Block Island School | |
Established: | 1933 |
Type: | Public |
Superintendent: | Robert J. Gerardi Jr. |
City: | Block Island |
State: | Rhode Island |
Country: | United States |
Coordinates: | 41.1643°N -71.5608°W |
Campus Size: | 6acres |
Grades: | K-12 |
Enrollment: | 117 (2019) |
Faculty: | 23 |
Class: | 9 students |
Ratio: | 1:5 |
Athletics: | 5 Interscholastic sports |
Colors: | Red and White |
Team Name: | Hurricanes |
Rival: | Barrington Christian Academy |
Block Island School is a K-12 school located in Block Island, Rhode Island. Established in 1933, it replaced five one-room schools. Today, the Block Island School educates approximately 160 students, from kindergarten through senior year. A typical school day runs from 7:50 am to 2:50 pm, Monday through Thursday. Every Friday, school dismisses at 12:22 pm to accommodate student-athletes traveling for sporting events either on or off the island.
The Block Island Hurricanes compete in three main sports, each played in different seasons.
In the fall, the BI Hurricanes have both a junior high soccer team (grades 6-8) and a varsity soccer team (high school students). Both teams are co-ed, reflecting the school's small student body. In 2014, the Block Island Hurricanes secured the first seed in the Coastal Prep League and won the 2014 CPL Championship against Oxford Academy. They followed up with another strong run at the championship but were upset 3-1 by Blackstone Valley Prep.
During the winter, students participate in basketball with Junior High Girls, Junior High Boys, Varsity Girls, and Varsity Boys teams. Each team had notable success during the 2014-2015 season. The junior high teams showcased promising talent, while the varsity girls had one of their best seasons in recent history. Senior Kiley Hall was named a 2014-2015 Rhode Island Interscholastic Basketball League All-Star for Division III basketball.[1] She also became the third player in school history to score 1,000 career points, joining Ross Draper and Derek Marsella.[2] The Varsity Boys basketball team had an undefeated league season and won the 2014-2015 Coastal Prep League championship. With only seven players, each one had a significant impact on every game.[3] This is the only instance in school history where the Hurricanes won championships in two different sports in the same year. The 2015-2016 season saw the boys' team demonstrate grit with a young six-man roster, finishing with an unexpected 8-8 league record. Richard Conant became Block Island's fourth 1,000-point scorer.[4]
In the spring, BIS students compete in baseball and softball, with junior high and varsity teams for both sports. Male athletes participate in baseball, while female athletes compete in softball. The varsity softball team had a strong 2015 season, winning more than half of their games. The boys' varsity baseball team also excelled, losing only one league game and clinching the Coastal Prep League championship. This achievement marked the first time students won championships in all three sports in one year. Six student-athletes—Timothy O'Neill, Mason Littlefield, Griffen Hall, Richard Conant, Ryan McGarry, and Jameson Brown-Padien—were dubbed the "Silent Six" for their contributions across all three championship teams.