Archbishop Rummel High School


Archbishop Rummel High School is a Catholic secondary school located in Metairie, a community in unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. The school is named after Archbishop Joseph Rummel, a former Archbishop in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Tradition

Archbishop Rummel is a high school dedicated to educating the young men of the eastbank of Jefferson Parish; Archbishop Rummel is owned by the Archdiocese of New Orleans and administered and staffed by lay and religious personnel.
Archbishop Rummel High School is accredited by the Department of Education of the State of Louisiana and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is nationally recognized as a Secondary School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.
The school continues the tradition of the Christian Brothers who responded to the request of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1962 to conduct the school. For a period of 31 years, the Christian Brothers provided administrators and faculty who brought into the school the 315-year tradition of St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, the founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, who was named patron of all teachers by Pope Pius XII on May 15, 1950. On February 19, 2013 Archbishop Rummel High School officially re-associated itself with the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Brother Tim Coldwell, FSC, Visitor of the New Orleans-Santa Fe District and Archbishop Rummel alumnus, presented the certificate of re-association to Brother Gale Condit, FSC, Archbishop Rummel High School president.

History

Opened on September 10, 1962, Archbishop Rummel High School was one of four archdiocesan Catholic high schools established for students of Jefferson Parish, a New Orleans suburb, as a result of an archdiocesan campaign. On that first day of class, 225 freshmen formed the charter class of the school. In its second year, with the admission of nine freshman classes, the school had an enrollment of almost 600 students. Additional freshman classes were added each year until the 1965-66 school year when the school was a complete high school with 1,100 students. The charter class of 222 was graduated on May 27, 1966. The school operated as a four year high school until 1981 when the Archdiocese of New Orleans gave permission for the school to begin an eighth grade program for the 1982-83 academic year.
The senior high school plant occupies one third of the campus and consists of five separate building adjoined by covered walkways. The remaining portion of the campus is structure-free for athletic programs and future development. The senior high campus is divided into the faculty office wing, the administration-library wing, and the classroom wings completing a quadrangle in the center of which is the school chapel. A senior wing was added in 1966 to accommodate the first senior class. Additionally, in 1985 the school purchased the former Stuart Prep property adjacent to the school to use for a junior high campus.
The school cafeteria and gymnasium are located on the senior high campus. In memory of the Nelson-Smyth family of Chicago, the gymnasium was dedicated in May 1963. A building program that saw the construction of the senior wing also included the music building, an athletic field house, and an addition to the faculty office wing. During the 1980-81 school year, the school enclosed the area under the senior wing to make a student mall and also added a weight room to the field house.
The Brothers of the Christian Schools conducted Archbishop Rummel High School through June 1993, when they relinquished governance to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. On February 19, 2013 Archbishop Rummel High School officially re-associated itself with the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Two Christian Brothers currently remain on staff for the school year. They and lay men and women comprise the administration, faculty, and staff of the school.
From 2001 to 2011 enrollment declined by 34%. Michael Scalco, an alumnus of Rummel, became principal in 2005 and left in 2008. In 2011 Thomas Moran Jr., the next principal, quit, and the school brought Scalco back as principal. By 2011 there were 890 students. That year Scalco stated that his plan was to get enrollment to increase again. From 2013-2014 the enrollment declined by 3%, down to 684. Scalco announced he was resigning in 2015.

Blue Ribbon Award

On September 28, 1989, Archbishop Rummel High School was recognized as a Secondary School of Excellence by George H. W. Bush at ceremonies in Washington, D.C. Created by the Secretary of Education in 1982, the Blue Ribbon Recognition Program's purpose is to identify and honor America's outstanding public and private schools. To receive recognition, Archbishop Rummel was nominated by the Council for American Private Education and then passed a rigorous screening and two-day site visit. The school was then recommended to the Secretary of Education who presented the award to Archbishop Rummel representatives.

Academics

The Program of Studies at Archbishop Rummel High School is the result of the continuous work of the Curriculum Committee. It complies with the requirements of the Louisiana State Board of Education, the Louisiana Tuition Opportunity Program for Students, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the general entrance requirements of universities and colleges. The Louisiana State Board of Education, the Office of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and the Archbishop Rummel Curriculum Committee, have approved these requirements.
The primary purpose of a Catholic high school like Archbishop Rummel is the faith development of its students. With this as its goal, the gospel values and teaching of faith are integrated throughout the school curricula and programs. The religion program, classroom instruction, prayer and worship opportunities, retreats, and service projects articulate the unique Catholic identity of the school in its faith development of the students, as well as that of the total school community. Therefore, it is essential that every student participate fully in the total program.

Athletics

Archbishop Rummel participates in the New Orleans Catholic League.

Championships

1973 - District
1974 - District, State
1980 - District
1981 - State
1987 - District, State
1989 - State
1990 - District
1994 - District
1997 - District, State
1999 - District
2000 - District
2001 - District
2002 - District
2006 - District
Additionally, the Archbishop Rummel-based American Legion baseball team, Nationwide Restoration, won the American Legion World Series in 2006.
1972 - District
1977 - District, State
1978 - District, State
1985 - District
1977 - City
1980 - City
1981 - District
1982 - District, City
1984 - City
1992 - District
1994 - City
1996 - District
2007 - City
2010 - District
2011 - District
2012 - District, State
2013 - District, State
1996 - District, State
2001 - District
1973 - District
1974 - District
1980 - District
1985 - District
1999 - District
2000 - District
2001 - District
2002 - District
2003 - District
2005 - District
2006 - District
2007 - District
2009 - District
2012 - District, Undefeated State Champions
2013 - State Champions
2014 - District
2015 - District
2019 - District, Undefeated State Champions
1974 - District
1975 - District
1976 - District
1979 - District
1983 - District
1984 - District
2004 - District
2006 - District, Regional
1974 - District
1975 - District
1976 - District
1981 - District
1987 - District
2004 - District
1978 - District
1979 - District, State
1980 - District
1981 - District, State
1982 - District, State
1983 - District
1992 - District
2000 - District
1970 - District
1971 - District
1974 - District
1975 - District
1981 - District, Regional
1982 - District, Regional, State
2002 - District, Regional
2003 - District
2012 - Regional
2014 - District
2011 - District, State

Notable alumni