Brady the money was directed solely toward McGraw Park at the direction of former Bloomington mayor Steve Stockton Stockton disputed this characterization stating he had discussed alternative uses for the money 87 93 On 21 November 2014 the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus asked the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to halt the grant Learning of this two weeks later Renner disagreed the caucus had authority to prevent use of the money The city council continued discussions of how to allocate the money while Brady formed a committee headed by former Bloomington mayor Jesse Smart to determine how the grant should be used 94 95 96 On 7 December 2014 the Bloomington City Council approved use of the grant money for improvements to the Constitution Trail Miller Park pavilion and Sunnyside Park 97 CCHS renewed its lease for the airport practice field in mid December 2014 98 On 14 January 2015 Brady s grant committee completed its review and recommended allocating money for the Sunnyside Park and Miller Park pavilion projects in Bloomington as well as three other projects in Lake Bloomington Delavan Illinois and McLean Illinois 99 100 The conflict of interest review was called off after the 21 November vote though the city legal department clarified conflicts of interest in the city code 101 As of December 2015 update none of the communities have received any money from the grant pending passage of a state budget 86 Awards and recognition editCCHS was named a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School 102 one of 342 in the nation and one of 17 in Illinois 13 69 Notable alumni editBill Brady Illinois politician is a former Republican member of the Illinois Senate and senate minority leader representing the 44th Legislative District Dan Brady Illinois politician is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 105th district Josh Brent is a former nose tackle for the Dallas Cowboys Michael Hoomanawanui is a former tight end for the New Orleans Saints and a champion of Super Bowl XLIX Former principals editSr Mary Kremer 19 1984 15 103 Richard Morehouse 1984 1991 CCHS enrollment briefly fell below 200 students in 1989 before increasing by 25 near the end of Morehouse s tenure 104 105 106 Joy Allen 1991 2014 Under Joy Allen CCHS increased enrollment from 213 students in 1991 to 346 students in 2014 Allen oversaw the planning design and capital campaigns for the Airport Road school building and Bill Hundman Memorial Field During her tenure Central Catholic increased ACT test scores added additional Advanced Placement courses and broadened its curriculum 55 107 Notes edit Does not include cheerleading The schools are currently in different conferences and do not play each other equivalent to 847 000 in 2022 equivalent to 437 000 in 2022 equivalent to 4 801 000 in 2022 equivalent to 3 300 000 in 2022 equivalent to 18 500 000 in 2022 equivalent to 6 400 000 in 2022 equivalent to 2 600 000 in 2022 Taken freshman and sophomore years Taken freshman year Taken freshman yearReferences edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Central Catholic High School Profile 2016 2017 Google Docs Central Catholic High School Retrieved 29 August 2016 a b c d e f Search for Private Schools School Detail for Central Catholic High School National Center for Education Statistics Institute of Education Sciences Retrieved 3 September 2015 a b Advisory Committee Central Catholic High School Central Catholic High School Retrieved 20 September 2015 Code Of Regulations Of The Pastors Board Central Catholic High School Bloomington Illinois PDF Central Catholic High School September 2010 Retrieved 29 August 2016 a b c d e f g School Directory Bloomington Central Catholic Illinois High School Association 11 January 2015 Retrieved 23 May 2015 Valente Judith 7 March 2016 Unit 5 Addresses Concerns of Transgender Students WGLT Retrieved 24 January 2017 a b c d e f g h i Moore Stephen N 1952 History of Holy Trinity Parish Bloomington Illinois Retrieved 13 September 2015 a b c d e f g h i j CCHS 2017 NBRS Application PDF National Blue Ribbon Schools Program United States Department of Education 2017 Retrieved 28 September 2017 a b c d