Belmont High School (Massachusetts)

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Belmont High School
Belmont High School.jpg
Main Entrance
Address
Belmont High School (Massachusetts)
221 Concord Avenue

Belmont
,
MA
02478

United States
Coordinates 42°23′42.5″N71°9′53.6″W / 42.395139°N 71.164889°W / 42.395139; -71.164889
Information
School type Public
Established1865;160 years ago (1865) (OS), [1] 2021;4 years ago (2021) (NS)
StatusOpen
School district Belmont Public Schools
SuperintendentJill Geiser [2]
PrincipalIsaac Taylor
Teaching staff92.1 (on an FTE basis) [3]
Grades 9-12
Enrollment1,454 (2024-25) [3]
Student to teacher ratio15.8∶1 (on an FTE basis) [note 1] [3]
Color(s) Maroon   and Blue  
Athletics conference Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
Nickname Marauders
Newspaper Highpoint
Website www.belmont.k12.ma.us/o/bhs

Belmont High School is a four-year public high school in Belmont, Massachusetts, United States. [4] It had 1,454 students enrolled and a student/teacher ratio of 15.8:1 in the 2024-2025 school year. [3] It placed #383 in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report national rankings and #16 for Massachusetts. [5]

Contents

Buildings and facilities

Construction of the current Belmont Middle and High School began in 2019. [6] The high school building was completed in September 2021 for the 2021-2022 school year. [7] As of 2022 it was the largest building in Massachusetts utilizing geothermal for heating and cooling. [8] Located next to Clay Pit Pond, it is on the same site as the previous school [6] , built in 1970 [9] but now demolished. [6] Prior to that the high school was located on Orchard Street, and was badly damaged by fire in 1967. [10]

On September 7, 2023, Skanska, the construction firm working on the school, announced the renovation of the Belmont Middle and High School was completed. The new school spans 451,000 square feet and costed $256 million to build. The school is completely fossil fuel-free, as 283 geothermal wells heat and cool the entire building. The school also has solar panels on the roof which provide one-third of the property's energy. [6]

Administration and faculty

The Belmont High School administration consists of the principal, Mr. Isaac Taylor, appointed in 2019 [11] , and four assistant principals, Elizabeth Gavin, Sarah Winn, Daniel O'Brien, and Ezra Flam. [12]

In 2004, the school's long-time principal, Foster Wright, retired. [13] Jonathan Landman was hired to replace him [14] , but the school department did not renew Landman's contract for the 2006–2007 school year. [15] Michael Harvey was selected as an interim principal for the 2006–2007 school year. He had been the director of social studies during the previous school year. [16] In 2012, when Harvey left to become superintendent of the Hamilton-Wenham schools, former-assistant-principal Dan Richards took his place. Richards had spent his last year as the principal of Melrose High School. [17] On February 5, 2018, Richards announced he would be stepping down from his role as principal, with his last day being June 30. [18] He stepped down to become the principal of the Georgetown Middle High School. [19] For the 2018-2019 school year, assistant principal Thomas L. Brow was appointed as the interim principal of the school. [20] On February 5, 2019, it was announced that the current principal, Isaac Taylor, accepted his position. He officially started his work on July 1, 2019. [11]

School hours and schedule

School is in session each day between 8:00 am and 2:25 pm except for Wednesdays, which normally conclude at 1:15 pm. Occasionally, Wednesdays are early release days due to parent-teacher or staff conferences[ citation needed ], with a dismissal time of 11:00 am.

Belmont High School operates on a non-traditional module-based schedule. The schedule is on a 7-day cycle. There are 7 modules ("mods") each day, with regular periods being approximately 50 minutes long. On Wednesdays, all regular periods are shortened to 37 minutes to compensate for the early dismissal time. On early release days classes are shortened to 30 minutes long.[ citation needed ] There are also blocks of "pass time" between mods, which are 4 minutes in length, and are meant to give students time to walk from one class to another.

Each mod is named with a letter, going from A-G. The letter corresponds to the class that is assigned during the mod. Every class meets 6 days out of 7, with the day that the class does not meet being called a "drop day". Since the schedule is 7 days long with 1 drop day, it is possible for a student to have a class on all 5 days of the school week.

