Boca Ciega High School
Encyclopedia
Boca Ciega High School is an American four-year public high school
in Gulfport, Florida
, south of the St. Petersburg
city line, and is part of the Pinellas County Schools
district. Commonly referred to as Bogie by students and staff, the school has a student enrollment of 1,683 and 98.5 teachers (FTE
) (2009–10 school year).
Boca Ciega's nickname
is the Pirates
and its colors are gold, white and navy (originally gold, white and red). Its interscholastic teams compete in the Pinellas County Athletic Conference.
Any student in the county may enroll in the BCHS "school-within-a-school" Fundamental Program, which emphasizes a “back-to-basics” educational structure, student responsibility and mandatory parental involvement. Boca Ciega is also home to the Center for Wellness and Medical Professions, a county-wide magnet
program for students interested in careers in healthcare.
BCHS juniors and seniors with a grade point average of 3.0 and higher may be eligible to earn high school and college credit through dual enrollment coursework at St. Petersburg College
.
A new campus on the current site is under construction.
) as the school's name over Gulfport, Sunshine City, Sun City, Central, Gulf Coast, 58th Street, and Southwest St. Petersburg. Prospective students chose gold (for the Sun) and white (for sand) as the school colors and "Rebels" as the nickname. In September 1953, BCHS opened with 964 students in grades 9–12. The first principal, Richard L. Jones, declared there would be no "rebels" at his school; in another vote, students chose "Pirates." Ironically, Rebels was later adopted as the nickname of the school's cross-town rival, Dixie Hollins High School.
On March 13, 1954, Christine J. Baker, choir director from 1953–72, directed the first spring concert. She supervised several singing groups, notably the Baker's Dozen, who performed at the 1964 New York World's Fair
after raising $12,000 to make the trip. The school band performed in Nassau, Bahamas
on April 23, 1960, the first out-of-the-country performance by a St. Petersburg-area high school. In 1970, the band visited Bogota, Colombia. On July 11, 1976, the BCHS Jazz Band performed at the US Bicentennial celebration at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The 1964 Mrs. America Pageant was held at the BCHS auditorium.
In its inaugural 1953 football game, BCHS defeated Gulf High School
of New Port Richie
24-6. In the first athletic meeting between the two schools in January 1954, St. Petersburg High School
defeated Boca Ciega 43-39 in basketball as 2,100 fans packed St. Pete High's gym.
A field house and 2,250-seat bleachers were added to the football field in 1962 and were ready for the 1963 season. During August 1966, the Miami Dolphins
practiced at BCHS before their first season in the NFL while using St. Pete Beach as their training camp.
In 1967, a portion of the student body was transferred to the new Lakewood High School
. Gordon Young became principal in 1968. BCHS, by then only grades 10–12, had been an all-white school until that year, when 85 black students were transferred from then-overcrowded Lakewood High. It led to the first of several racial disturbances at the school over the next five years, the first on April 23, 1969. Court-ordered desegregation took place in 1971, which sparked a week of racial disturbances in December. Hugh B. Kriever became principal in 1973. That year, racial violence again broke out at the school on February 5; and on April 11, which was later labeled by a hearing examiner as "a full-fledged racial riot".
In September 1970, BCHS students organized to fight for the abolition of the county-wide student dress and grooming code, which had been liberalized that spring through student pressure. The movement spread to other schools and the code was finally relaxed in January 1971.
John C. Demps was named principal in 1976, serving until Barbara Paonessa became the first female (and longest-serving) principal from January 1987 to May 2003. Drainage renovations were completed in 1980, improving swampy conditions on campus which had been prone to flooding. In November 1987, the football stadium was dedicated in memory of Charles C. Beauchamp, who died in 1967 from injuries playing baseball for BCHS. An Army Junior ROTC program was established in 1988, and a Sports Hall of Fame was created in December 1993.
Boca Ciega underwent a major renovation from 1990–93, which included a new music building (named in memory of Baker), remodeling the gymnasium (named in memory of basketball coach Kenneth T. Robinson), restructuring the administration building and installing central air conditioning. Classrooms were restored, asbestos floor tiles were removed
and carpeting installed. The auditorium and library were updated. In the fall of 1997, the 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) Center for Wellness and Medical Professions magnet facility opened. John M. Leanes served as principal from 2004 until his retirement in April 2007, followed by Paula-Gene Nelson. Michael Vigue became principal in October 2010.
