Benilde-St. Margaret's

Benilde-St. Margaret's is a Catholic, co-educational private prep school for grades 7–12 located in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, that draws its over one thousand students from throughout the Twin Cities Metro Area. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Benilde-St. Margaret's
Location
St. Louis Park
,
(Hennepin County)
,
Minnesota

United States
Coordinates44°57′30″N 93°20′43″W
Information
TypePrivate, Day, College-prep
MottoPietas ∙ Veritas ∙ Scientia
(Duty ∙ Truth ∙ Knowledge)
Religious affiliation(s)Christian
DenominationCatholic
Patron saint(s)Saint Bénilde Romançon
Saint Margaret of Scotland
Established1907 (St. Margaret)
1956 (Benilde High School)
1974 (Benilde-St. Margaret's [current school])
PresidentDanielle Hermanny
PrincipalStephanie Nitchals
Faculty95
Grades7–12
GenderCoeducational
Enrollment1,152 (2023)
 • Grade 793
 • Grade 8137
 • Grade 9229
 • Grade 10239
 • Grade 11228
 • Grade 12226
Average class size21.6
Student to teacher ratio11.4:1
Color(s)Red and White   
Athletics26 varsity sports
Athletics conferenceMetro West Conference
MascotRed Knight
NicknameRed Knights
AccreditationNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools[1]
NewspaperKnight Errant http://bsmknighterrant.org
YearbookSangraal
Websitewww.bsmschool.org

History

It is named after Saint Bénilde Romançon and Saint Margaret of Scotland. Benilde-St. Margaret's was originally a secondary school formed by a merger in 1974 between St. Margaret's Academy, a Catholic secondary school for girls in Minneapolis, and Benilde High School, a Catholic secondary school for boys in St. Louis Park. Its present building was originally that of Benilde High School.

St. Margaret's Academy

St. Margaret's was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1907 as St. Margaret's Academy.[2] The campus for this all-girls school was located near the Basilica of St. Mary in downtown Minneapolis and included two mansions and a carriage house that had been built in the 1880s. By 1959 the old school had become inadequate in size – for every 100 girls accepted, about 200 were turned away. The Sisters of St. Joseph, who had anticipated such a problem, had purchased twenty-eight acres, and by 1960 a new school was built on Upton Avenue, near the Eloise Butler Wildflower Gardens and Wirth Park.

Benilde High School

The Brothers of the Christian Schools (informally known as the Christian Brothers), under the direction of Brother Mark Sullivan, built a boys' school in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park in 1956 because De La Salle (the first all-boys Catholic high school in the west metro) was full.

Merger

Both schools operated independently until the 1970s, at which time enrollment began to decline and costs began to escalate. In 1974, the St. Margaret's facility was sold to the Minneapolis school system, and the merged Benilde-St. Margaret's School opened its door at the former Benilde High School site. One hundred ninety students graduated in its first class.

The school has undergone two major additions since the merger; a new gym in 1986, along with a new chapel, theatre, arts center, and classroom wing in 2001.

The mascot is a Knight, named Victor E Knight who attends school events and leads students in singing the school rouser and cheering on student athletes.

Academics

In 1989, a junior high was added, and one hundred seventh- and eighth-graders were enrolled in the first year. Students receive laptops to do their work over the school year. As a "school within a school," the junior high exists to help seventh and eighth-grade students develop their potential and make a successful transition from elementary to high school. The junior faculty and staff foster decision-making and responsibility in a nurturing atmosphere and they provide a variety of spiritual, academic, and extracurricular opportunities for student involvement. The Junior High is in the same building as the high school.

Activities

The school competes in the Metro West Conference in the Minnesota State High School League. The school's newspaper is the Knight Errant. The Knight Errant has won several awards and the website, bsmknighterrant.org,[3] in 2009 received one of seven National Pace Maker Awards for progressive journalism. Speech is also quite popular, with 100 students participating in the season of 2009–2010.

Team State Championships
SeasonSportNumber of ChampionshipsYear
FallSoccer, Boys51997, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2011
Soccer, Girls42012, 2013, 2015, 2016
Cross country, Boys41962, 1963, 1964, 1965 (Catholic State HS Champs)
Football, Boys[4]
1
 2016
WinterAlpine skiing, Boys12004
Alpine skiing, Girls12000
Hockey, Girls22002, 2004
Dance team, Girls111985, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022
Hockey, Boys31999, 2001, 2012
Basketball, Girls22006, 2010, 2023
Basketball, Boys31963 & 1964 (Catholic State HS Champs), 2008
SpringGolf, Boys21963 (Catholic State HS Champs), 2003
Lacrosse, Boys42007, 2010, 2011, 2021, 2022
Total42
Individual State Championships
SeasonSportNumber of ChampionshipsYear
FallSwimming & Diving, Girls101978, 1978, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2002, 2003, 2003, 2004, 2004
Tennis, Girls12005
Cross country, Boys21999, 2000
WinterWrestling181964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1967, 2010, 2013
SpringGolf, Boys12003
Track and field, Boys72000, 2000, 2001, 2001, 2010, 2011, 2011
Total39

Notable alumni

References
  1. Institution Summary Archived 2018-10-15 at the Wayback Machine, AdvancED, Retrieved 2012-07-08
  2. Benilde-St. Margaret's School Homepage, History of Benilde-St.Margaret's Archived February 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Home". bsmknighterrant.org.
  4. Frederick, Jace (November 26, 2016). "Benilde-St. Margaret's Wins First State Title Without Star Running Back". www.twincities.com. Pinoeer Press. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  5. Faces In The Crowd, Sports Illustrated, March 1, 1965, Accessed October 2, 2011.
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