One special feature of the school's schedule is the changing G Block. Every day, the time G Block meets changes by one period. On day 1, G Block is the first period of the day, while on day 6, G Block is the last period of the day. Whichever class usually meets during the time G Block is happening is dropped for the day, with G Block being dropped on day 7.

Another special feature of the school's schedule is "X Block". This block occurs every day after period 5. Each day X block is assigned to the class that succeeds that day's dropped class. During this period, students meet with their assigned class in order to study, ask the teacher questions, and catch up on missing work. Occasionally X block is also used as a time for school assemblies. X Block is shorter than a regular period, being approximately 27 minutes long on regular days and 25 minutes long on Wednesdays. There is no X Block on early release days.[ citation needed ]

Lunch happens simultaneously to D block, at the middle of the school day. Each student rotates having 3 different lunch blocks over the 7 day cycle: Lunch 1, from 10:42 am to 11:07 am, Lunch 2, from 11:11 am to 11:36 am, and Lunch 3, from 11:41 am to 12:06 pm. The lunch block a student has depends on their D block class (ex. A math class would have Lunch 1 on days 1 & 5) or their G block class on day 4. During the lunch blocks the student doesn't have that day, they have D block class. On Wednesdays, there are only two lunch blocks, each about 38 minutes long. On early release days there are no lunch blocks, but lunch is offered after school ends.[ citation needed ] If a student has no class during D block, because of a free or teacher absence, they can choose what lunch block they get lunch.

As a result of this mod schedule, each student's schedule is unique to the classes they are taking. Students who do not have a class assigned during a mod have a "free". Juniors and Seniors are permitted, by school policy, to leave campus during this time if they have met the required criteria. [21]

A student's schedule is based on a master schedule, which states when certain mods have drops, X Blocks, etc. As a result, it is fairly easy to describe one's schedule using a list of variations from the master schedule. [22]

Academics

Belmont High School requires that all students complete:

A number of Advanced Placement (AP), or college-level classes, are offered to prepare the students for the annual AP exams. [23]

The school has nine academic departments: English, Mathematics, Physical Education, Science and Technology, Social Studies, Special Education, Visual and Performing Arts, World Languages, and Integrated Studies. The school also has an English Language Learners department. [24] The Guidance Department is responsible for the mental well-being of students, schedule composition, and future planning. [25] Each student is assigned to a guidance counselor. [26]

English

All students are required to take an English course each year. Based on grade, the student may take English 9, English 10, English 11, and either English 12 or AP English Literature. English 9-12 are offered at college preparatory (CP) or honors (H) levels. [27]

Social Studies

All students are required to take World History, American Studies, and Modern World History, all of which are offered at either a CP or H level. Students can replace American Studies with AP United States History, and can also replace Modern World History with AP World History: Modern. Electives such as AP Economics, You and the Law, and Global Leadership are also offered to interested students. In addition, the Social Studies department also offers AP Psychology, which can be supplemented by a H-level Neurobiology elective (offered by the Science department). [27]

Mathematics

All students are required to take a Math course each year. The school offers math courses ranging from Algebra 1 to AP Calculus BC. In addition, the Mathematics Department offers several electives, such as AP Statistics, which can be taken instead of an independent study for a student who took Calculus their junior year.

Algebra 1 and Geometry are offered at either a CP or H level. Algebra 2 and Precalculus are offered at the CP, honors 2, and honors 1 levels. Calculus is offered at three levels: one H class and two classes to prepare students for either the AP Calculus AB exam or the AP Calculus BC exam.