From 1992–2011, the Lady Pirates basketball team reached the playoffs for 19 seasons, the third-longest streak in the state; including two consecutive Class 5A state championships.
The new 266600 square feet (24,768 m²) facility, built on a 40-acre site, will accommodate up to 2,550 students. Completion is scheduled for January 2012.
(Reference: Florida High School Athletic Association Championship Record Books)
(1976) and Barbara Bosson
, former Major League Baseball player Hal Lanier
, NFL player Darren Howard
, and country music artist Darrell Clanton
.
, was based on incidents in the early 1960s at BCHS and writer-director Bob Clark
's alma mater, Fort Lauderdale High School
.
Secondary education in the United States
In most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
in Gulfport, Florida
Gulfport, Florida
Gulfport is a city in Pinellas County, Florida and a suburb of St. Petersburg. The population of Gulfport was 12,527 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was 12,740. Gulfport is part of the Tampa-St...
, south of the St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
city line, and is part of the Pinellas County Schools
Pinellas County Schools
Pinellas County Schools is a school district serving Pinellas County, Florida, USA and based in Largo.-Organization:Pinellas County Schools has about 102,000 students and more than 13,000 employees. Dixie M. Hollins was the county's first superintendent of schools...
district. Commonly referred to as Bogie by students and staff, the school has a student enrollment of 1,683 and 98.5 teachers (FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
) (2009–10 school year).
Boca Ciega's nickname
Athletic nickname
The athletic nickname, or equivalently athletic moniker, of a university or college within the United States is the name officially adopted by that institution for at least the members of its athletic teams...
is the Pirates
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
and its colors are gold, white and navy (originally gold, white and red). Its interscholastic teams compete in the Pinellas County Athletic Conference.
Any student in the county may enroll in the BCHS "school-within-a-school" Fundamental Program, which emphasizes a “back-to-basics” educational structure, student responsibility and mandatory parental involvement. Boca Ciega is also home to the Center for Wellness and Medical Professions, a county-wide magnet
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
program for students interested in careers in healthcare.
BCHS juniors and seniors with a grade point average of 3.0 and higher may be eligible to earn high school and college credit through dual enrollment coursework at St. Petersburg College
St. Petersburg College
St. Petersburg College is a fully accredited post-secondary educational institution located in St. Petersburg, Florida, serving some 65,000 students annually...
.
A new campus on the current site is under construction.
History
Ground was broken for a new $1.34-million school in December 1952, the first new high school built in southern Pinellas County in 26 years. It was an open-air style campus, with a central administration building and classrooms extending out as series of parallel wings to take advantage of the Florida weather by providing a maximum amount of natural light and exposure for each classroom. In July 1953, the school board chose Boca Ciega (after the nearby bayBay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
) as the school's name over Gulfport, Sunshine City, Sun City, Central, Gulf Coast, 58th Street, and Southwest St. Petersburg. Prospective students chose gold (for the Sun) and white (for sand) as the school colors and "Rebels" as the nickname. In September 1953, BCHS opened with 964 students in grades 9–12. The first principal, Richard L. Jones, declared there would be no "rebels" at his school; in another vote, students chose "Pirates." Ironically, Rebels was later adopted as the nickname of the school's cross-town rival, Dixie Hollins High School.
1964 New York World's Fair
The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...
after raising $12,000 to make the trip. The school band performed in Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
on April 23, 1960, the first out-of-the-country performance by a St. Petersburg-area high school. In 1970, the band visited Bogota, Colombia. On July 11, 1976, the BCHS Jazz Band performed at the US Bicentennial celebration at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The 1964 Mrs. America Pageant was held at the BCHS auditorium.
In its inaugural 1953 football game, BCHS defeated Gulf High School
Gulf High School (Florida)
Gulf High School is a four-year public high school in New Port Richey, Florida. It is part of the Pasco County School System in Pasco County, Florida. It is the first high school in western Pasco County and the second school in Pasco County to offer the International Baccalaureate Program, the...
of New Port Richie
New Port Richey, Florida
New Port Richey is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area...
