BADIN HIGH SCHOOL
- Father Stephen T. Badin (1768-1853) was the first priest ordained in the United States. Born in France, he was a missionary priest who traveled extensively through the Ohio Valley on horseback and became known as the Johnny Appleseed of Catholicism in the region. Badin oversaw St. Mary's parish on Front Street in Hamilton late in life.
- Badin High School opened in the fall of 1966, the merger of all-boys Hamilton Catholic High School and all-girls Notre Dame High School
- The former Hamilton Catholic school building is now the headquarters of the Hamilton City School District on Dayton Street. The former Notre Dame High School building is senior citizen housing at the corner of South 2nd and Hanover streets.
Butler County’s only Catholic high school is marking its 50th anniversary this year, and the impact of being part of a half-century legacy is not lost on its young students.
“It really makes you feel special and it makes you feel like you are part of something bigger,” said senior T.J. O’Neil, 18, as he stood in the school’s chapel.
Badin High School opened in the fall of 1966, the merger of all-boys Hamilton Catholic High School and all-girls Notre Dame High School.
“The class of 2016 has really taken to heart that they are the 50th graduating class,” said Dirk Allen, the school’s spokesman. “It means something to them to be a milestone part of our history.”
O’Neil recalls meeting with Badin alumni and being struck by their sense of pride when reminiscing about their high school days.
“And they are in awe of where we’ve come from over the course of 50 years at Badin,” he said.
One of those notable alumni includes 1994 graduate Craig Bucheit, who is now Hamilton’s Police Chief.
“Badin is a school with a rich history of faith formation and excellent academics,” he said. “But more than that, it’s a community, a family, even. One that I’m proud and honored to be a part of.”
Enrollment at the school has grown in each of the past five years and now boasts 543 students in grades nine through 12. Students from 23 ZIP codes populate the building on Hamilton west side, drawing from more than 25 junior high schools. More than 95 percent of Badin High School’s graduates go on to attend college, according to school officials.
Badin senior Taylor Smith said the school’s relatively smaller size compared to other area high schools — student to teacher ratio is 14-1 — is both an academic and social advantage.
“I can tell you everybody’s name in the school,” Smith said.
Catholic students comprise 85 percent of enrollment, with 15 percent of students identifying as non-Catholic, according to the school.
“Acceptance” of individuality is one of the keys to Badin’s positive atmosphere, Smith said.
“What matters is who you are now and how you treat people,” she said. “It’s like a family here.”
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