Students can choose to follow the standard Massachusetts "on grade level" pathway, which is Algebra 1 in 9th grade, Geometry in 10th grade, Algebra 2 in 11th grade, and Precalculus/AMDM/Math electives in 12th grade. In addition, the school offers acceleration options for students interested in taking harder courses. These options include taking Geometry in 9th grade, taking Algebra 2 in 9th grade, and taking Geometry concurrently with Algebra 2 in 10th grade. [28]

Science

All students are required to take, in order, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, all of which are offered as CP and H courses, and, in the case of Biology, AP in the first year. In addition, students must take at least one elective in their senior year. Potential electives include AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Physics 2 [27] , AP Environmental Science, (Disease, Forensics and Technology), Zoology, Science Ethics, and Neurobiology. [29]

World Languages

Two years of World Language are required. Students may take courses in Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, French, or Latin. AP language classes are available, typically in students' senior year, and include AP Chinese, AP Spanish, AP French, and AP Latin. [30]

Visual and Performing Arts

Belmont High School offers many Visual and Performing Arts courses. This includes choirs, the Wind Ensemble, the Symphonic Band, the Concert Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra. [31] The ensembles have won state competitions. [32] It offers classes in theater including multiple Acting courses and has a strong theater program in the form of an after school extra-curricular organization known as the Performing Arts Company (PAC). In addition, a vigorous AP Art program gives student artists an opportunity to develop their talents and study new techniques. Visual art courses include Drawing and Painting, 3D Art, Photography, Media Arts, and AP Studio Art. In order to be considered for the AP Studio Art class, students must submit a portfolio. [31]

Physical Education

All students are required to take the half-year, one-semester Wellness class during their freshman year, which is both a traditional PE class and a health/sex-ed class. [27] Additionally, students must take Positive Decision Making and Life Skills during their sophomore year, which is also a one-semester class. During their junior and senior years, students can take either Cooperative Games and Adventure Education or Lifetime Sport and Fitness, both one-semester classes, to fulfill their PE requirement. Students can also participate on an interscholastic athletic team to fulfill the requirement. Students in their senior year get an extra option to participate in Independent Study to fulfill the requirement. [33]

School demographics

According to Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education annual statistics, for the 2024-2025 academic year, the demographic enrollment distributions for race, gender and grade level at Belmont High School (Massachusetts) are as follows:

Total number of enrolled students: 1,454
Total number of full-time equivalent educators: 92.1
Therefore, the student to teacher ratio for this school is 15.8:1

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity (2024-2025) [3]
RaceEnrolled Pupils* % of District
African American604.1%
Asian33723.2%
Hispanic835.7%
Native American10.1%
White85658.9%
Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander10.1%
Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic1137.8%
Total1,454100%

* Approximate number of enrolled pupils is calculated based on total number of students in district, multiplied by reported percentage, and rounded to nearest whole student.

Enrollment by gender (2024-2025) [3]
GenderEnrolled pupilsPercentage
Female71649.24%
Male72750%
Non-binary110.76%
Total1,454100%
Enrollment by Grade [3]
GradePupils EnrolledPercentage
932922.63%
1040327.72%
1137025.45%
1235224.21%
SP*00%
Total1,454100%

* SP = Special Education Beyond Grade 12 [34]


Extracurricular activities and sports

Sports

Belmont High School is part of the Middlesex League and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.

The school colors are maroon and blue. The school mascot is the Marauder, which is a pirate.

The high school's athletic department offers 32 sports programs with 77 teams [35] :

  • Fall sports
    • Cheerleading (V, JV)
    • Cross country - boys, girls (V, JV)
    • Field hockey (V, JV, F)
    • Football (V, JV, F)
    • Golf (V)
    • Soccer - boys, girls (V, JV, F)
    • Swimming - girls (V, JV)
    • Volleyball - girls (V, JV, F)
  • Winter sports
    • Basketball - boys, girls (V, JV, F)
    • Ice hockey - boys, girls (V, JV)
    • Skiing - boys, girls (V, JV)
    • Swimming - boys (V, JV)
    • Indoor track - boys, girls (V, JV)
    • Wrestling (V, JV)
    • Cheerleading (V)
  • Spring sports
    • Baseball (V, JV, F)
    • Lacrosse - boys, girls (V, JV)
    • Rugby - boys, girls (V, JV, DEV)
    • Softball (V, JV, F)
    • Outdoor track - boys, girls (V, JV)
    • Tennis - boys, girls (V, JV)
    • Volleyball - boys
    • Ultimate Frisbee