24-6. In the first athletic meeting between the two schools in January 1954, St. Petersburg High School
St. Petersburg High School
St. Petersburg High School, founded in 1898, is a secondary school located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school's current building, a historic landmark, was built in 1926 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The school was billed as the nation's first million dollar...
defeated Boca Ciega 43-39 in basketball as 2,100 fans packed St. Pete High's gym.
A field house and 2,250-seat bleachers were added to the football field in 1962 and were ready for the 1963 season. During August 1966, the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
practiced at BCHS before their first season in the NFL while using St. Pete Beach as their training camp.
In 1967, a portion of the student body was transferred to the new Lakewood High School
Lakewood High School (Florida)
Lakewood High School is a public high school in St. Petersburg, Florida operated by Pinellas County Schools. It opened in 1967 with students previously attending St. Petersburg High School and Boca Ciega High School. As of 2006, due to its 54% minority population, Lakewood High was known as one of...
. Gordon Young became principal in 1968. BCHS, by then only grades 10–12, had been an all-white school until that year, when 85 black students were transferred from then-overcrowded Lakewood High. It led to the first of several racial disturbances at the school over the next five years, the first on April 23, 1969. Court-ordered desegregation took place in 1971, which sparked a week of racial disturbances in December. Hugh B. Kriever became principal in 1973. That year, racial violence again broke out at the school on February 5; and on April 11, which was later labeled by a hearing examiner as "a full-fledged racial riot".
In September 1970, BCHS students organized to fight for the abolition of the county-wide student dress and grooming code, which had been liberalized that spring through student pressure. The movement spread to other schools and the code was finally relaxed in January 1971.
John C. Demps was named principal in 1976, serving until Barbara Paonessa became the first female (and longest-serving) principal from January 1987 to May 2003. Drainage renovations were completed in 1980, improving swampy conditions on campus which had been prone to flooding. In November 1987, the football stadium was dedicated in memory of Charles C. Beauchamp, who died in 1967 from injuries playing baseball for BCHS. An Army Junior ROTC program was established in 1988, and a Sports Hall of Fame was created in December 1993.
Boca Ciega underwent a major renovation from 1990–93, which included a new music building (named in memory of Baker), remodeling the gymnasium (named in memory of basketball coach Kenneth T. Robinson), restructuring the administration building and installing central air conditioning. Classrooms were restored, asbestos floor tiles were removed
Asbestos abatement
Many buildings contain asbestos, which was used in spray-applied flame retardant, thermal system insulation, and in a variety of other materials. Asbestos was sometimes "flocked" above false ceilings, inside technical ducts, and in many other small spaces where firefighters would have difficulty...
and carpeting installed. The auditorium and library were updated. In the fall of 1997, the 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) Center for Wellness and Medical Professions magnet facility opened. John M. Leanes served as principal from 2004 until his retirement in April 2007, followed by Paula-Gene Nelson. Michael Vigue became principal in October 2010.
From 1992–2011, the Lady Pirates basketball team reached the playoffs for 19 seasons, the third-longest streak in the state; including two consecutive Class 5A state championships.
New campus
Construction of a new school began in January 2008 on the existing site. While BCHS remains occupied and functional, demolition and new construction is proceeding in phases throughout the campus. The new school is being built using the Daggett Model School concept and will feature different buildings, or "learning communities", for each grade. The existing gym; field house; and music, aerospace and medical magnet buildings are being renovated.The new 266600 square feet (24,768 m²) facility, built on a 40-acre site, will accommodate up to 2,550 students. Completion is scheduled for January 2012.
Clubs
Boca Ciega High School has many clubs such as:- Academic Team with sponsor Ms. Hixson
- Art Club with sponsor Ms. Katie Harris
- Athletic Trainers (class) with sponsor Ms. Little
- Band (class) with sponsor Mr. Robbins
- Battle of the Books with sponsor Ms. Oldja and Ms. Spiegel
- Chorus (class) with sponsor Mr. Wallace
- Dance Team with sponsor TBA
- Drama Club/Thespian Society with sponsor Ms. Dunlop and Mr. Durspek
- Ecology Club with sponsor Mrs. Carboni
- Eye Patch News (class) with sponsor Mr. Yeazell
- French Club with sponsor Ms. Kokernot
- French National Honor Society with sponsor Ms. Kokernot
- Future Business Leaders/America with sponsor Ms. Lovett
- Future Educators of America with sponsor Ms. Parish
- Gay-Straight Alliance with sponsor Ms. Darbois
- Girlfriends of Pinellas with sponsor Ms. Myles
- Hi-Tide Newspaper (class) with sponsor Ms. Fuss
- H.O.S.A. with sponsor Ms. Little
- Interact with sponsor Ms. Hatch/ Ms. Parish
- JROTC (class) with sponsor McGlamry (LTC.)/Braccio (1SG.)/Whitehead (SGM.)
