St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Florida) Explained

St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Streetaddress:2801 Southwest 12th Street
Zipcode:33312
Country:United States
Pushpin Map:Florida#USA
Head Label:Supervising Principal
Head:Vincent T. Kelly
Principal:Denise Aloma
Dean:Robert Biasotti
Faculty:130
Ratio:17:1
Act:23.8 (mean composite score)
Grades:9–12
Tuition:$14,750
$10,200 for students and families participating and contributing in a Catholic Parish
Enrollment:2,420
Enrollment As Of:2023
Motto:Vita ∙ Deo ∙ Veritas
Motto Translation:Life ∙ God ∙ Truth
Mascot:Raider Male
Nickname:Saint Tommy's
Team Name:Raiders
Yearbook:Veritas
Publication:Spectrum (Literary Magazine)
Newspaper:Raider Review
Patron:St. Thomas Aquinas
Established:1936
Colors:Blue and Gold

St. Thomas Aquinas High School is a private, Catholic, college-preparatory high school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The school was founded in 1936 as part of St. Anthony School and moved to its current location in southwest Fort Lauderdale in 1952. It is sponsored by the Archdiocese of Miami and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The school currently enrolls 2,420 students[2] on its 25acres campus.

The Raiders athletic teams have won over 100 state championships and have achieved a national profile. Graduates of St. Thomas Aquinas include numerous professional athletes, thirteen Olympians, prominent state politicians, and award-winning authors and actors.

History

St. Anthony High School was founded by the Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan in 1926. The upper school was added in 1936 and grew to a student body of 42 in four years, boasting nine graduates who comprised the Class of 1940.

The upper school was renamed Central Catholic High School and moved to its present location in 1952. The original Central Catholic campus consisted of the main office wing, library, 15 classrooms, patio, cafeteria, kitchen, coaches’ office, and locker room facilities. The school erected a statue of Mary in 1957 that still graces the campus today.

In September 1961, due to the opening of Cardinal Gibbons High School, a second Catholic school in Fort Lauderdale, the school chose St. Thomas Aquinas as its patron and official name.

Academics

On October 3rd, 2022, for the third time in its history, Broward’s oldest Catholic high school was designated a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. This 2022 award — as an Exemplary High Performing School — adds to the ones St. Thomas won in 1984 and 1996. Winning schools must wait five years before applying for another award.

On May 29, 1996, President Bill Clinton presented St. Thomas Aquinas High School with the Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award for excellence in education. This was the second time where St. Thomas Aquinas received recognition by the U.S. Department of Education. During the 1984-1985 school year, the school was first recognized as a "School of Excellence".

St. Thomas Aquinas High School has been named to the Catholic High School Honor Roll five times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010). It is the only Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of Miami to have been listed as one of the Top 50 Catholic high schools in the United States for five years.

Admissions

St. Thomas Aquinas accepts students from 105 feeder schools, 46 Catholic parishes, and three counties. An entrance exam is required for all incoming Freshmen. Prospective students must submit their first semester 8th grade report card and two letters of recommendation from their current school. Prospective transfer students must submit an application along with a copy of their current high school transcript and two academic letters of recommendation from current school officials.

Faculty and curriculum

The St. Thomas Aquinas faculty consists of three religious and 127 laypersons, with 74 teachers holding advanced degrees. The ratio of students to teaching faculty stands at 17 to 1. The faculty averages 20 years of teaching experience and 12 years of experience at the school.

The school offers 195 different courses in 9 subjects: English, Mathematics, Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, Fine Arts, Computer/Graphic Arts, and Theology. Students are grouped by ability with course offerings at Advanced Placement, Honors and College-Preparatory levels.

Athletics

In 2005, St. Thomas Aquinas was recognized by Sports Illustrated as the third best high school athletic program in the nation. The criteria emphasized all-around excellence during the last 10 years and included state championships won and the number of college athletes produced.

In 2011, St. Thomas Aquinas was named the nation's top athletic program by Maxpreps.

The Raiders have won 115 FHSAA state championships and have graduated such student athletes as Chris Evert, Michael Irvin and Sanya Richards-Ross. The school has been awarded the Broward County all-sports trophy by the Sun-Sentinel for 35 consecutive years. The athletic department has also won the FHSAA Dodge Sunshine Cup every year since the awards inception in 1995.

State championships

Boys

Girls

Notable alumni

Athletics

Arts, entertainment, and civil service

Other

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools. United States Department of Education. April 30, 2023.
  2. Web site: Admissions - St. Thomas Aquinas High School. 2021-09-29. www.aquinas-sta.org. en-US.
  3. News: Bernstein . Dan . Behind the Bosa brothers: How Nick and Joey Bosa took the NFL by storm . 26 April 2020 . 31 January 2020.
  4. News: Pashelka . Curtis . Ten things to know about Nick Bosa's high school, which visits De La Salle on Friday night . 26 April 2020 . 18 August 2019.
  5. News: Overstake . Grant . Pinstripes bring Brown great relief . 19 January 2023 . . 29 March 1984 . 15.
  6. Web site: Bailey . Eric . OU Football: Jaden Davis, four-star cornerback from Fort Lauderdale, commits to Sooners . Tulsa World . 18 July 2018 . 8 February 2024.
  7. Web site: Lichtenstein . Adam . St. Thomas four-star receiver Marcus Rosemy picks Georgia over Miami, Florida and Ohio State . Sun Sentinel . June 20, 2019 . January 10, 2024.

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