A Letter from Principal Jim Bopp

Although a Jesuit education can never be reduced to solely numbers, there are times when they’re helpful in evaluating our programs, detecting patterns, and determining course. Since our President’s Report is based largely on numbers, I will take this opportunity to give you a picture of our academic successes using a few statistics that we track — numbers that go far in quantifying the robustness of our academic program. 

I will start by congratulating our Class of 2025 National Merit Semifinalists — 22 in all. These young men were recognized for their outstanding scores on the PSAT. An additional 28 students were named National Merit Commended Scholars. These numbers put us at the forefront of Valley and state high schools for National Merit honors. 

Another outstanding — perhaps I should say astounding — accomplishment is the recognition this fall of 44 juniors and seniors as recipients of AP Capstone Diplomas. This is double our average of 22 per year. To receive the AP Capstone Diploma, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and on four additional AP Exams of their choice. It is considered the highest honor that the College Board awards to students. 

Unlike traditional AP subject exams with a single end-of-year assessment, the interdisciplinary AP Seminar and AP Research assessments are project-based and evaluate skills mastery through group projects, presentations, and individual essays. Worldwide, approximately 21,000 students from about 2,500 schools earned the AP Capstone Diploma this year — one can “do the math” to illustrate what 44 students from one high school looks like in that equation. 

The Class of 2024 included 313 young men with 136 graduating with Academic Distinction — a weighted GPA of 4.0 or higher. Ninety-six percent will go on to four-year colleges and universities. 

We are rightly proud of our students’ accomplishments, even as we recognize all the other ways they have excelled and thrived. We have a three-credit art and innovation requirement for graduation — far higher than the state requirement — and our students continue to find unique ways to share their creative gifts with the broader community. Our athletic statistics are impressive as well, with 35 recent graduates going on to play college sports and our state championships now standing at 114. Most importantly, our students continue their commitment to service as men for others, accumulating approximately 30,000 service hours during the 2023-24 school year. 

Finally, I hope these numbers help to illustrate the Human Flourishing component of our strategic priorities as we continue to be open to new ways of learning, creating, and growing in faith. I am grateful to all of you who support Brophy and its tradition of educational excellence that forms tomorrow’s leaders.

AMDG…