Private, coeducational school in Portland, Oregon, United States
Jesuit High School is a private, Catholic, college-preparatory school run by the USA West Province of the Society of Jesus in Beaverton outside Portland, Oregon, United States, in the Archdiocese of Portland. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1956 and uses a Jesuit, college-preparatory curriculum. It is coeducational and enrolls approximately 1,300 students of all faiths.
History
The school was the 43rd Jesuit High School to be established in the United States. Though it was not finally established until 1956, the process of founding a Jesuit High School in Portland began in 1907, when property was purchased by the parish of St. Ignatius and set aside for a future High School. A lay appeal to the Jesuit Provincial for a High School in 1929 came to nothing. In 1954 the Holy Cross Fathers of Portland announced the closing of Columbia Prep and a plan for the Jesuits to take over the premises was discussed, but again dropped. Finally in 1955 the Jesuit Provincial Superior was asked by the Archbishop to set up a school. Hillsdale Dairy Farm, a 55-acre (220,000 m2) plot to the west, some 15 minutes drive from downtown Portland, was purchased for $165,000. Jesuit and Holy Cross priests raised pledges of $117,000 by Wednesday of the first week of a fund-raising campaign in churches, and hundreds of thousands more by door-to-door canvassing. Jesuit High School opened for freshmen boys on September 10, 1956 and girls have been admitted since 1993.[6]
Demographics
The demographic breakdown of the 1,275 students enrolled in 2019-2020 was:[5]
- Native American/Alaskan - 0.3%
- Black - 3.1%
- Hispanic - 7.7%
- Multiracial - 11.0%
- Asian/Pacific islanders - 16.5%
- White - 61.4%
For the 2020-2021 school year, 99% of the graduating senior class enrolled in college, 27% of the overall student body was receiving financial aid, and 69% of students identified as Catholic. [7]
Academics
Since 1961, Jesuit High School has been accredited through Northwest Accreditation Commission and has also been ranked 3rd best overall school and 1st best Christian School. [8]
In 1989 and 1998, Jesuit High School was honored in the Blue Ribbon Schools Program, the highest honor a school can receive in the United States.[9]
Sports
On June 20, 2007, Sports Illustrated rated Jesuit the number one High School athletic program in the nation, citing success both on and off the field.[10]
In the 2005-2006 academic year, Jesuit won seven state championships in various sports and activities. Jesuit High School has won the Oregon 4A All Sports Award 13 years in a row, and has received the Oregonian Cup five times.[11]