e f g Central Catholic High School Handbook Google Docs Central Catholic High School Retrieved 7 February 2015 a b c d e f g h i j k l m Annual Report 2013 2014 PDF SharpSchool Central Catholic High School Office of Advancement Retrieved 21 May 2015 a b c d Loda Rebecca 17 August 2003 Central Catholic prepares for Aug 25 grand opening Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co Retrieved 13 September 2015 The definition of micro urban in this source applies to the Bloomington Normal area About Micro Urban Champaign Urbana University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Retrieved 28 August 2015 a b c Halbleib Greg 28 September 2017 Central Catholic named National Blue Ribbon School WJBC AM 1230 Retrieved 28 September 2017 STUDENT APPLICATION COMMITMENT 2017 2018 PDF Central Catholic High School Retrieved 2 February 2017 a b c d e f g h Central Catholic Magazine Fall 2016 PDF Central Catholic High School 2016 Retrieved 2 February 2017 Partner Parishes and Schools Central Catholic High School Retrieved 28 August 2015 Coulter Phyllis 25 September 2011 Many variables effecting schools enrollment The Pantagraph Retrieved 13 September 2015 Central Catholic High School graduation The Pantagraph 20 May 2017 Retrieved 24 May 2017 a b Bloomington Central Catholic Saints 8 to 18 Central Catholic High School Retrieved 12 September 2015 AdvancED International Registry for Accreditation Retrieved 30 September 2017 a b c d Mathews Jay 5 May 2017 America s Most Challenging High Schools The Washington Post Retrieved 29 May 2017 Handbook Central Catholic High School Central Catholic High School Archived from the original on 6 February 2006 Deacon Joe 28 January 2016 U High CCHS hope to continue relationship rivalry The Pantagraph Retrieved 8 October 2016 Strategic Plan 2011 2016 PDF Central Catholic High School Retrieved 7 February 2015 Family and Local History A Guide to the Resources Available at Bloomington Public Library PDF Bloomington Public Library March 2013 p 13 Archived from the original PDF on 6 July 2016 Retrieved 24 June 2016 CCHS Publications Central Catholic High School Central Catholic High School Retrieved 27 September 2015 School Enrollments Numeric 2017 18 Illinois High School Association Retrieved 6 February 2017 Two Year Cycle Enrollments and Classifications www ihsa org IHSA Retrieved 12 March 2022 Meet the top graduates of our seven Catholic high schools Catholic Diocese of Peoria The Catholic Post 2014 Retrieved 22 May 2015 Brigham William B 1951 The Story of McLean County And Its Schools p 48 Retrieved 20 September 2015 Illustrated Bloomington and Normal Illinois views of the public buildings business houses residences prominent citizens parks etc Pantagraph Printing and Stationery Company 1896 p 141 Retrieved 19 September 2015 History Central Catholic High School Retrieved 3 December 2016 a b History Corpus Christi Catholic School Retrieved 28 August 2015 a b Bloomington St Mary High School Fighting Irish Illinois High School Glory Days Retrieved 21 May 2015 a b c Bloomington Trinity High School Fighting Irish or Saints Illinois High School Glory Days Retrieved 19 September 2015 The History of Catholic Education in Bloomington Normal Central Catholic High School Retrieved 6 February 2015 Lab blessed FINAL Edition Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co 29 April 1991 Retrieved 19 September 2015 Hansen Karen 29 June 1992 Donation lets CCHS fix up lab FINAL Edition Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co Retrieved 19 September 2015 CCHS builds lab with IBM grant FINAL Edition Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co 16 December 1991 Retrieved 19 September 2015 Arney Steve 2 October 1999 Diocese institutes drug tests Decision affects Central Catholic Pantagraph Chronicle Publishing Company Retrieved 19 September 2015 Random drug tests still controversial Pantagraph Chronicle Publishing Company 23 May 2000 Retrieved 19 September 2015 Loda Rebecca 3 March 2001 School districts continue building momentum Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co Retrieved 19 September 2015 Kindred Randy 27 June 2016 Kindred Echoes of The Pit 13 years after wrecking ball The Pantagraph Retrieved 