St. Lucy's Priory High School

St. Lucy's Priory High School
Address
655 West Sierra Madre Avenue
Glendora, California, (Los Angeles County) 91741
United States
Coordinates 34°8′53″N 117°52′37″W / 34.14806°N 117.87694°W / 34.14806; -117.87694Coordinates: 34°8′53″N 117°52′37″W / 34.14806°N 117.87694°W / 34.14806; -117.87694
Information
Type Private
Motto Lux, Veritas, Pax
(Light, Truth, Peace)
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic
Patron saint(s) Saint Lucy
Established 1963
Oversight Benedictine Sisters
Principal Gina Giuliucci
Faculty 46
Teaching staff 30
Grades 9–12
Gender Girls
Enrollment 623
Color(s) Royal blue and light blue         
Mascot Roarie, the regent or one who rules
Team name Regents
Accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges[1]
Average SAT scores 86% of the class of 2008 released their SAT Reasoning Test results; the middle 50% scored between 490–610 on the critical reading, between 480–580 on the math, and 490–590 on the writing.[2]
Publication Impressions (literary magazine)
Newspaper The Laureate
Yearbook Lumen
School fees $550 Registration Fee, $60 Incoming Freshman Application/Testing Fee
Tuition $8,100
Website http://stlucys.com

St. Lucy's Priory High School is a private, Roman Catholic, all-girls high school in Glendora, California built in 1963. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and overseen by the Benedictine Sisters of St. Lucy's Priory.

Enrollment

Admission is based on STS High School Placement Test scores, grades, recommendations, and personal interviews. The 2009–2010 enrollment is 753 students with a senior class of 195. The school population is 78% Catholic and 68% minority (5% Asian/Pacific Islander; 8% Filipino; 3% African American; 39% Hispanic; 22% multiracial). The student-teacher ratio is 21–1[3]

Accreditation

St. Lucy’s Priory High School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, a regional accrediting association recognized by the California Office of Education and the National Commission of Accrediting. St. Lucy’s was first accredited in 1967 and has been accredited through 2014. St. Lucy’s Priory High School is also accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association and by the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools of the University of California.[4]

Academics

St. Lucy's Priory High School provides a college preparatory academic program that aims to produce high achieving, critical thinking, motivated scholars. Since the 2012–2013 school year, St. Lucy's has mandated seven classes, offering science to freshman and making students more competitive for college. Honors classes are offered as are nine Advanced Placement classes: AP English Language, AP English Literature, AP French IV, AP Spanish IV, AP Calculus AB, AP Biology, AP European History, AP United States History, and AP United States Government and Politics. A variety of electives are offered at the school such as six levels of Studio Arts, three levels of Dance, two levels of Chorus, Theater Arts, Advanced Drama, Production and Competition, Music Theory, Journalism, Yearbook, California Literature and History, Computer Science, World Geography and Cultures, Statistics and Probability, Creative Writing, Women in Literature, Individual Exercise, World Religions, Art Appreciation, Contemporary Media, Physiology I, Physiology II, Environmental Science, three Levels of Applied Psychology and two levels of Sewing.[5]

Extracurricular

As a member of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and the Baseline League, St. Lucy's fields varsity teams in tennis, cross-country, volleyball, golf, soccer, basketball, water polo, softball, track and swimming. Other extracurricular activities include A.S.B., National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, KIWINS, Junior Statesmen of America, Drama Club, Social Issues Club, Thirst Project, Recycling Club, Spring Musical, Science Olympiad Team, Science Club, Language Club, Music for the Masses, and Regiment and Band for Damien High School.[6]

Controversy

In July 2013, it was revealed that St. Lucy's had terminated the employment of a teacher who had married a partner of the same sex, following changes to California's marriage law. Ken Bencomo had taught at the school for 17 years, but had his contract terminated by Assistant Principal Sister Helen Dziuk after a photograph of the marriage appeared in a local newspaper. He was told that making his marriage public violated his contract.

Bencomo said that his sexual orientation had been known by St. Lucy's. According to a statement released by the school, St. Lucy's "does not discriminate against teachers or other school employees based on their private lifestyle choices, [but] public displays of behavior that are directly contrary to church teachings are inconsistent with these values." The statement added, "These values are incorporated into the contractual obligations of each of our instructors and other employees."[7]

A public petition was launched by alumnae and the St. Lucy's community calling for Bencomo's reinstatement, which proved unsuccessful. He now teaches at a charter school in Pomona, California.

References

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