Westminster Academy is a private Christian school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serving students in grades PK2 through 12. It is an educational ministry of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and is related denominationally to the Presbyterian Church in America. The main campus is located at 5601 North Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale, with a "west campus" Athletic Complex located at 3701 NW 44th Street in Lauderdale Lakes.
During the 2017â€"18 academic year, the school has a total enrollment of 865 students: 326 in lower school (preprimaryâ€"5th grade), 224 in middle school (grades 6â€"8), and 315 in high school (grades 9â€"12). The current headmaster is Mr. Joel Satterly.
Academics
- College Preparatory Curriculum
- Top Tier College Admissions
- 13 Advanced Placement Courses
- 11 Dual Enrollment Courses
- 22 Honors Courses
- 14 Elective Honors Courses
- 70 Duke TIP Participants
- The Class of 2017 earned over $8,500,000 in college scholarships
- Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Program
Athletics
Westminster Academy has a long history of athletics, including many state championships in various sports. Selected highlights include:
- State championship in football in 1990
- Boys' state basketball championship in 2002 featuring future University of Florida point guard Taurean Green, who attended Westminster Academy for one year
- Boys' state basketball championship in 2017. Player of the game, Paul Atkinson, will go on to play basketball for Yale.
- Boys' state track championship in 2008, 2014, 2015, and 2017
- Boys' state track championship in 1979 (the school's first boys state championship team)
- Boys' state baseball in 1999 and 2000
- Boys' Cross Country state championships: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 2016. Head Coach Ken Key has been a part of the cross-country legacy since the beginning, being on hand for both the 1983 and 2016 state titles.
- Boys' basketball has received national recognition including a top 25 national ranking by maxpreps in the 2016â€"17 season.
Awards and recognition
On Tuesday, September 30, 2014, the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, recognized the Westminster Academy Lower School as a 2014 National Blue Ribbon School in the category of Exemplary High Performing Schools. The Westminster Academy Lower School will be honored alongside 287 public and 50 private schools across the nation at a recognition ceremony held November 10â€"11, 2014, in Washington, D.C. In its 32-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this coveted award on just under 7,900 of America's schools.
These great schools are fulfilling the promise of American educationâ€"that all students, can flourish when schools provide safe, creative, and challenging learning environments. National Blue Ribbon Schools are models of consistent excellence and a resource for other schools and districts. We celebrate them for their tireless effort and boundless creativity in reaching and teaching every student.
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students either achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. The award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content.
History
The school was founded in 1971 by the late Dr. D. James Kennedy, the founding pastor of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. The opening coincided with the conduct of Allen v. Board of Public Instruction of Broward County Florida (1971) and a federal order to Broward Schools to integrate.
In October 2000, Westminster Academy announced that it received an $8.35 million donation from 1978 graduate Jean Case and her husband Steve Case, the former chairman of America Online.
Notable alumni
- Guma Aguiar, class of 1995
- Kevin Chapman class of 2006, pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization
- Matt den Dekker class of 2006, outfielder in the Miami Marlins organization
- Rob Hoskins class of 1983, president of OneHope, an international Christian ministry working with children and youth in more than 125 countries
- Jason Kennedy class of 2000, TV personality
- Michael Taylor, class of 2009, Washington Nationals baseball outfielder
- Elih Villanueva, class of 2004, professional baseball pitcher for the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
References
External links
- www.wa.edu, official website
- facebook.com/walions, Facebook page
- facebook.com/wa.alumni, Facebook page for alumni
- @wacad, Twitter profile
- @wacad, Instagram profile