27 June 2016 a b Holliday Bob 24 February 1998 New school in the works to replace Central Catholic Pantagraph Chronicle Publishing Company Retrieved 19 September 2015 Berry John 1 August 1996 To build or no Catholic schools review options for the future FINAL Edition Pantagraph Chronicle Publishing Company Retrieved 19 September 2015 Railyard warehouse plan need not depend on bridge FINAL Edition Pantagraph Chronicle Publishing Company 31 March 1997 Retrieved 19 September 2015 Berry John 25 February 1998 Central Catholic preview set Parents to see school plans at Tuesday meeting Pantagraph Chronicle Publishing Company Retrieved 19 September 2015 Berry John 16 July 1998 Site for new Central Catholic High OK d fund raising effort next step Pantagraph Chronicle Publishing Company Retrieved 19 September 2015 Loda Rebecca 20 September 2001 CCHS campaign hits halfway mark Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co Retrieved 19 September 2015 Loda Rebecca 13 August 2002 Making the dream a reality Church breaks ground for new CCHS building Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co Retrieved 13 September 2015 Loda Rebecca Old CCHS to be razed Renovation cost too high for parish Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co Retrieved 19 September 2015 Simpson Kevin 26 August 2003 CCHS teachers students New school s cool Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co Retrieved 13 September 2015 Coulter Phyllis 2 June 2013 10 years ago three new religious schools opened their doors The Pantagraph Retrieved 13 September 2015 Old Central Catholic comes down Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co 17 July 2004 Retrieved 19 September 2015 a b c Sabota Lenore 6 March 2014 New CCHS principal named The Pantagraph Retrieved 12 September 2015 CCHS worker charged with embezzling Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co 16 June 2005 Retrieved 19 September 2015 AdvancED School Executive Summary Central Catholic High School Diocese of Peoria AdvancED 2012 Archived from the original on 4 July 2015 Retrieved 7 June 2017 Nagle Maria 23 March 2014 Enrollments up at private schools Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co Retrieved 19 September 2015 a b c d AdvancED School Executive Summary Central Catholic High School Diocese of Peoria AdvancED 2016 Retrieved 6 November 2016 Wood Connor 11 March 2022 Central Catholic to move to president principal model The Pantagraph Retrieved 12 March 2022 Skaggs Robyn 28 April 2022 McGraw named principal at Central Catholic High School The Pantagraph Retrieved 29 April 2022 a b Loda Rebecca 8 June 2003 One Last Memory New school has many upgrades Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co Retrieved 13 September 2015 a b Bing Maps search for Bloomington Central Catholic High School Microsoft Corporation Retrieved 25 May 2015 Loda Rebecca 15 March 2003 Private schools see variety of new building Pantagraph Retrieved 13 September 2015 Bloomington Central Catholic Saints School Directions 8 to 18 Central Catholic High School Retrieved 13 September 2015 2012 2013 Registered Nonpublic Schools Enrollment Directory Information and Other Data Miscellaneous Illinois State Board of Education 2013 Archived from the original on 5 September 2015 Retrieved 7 August 2016 a b c Central Catholic High School Course Curriculum Guide Google Docs Central Catholic High School 18 May 2016 Retrieved 7 August 2016 Frequently Asked Questions Central Catholic High School Retrieved 7 February 2015 a b Evelsizer Julia 28 September 2017 Central Catholic named Blue Ribbon School The Pantagraph Retrieved 28 September 2017 Nagle Maria 10 May 2014 CCHS seniors spend last day volunteering The Pantagraph Retrieved 2 February 2017 Coulter Phyllis 1 October 2009 Can do attitude helps shape CCHS hunger project The Pantagraph Retrieved 5 February 2017 Coulter Phyllis 21 September 2013 Area high schools prep for homecoming The Pantagraph Retrieved 5 February 2017 CCHS crowns homecoming queen king The Pantagraph 22 November 2016 Retrieved 5 February 2017 Central Catholic Students Leave for D C CENTRALILLINOISPROUD Nexstar Broadcasting Inc 20 January 2016 Retrieved 22 January 2016 Miller Roger