About Us

Message from Principal, Mr. Neil Wagner

Welcome to Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School. To understand the essence of our school, I want to provide some context.

The Most Reverend John George Bennett, back in 1956, oversaw the building of Central Catholic High School. The cornerstone of the building reads that the school was dedicated “To God & Country.” The patron saints of the school are the Immaculate Conception, St. Joseph, Saint John Bosco, and Saint Maria Goretti. The school colors are blue and white in honor of the Virgin Mary. The inscription on the school’s seal reads “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (AMDG), which translates in English as “For the Greater Glory of God.” The school mascot is a Knight.

In 1999, the Eberle Center was built to help with addition of the junior high school. It contained classrooms, a chapel, and an auxiliary gym. In 2007, the main building at Central Catholic had major renovations to the school and several additions. A beautiful new St. Joseph’s Chapel and Main Entrance improved the look of the school. New energy efficient windows were installed all around the school, new HVAC, new infrastructure (water, gas, and electrical lines), new hallway lights and ceiling tile were added and more. The school is ready for the next generation of students.

Central Catholic provides holistic education as students are challenged spiritually, intellectually, physically, and socially.

Spiritually

The school is known for its faith-based education, exemplary academics, strong athletic programs, and student life outside of the classroom. When one opens the doors of the school to the main entrance and sees the beautiful statue of the Holy Family it is easy to understand that Jesus Christ is the reason for the school. Students take religion classes and attend a retreat every semester. Eucharistic Adoration occurs every first Friday of the month and students have the opportunity weekly to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Intellectually

Central Catholic is an exemplary school with an “A” rating from the Indiana Department of Education. The school was designated as a Four-Star School indicating that every grade level is the upper 25% of all schools in the state based on state testing and college-to-career readiness. The school has won several state Academic Super Bowl competitions in various disciplines. Close to 100% of students graduate within four years, and over 90% of our students go on to post-secondary education with remainder enlisting in armed services or attending vocational schools.

Physically

The school’s athletic programs are thriving. The baseball team won State Championships in 2004, 2007, 2009-20012. The boys’ basketball team won State Championships in 1998, 2000, and 2003. The football team won State Championships in 1976, 1999, 2009-2012. The girls’ basketball team won a State Championship in 2006 and the girls’ volleyball team in 2010. The school is proud of its strong athletic programs.

Socially

Student life thrives at the school as students have ample opportunities to get involved in social activities. Every year, a group of students attend March for Life and Destination Jesus. The students in the senior class put on the SEARCH retreat for juniors. Students participate in service clubs by joining INTERACT, Campus Ministry, or Right for Life. High-school students can attend the Homecoming, Frostbite, and Junior-Senior Prom dances. Students have opportunities to participate in numerous academic teams and clubs.

Our parents are essential to the success of the school. Parents have ample opportunities to get involved with the school. Parents can join one of the following organizations, Academic Booster Club, Parents’ Guild, Band Booster Cub, Athletic Booster Club, 21st Century Club or volunteer their time at the school or help out with the various clubs, organizations, and sports teams. We are grateful to parents for entrusting their children to our care.

Central Catholic’s holistic approach to education has helped to create a sense of community that is the hallmark of the school. The entire community comprised of faculty, staff, alumnae, parents, past parents, and friends take pride in providing a well-rounded education for its students.

The school continues to prepare for the future as our goal is to be one of the top schools in the nation. We look forward to the renovations and additions to the Athletic Complex, 1:1 Computing, and Central Catholic University.

Please enjoy our new website as it will help to keep you informed about all the school has to offer.

You remain in my thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Mr. Neil Wagner

Principal

School Profile

Central Catholic Jr./Sr. High School has a local Core Curriculum Guide as outlined by the Diocese-of-Lafayette in North Central Indiana. The Core Curriculum Guide contains the K-12 curriculum. Every faculty member and administrator have a copy of the Core Curriculum Guide.

In addition, a course-offering booklet for the high school is published and copies are given to each family at the time of registration. Additional copies are available in the guidance office. All Indiana Academic Honors’ Diploma courses have been approved by the Indiana State Board of Education.

Central Catholic Jr./Sr. High School was founded in 1956 on strong Catholic values and beliefs. It is located on the South side of Lafayette, Indiana. Due to the successes of our students spiritually, intellectually, physically, and socially, the enrollment has grown from 341 students in 2008-2009 to 397 students for the current school year. The junior high school’s enrollment is151 students and the high school has 246 students. School Choice has helped parents who want a Catholic education for his or her children to be able to afford it.

Central Catholic Jr./Sr. High School is one of two Catholic high schools in the diocese and draws most of its students from the six local parishes, although some students come from parishes outside of the county. The vast majority of our students come from the three Catholic elementary schools St Mary, St. Boniface, and St. Lawrence. For the 2012-2013 school years, 94% of the student body was Catholic.

In May 1990, it was announced that the high school would be closed at the end of the school year due to a decreased in enrollment. The Catholic community rallied to support financially the school to keep it open. From that low point, the financial support for the school increased markedly. Due to improved finances, a new wing to the school was added to house the junior high-school. The additions included five classrooms, computer lab, and a gymnasium. In November of 2007, the Lafayette Catholic School System (LCSS) had its first-ever capital campaign. The campaign was called Building Faith & Futures: A Capital Campaign for Central Catholic. As of June 2008, the LCSS raised in excess of $4.6 of its $5.7 million goal. In the summer of 2009, in excess for $5.5 million of improvements were made to the school. Some of the improvements included a chapel in front of the school; two chemistry labs; front entrance; heating ventilating and air conditioning; energy-efficient windows, McHale Gymnasium renovations; etc. Currently, the school is working on Building Faith & Futures Phase 2: Athletic Facility Campaign, with an estimated cost of $2.1 million. The improvements will include an all-weather track with field events, home and visiting bleachers with new press boxes, lights, concession stand with rest-room facilities, and other improvements.

Since the inception of Public Law 221 during the 2004-2005 school years, CC has achieved the highest rating given to a school by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE)–Exemplary Progress. Last year, the rating system changed and Central Catholic Jr./Sr. High School received an “A” letter grade from the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) for student performance, student improvement, graduation rate, and college to career readiness. Additionally, the school was recognized by the IDOE as a “4-Star School” for the 2011-2012 school years, which means the school ranks in the top 25th percentile of all schools in the state. Preliminary results indicate the school should achieve similar success for the 2012-2013 school years. CC is fully accredited by the North Central Association in partnership with AdvancED Indiana. Our students can earn college credit by taking AP and/or Indiana University-Advanced College Project dual credit courses when they meet/exceed predetermined cut scores. In addition, we collaborate with the Purdue Outreach Program, Ivy Technical College’s Double Up Program, Indiana University Advanced College Project, and Lafayette Jefferson High School to ensure that we have a relevant and academically rigorous curriculum.