- Key Club with sponsor TBA
- Marine Club with sponsor Ms. Moskel and Ms. Widener
- Mu Alpha Theta with sponsor Mr. Lynch
- Multicultural Club with sponsor Mr. Petrikin
- National Honor Society with sponsor Mr. Durspek
- Robotics Club with sponsor Mr. Lynch
- Rotary Club with sponsor Ms. Hatch
- Spanish Club with sponsor Ms. Ollhoff
- STEP with sponsor Dr. Isaac
- Student Government Association with sponsor Dr. Isaac
- Treasure Chest (yearbook class) with sponsor Ms. Fuss
- 5000 Role Models of Excellence with sponsor Ms. Myles
- Freshman Class with sponsor Ms. Ingebretsen and Mrs. Denmon
- Sophomore Class with sponsor LaKeisha Middlebrooks
- Junior Class with sponsor Ms. Parker
- Senior Class with sponsor Ms. Oldja and Ms. Spiegel
Championships
- 1957: Basketball Western Conference champions
- 1958–61: Baseball 2A District 5 champions
- 1959: Football city champions
- 1961: Football city champions
- 1971: Football city champions, conference co-champions and 4A district champions; 9–2 record
- 2007: Football class 4-a district champs
- 1986: Boys basketball 3A state champions
- 1994: Boys basketball 4A state champions
- 1995: Girls basketball 5A state champions
- 1996: Girls basketball 5A state champions
- 2008: Girls basketball conference and regional champions (5A state Final Four)
- 2009: Girls basketball conference and regional champions (5A state Final Four)
- 2010: Girls basketball conference and regional champions (5A state Final Two); 30–2 record
- 2011: Girls basketball district champions for the 6th straight season
- 2010: Boys Bowling handicap and scratch champions
(Reference: Florida High School Athletic Association Championship Record Books)
Alumni
Boca Ciega has an estimated 28,000 graduates and an active alumni association. Notable alumni include actresses Angela BassettAngela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
(1976) and Barbara Bosson
Barbara Bosson
Barbara Bosson is an American actress who has starred on television and in film.-Biography:Bosson was born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania to a tennis coach father. During her childhood, she lived in an American Craftsman Style house on Price Avenue in the borough of North Belle Vernon...
, former Major League Baseball player Hal Lanier
Hal Lanier
Harold Clifton Lanier is a former infielder, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. From through , Lanier played for the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees...
, NFL player Darren Howard
Darren Howard
Darren M. Howard is an American football defensive end. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kansas State.Howard has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles....
, and country music artist Darrell Clanton
Darrell Clanton
Darrell Puckett , known professionally as Darrell Clanton, is an American country music artist. In the mid-1980s, he recorded for Audiograph and Warner Bros. Records, charting three singles on the Billboard country charts. The highest of the three was "Lonesome 7-7203," which reached No...
.
Popular culture
The 1982 film, Porky'sPorky's
Porky's is a 1982 comedy film about the escapades of teenagers at the fictional Angel Beach High School in Florida in 1954. It was released in the United States in 1982, and spawned two sequels: Porky's II: The Next Day and Porky's Revenge! and influenced many writers in the teen film genre...
, was based on incidents in the early 1960s at BCHS and writer-director Bob Clark
Bob Clark
Benjamin "Bob" Clark was an American actor, director, screenwriter and producer best known for directing and writing the script with Jean Shepherd to the 1983 Christmas film A Christmas Story...
's alma mater, Fort Lauderdale High School
Fort Lauderdale High School
school song = sang to the tune of "Flow Gently Sweet Afton" Fort Lauderdale High School is a secondary school located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida serving students in grades 9 through 12...
.