Evelsizer Julia 22 January 2016 Central Catholic group dodging blizzard in D C Pantagraph Retrieved 22 January 2016 Central Catholic students at March to Life rally WJBC AM 1230 27 January 2017 Retrieved 5 February 2017 Evelsizer Julia 3 February 2017 Catholic students celebrate faith with fun The Pantagraph Retrieved 5 February 2017 CCHS names prom royalty The Pantagraph 18 April 2013 Retrieved 5 February 2017 Coulter Phyllis High schools see cost of post dance events worth keeping students safe The Pantagraph No 15 April 2012 Retrieved 5 February 2017 Kindred Randy 27 January 2016 U High opts to join Central State Eight Conference The Pantagraph Retrieved 1 June 2016 Corn Belt Conference merger approved Illini Prairie Conference created Chillicothe Times Bulletin 27 April 2016 Retrieved 31 May 2016 Dermody Tom 7 December 2008 Dedication key to Saints storybook season The Catholic Post Catholic Diocese of Peoria Archived from the original on 12 December 2010 Retrieved 23 May 2015 A salute to CCHS for perfect season The Pantagraph 1 December 2008 Retrieved 5 February 2017 a b Nagle Maria 11 November 2014 City Council OKs CCHS land deal The Pantagraph Retrieved 19 September 2015 Nagle Maria 5 December 2014 GOP caucus puts hold on 750 000 parks grant The Pantagraph Retrieved 19 September 2015 a b Nagle Maria 6 December 2015 Bloomington parks grant held up by budget impasse The Pantagraph Bloomington Illinois Retrieved 6 December 2015 a b c d Nagle Maria 25 November 2014 Council rejects McGraw Park CCHS land deal The Pantagraph Retrieved 19 September 2015 Nagle Maria 15 November 2015 More doubts raised in city land deal involving CCHS The Pantagraph Retrieved 19 September 2015 Nagle Matria 14 November 2014 Mayor won t sign CCHS document awaiting AG ruling The Pantagraph Retrieved 19 September 2015 Editorial City CCHS land proposal raises eyebrows The Pantagraph 19 November 2014 Retrieved 19 September 2015 Nagle Maria 22 November 2014 City to re vote land deal anticipates receiving grant The Pantagraph Retrieved 20 September 2015 Nagle Maria 14 November 2014 Brady If city rejects park grant money will go elsewhere The Pantagraph Retrieved 20 September 2015 Nagle Maria 26 November 2014 CCHS city eye options for land grant The Pantagraph Retrieved 19 September 2015 Nagle Maria 5 December 2014 GOP caucus puts hold on 750 000 parks grant The Pantagraph Retrieved 20 September 2015 Nagle Maria 6 December 2014 State says grant is dead city plans to continue talks The Pantagraph Retrieved 20 September 2015 Nagle Maria 22 December 2014 Projects vie for Brady s park grant The Pantagraph Retrieved 20 September 2015 Nagle Maria 8 December 2014 Bloomington will submit parks projects for possible state grant funding The Pantagraph Retrieved 20 September 2015 Nagle Maria 12 December 2014 Central Catholic High School renews lease with airport The Pantagraph Retrieved 20 September 2015 Nagle Maria 28 January 2015 Brady unveils projects being funded with 750 000 grant The Pantagraph Retrieved 20 September 2015 Smart Jesse 14 January 2015 Grant report to Brady Pantagraph Retrieved 20 September 2015 Nagle Maria 11 March 2015 Attorney Vote negates need for Fruin conflict ruling The Pantagraph Retrieved 20 September 2015 Central Catholic High School Bloomington IL National Blue Ribbon Schools Program U S Department of Education 27 September 2017 Retrieved 28 September 2017 Sister Mary Kremer Dominican University Retrieved 18 October 2017 Dighton Daniel 4 July 1991 Ex CCHS principal says resignation due to stress FINAL Edition Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co Retrieved 13 September 2015 Central Catholic principal resigns successor picked FINAL Edition Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co 3 July 1991 Retrieved 13 September 2015 Ostrowski Darlene 25 September 1992 Values academics lure kids to Catholic school FINAL Edition Pantagraph Pantagraph Publishing Co Retrieved 19 September 2015 Dermody Tom March 2014 Joy Allen to retire after 23 years as Central Catholic principal The Catholic Post The Catholic Diocese of Peoria Retrieved 12 September 2015 permanent dead link External links edit nbsp 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