Christopher Columbus High School is a privateCatholic college-preparatory high school conducted by theMarist Brothers in theWestchester area ofMiami-Dade County, Florida.[2] It was established in 1958 and transferred to the Marist Brothers in 1959. The school has over 100 teachers, administrators, faculty, staff, with an enrollment of 1,700 students. It was selected, for the fourth time in a row, as one of the top 50 Catholic high schools in theUnited States by the Catholic High School Honor Roll in 2008.
In 1958, Christopher Columbus High School was built in an area that was then surrounded by Everglades swampland. The school was established by the Diocese of Miami at the request of theArchbishop of MiamiColeman F. Carroll to continue the secondary education program at St. Theresa Catholic School inCoral Gables.
The school opened with two and a half buildings and an enrollment of approximately 150 students. TheMarist Brothers assumed the direction of the school in 1959. Presently the Columbus campus extends over 24 acres. In addition to the four major academic buildings, there is the Abraham Science Building, the Lawrence-Bell Media Center, the Howard Korth Music and Athletic Center, and the Mas Technology Complex. Athletic facilities include varsity athletic fields, a baseball complex, outdoor basketball courts, tennis courts, a gymnasium, track, and weight room.
In May 2018, Columbus High School made national headlines after controversy centered around the display of a live caged tiger during the school's "jungle-themed" prom. Videos and images captured the tiger pacing in a metal enclosure. The school's principal David Pugh expressed regret for the school administration decision to allow the use of animal entertainment, stating that it did not reflect the school's Catholic values.[3]
Today, Columbus has an enrollment of approximately 1,800 students and over 15,000 alumni.
Columbus' rival school is the only other all-male, Roman Catholic school in Miami-Dade County,Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. The two schools' rivalry is often limited to athletics[4] (though Columbus competes on the more competitive level across all sports), the rivalry often extends beyond sports and into local politics and culture.[5][6]
In order to graduate, students require twenty-four credits and agrade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0. They must also complete one hundred hours ofcommunity service by the end of their senior year, 80 of which must be Direct, and 20 must be indirect. The academics at Columbus are based on a phasing system: “College Preparatory” classes are for the academically challenged who require more time to absorb a given subject, “Accelerated” classes are for the average student, An “Honours Class” is for the academically gifted, and Phase 5 refers toAdvanced Placement (AP) classes, which have a college-level format and where academically motivated students have the opportunity to gain college credit should they earn the proper score on the AP exam. Depending on a given phase of a class, a student will earn a certain number of points, which are then weighted and averaged to generate a student's GPA, the average GPA being a 3.2.
Outside of Columbus HS cafeteria.
Columbus has more students taking AP classes than any other Catholic school in Miami-Dade County[citation needed] and their passing averages on AP exams are five times higher than the state and national averages.
The students are 54.4% Hispanic, 49.6% White, 2.3% African-American, and 0.9% combination of Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American/Alaskan. The student-teacher ratio at Christopher Columbus High School is about 15:1. The professional staff includes 17 Marist Brothers, 100 laypersons; 2 librarians/media specialists and 9 counselors/advisors; 45% hold an advanced degree; 60% have over 20 years of teaching experience, and half have been with the school well over 15 years. Many Marist Brothers hold positions at Columbus including president, guidance counselors, career and college advisors, and teachers.
Although the school is an all-boy institution, the social formation of the students includes girls from neighboring co-edSt. Brendan High School in after-school clubs.Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, the Catholic all-girls sister school to Columbus,[citation needed] handles the cheerleading for the Columbus sports teams. Christopher Columbus High School also plays host to both Homecoming and Prom events each year for their students and their dates.
Columbus is one of the most awarded broadcast journalism programs in the country (CCNN Live). They are five time Student Television Network National Crazy 8 champions. (2015, 2016, 2019, 2023, 2025) They have also been recognized by theNational Scholastic Press Association,Florida Scholastic Press Association, and National Federation of High School (NFHS). They have won 85 Suncoast Chapter of theNational Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Student Production Awards (Emmys) and 15 National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences National Awards.[citation needed]
The tennis courts are adjacent to the gymnasium building, at left.The football field is surrounded by the track and stadium seating.
A member of the Florida High School Activities Association and the Greater Miami Athletic Conference, Columbus is the only private school in the state of Florida to compete at the 8A level.
At Columbus, students also compete in non GMAC clubs such as: Roller Hockey, Fishing, Scuba Diving, and Personal Fitness.Varsity level sports offered are: baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, hockey, soccer, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, swimming, diving, tennis, track and field, water polo, weightlifting, and wrestling.
Junior varsity level sports include: baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, hockey, soccer, wrestling and lacrosse.Freshman level sports offered are: baseball, basketball, football and volleyball.
In 2009, Christopher Columbus High School won the Dodge Sunshine Cup All-Sports Award for boys' athletics programs in Class 6A.[7]
Christopher Columbus' baseball program was ranked the number one baseball team in America during the 2009-2010 year.[21] Currently, Columbus competes at the 8A division.
^"Miami Herald Honors Br. Kevin"(PDF).Family Newsletter. Christopher Columbus High School. June 2008. p. 3. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on July 8, 2011. RetrievedMarch 5, 2010.
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