In the spring of 2011, the Belmont Rugby Football Club (BRFC) won the Division 2 Massachusetts High School Rugby State championship, and won the Div. 1 championship in 2013. The team participated in the championship game for three consecutive years (2013–2015). [36] Belmont High Girls Rugby won the first-ever state championship in the sport defeating Algonquin Regional High School, 17–14, on June 10, 2017. It is also the first time in the US a state interscholastic body sponsored a rugby title. [37] On June 15, 2024, the Belmont Girls Varsity team won its sixth State MIAA Rugby Championship, defeating Weymouth High School Girls 80–0. [38]

Clubs

The clubs range from various science clubs to theatrical organizations and civil rights groups, as well as various hobby enthusiasts. The majority of students participate in at least one or more clubs throughout the school year, as there are many types of clubs that appeal to different preferences. [39] For example, some athletic clubs include Futsol Club, Powerlifting Team, and Climbing Club while other clubs are more academically oriented, such as the Model UN Club, Math Team, Science Team, Latin Club, Computer Science Club, and Chess Club. There are also several community-based organizational clubs, such as Climate Action Club, PALS, the Belmontian Club, UNICEF, and Relay for Life. [40]

Notable alumni

Notes

  1. ↑ The general page says 17.8:1, but the teachers page displays the correct ratio, 15.8:1.

References

  1. ↑ Belmont High School website, belmont.k12.ma.us/bhs/info.html, accessed 2024.
  2. ↑ "Central Office/Administration". belmont.k12.ma.us. Belmont Public Schools. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Belmont High". profiles.doe.mass.edu. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Belmont High School". Belmont Public Schools. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Belmont High". USNews.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Skanska completes $256 million Belmont Middle and High School in Belmont, Massachusetts". usa.skanska.com. Skanska. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Take A First Peek At Belmont's New School". Belmontonian. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Don't look up? Look down. Geothermal could help curb climate change". WBUR. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Facilities". belmont-ma.gov. Town of Belmont Massachusetts. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Fire Ravages High School". Vol. 48. Belmont Citizen. March 16, 1967. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Tzouvelis, Joanna (February 12, 2019). "Meet Belmont High's new principal". Country Gazette. Wicked Local. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Belmont High School Web Site > Staff". www.belmont.k12.ma.us. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Leadership". afbhs.org. Alumni and Friends of Belmont High School. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  14. ↑ Hanatani, Melody (March 30, 2006). "Landman is leaving". Belmont Citizen-Herald. Wicked Local. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  15. ↑ Hanatani, Melody (June 29, 2006). "Landman embarks of new challenges". Belmont Citizen-Herald. Wicked Local. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  16. ↑ Hanatani, Melody (June 8, 2006). "Harvey hoping to stay a while". Belmont Citizen-Herald. Wicked Local. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  17. ↑ Tucker, Franklin (June 14, 2012). "Welcome Back: Richards Named New Belmont High Principal". patch.com. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  18. ↑ Tzouvelis, Joanna (February 6, 2018). "Belmont High principal announces departure". Country Gazette. Wicked Local. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  19. ↑ McGonigle, Bryan (February 27, 2018). "Richards to be next GMHS principal". Record Citizen. Wicked Local. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  20. ↑ Tucker, Franklin (May 9, 2018). "Asst. Belmont High Principal, Former Melrose Educator Named High School Interim Principal". The Belmontonian. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Student Handbook". belmont.k12.ma.us. Belmont High School. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  22. ↑ "7 Day Rotation Schedule & Times". belmont.k12.ma.us. Belmont High School. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Academics". belmont.k12.ma.us. Belmont High School. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Courses by Department". Belmont High School. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Guidance". Belmont High School. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  26. ↑ "Program of Studies". belmont.k12.ma.us. Belmont High School. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  27. 1 2 3 4 "Courses by Grade Level". Belmont High School. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Mathematics". Belmont High School. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  29. ↑ "Science and Technology". Belmont High School. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  30. ↑ "World Languages". Belmont High School. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  31. 1 2 "Visual and Performing Arts". Belmont High School. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  32. ↑ Tucker, Franklin (April 7, 2014). "Beautiful Music: Belmont High Ensembles Garner Highest Honors". The Belmontonian. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  33. ↑ "Physical Education". Belmont High School. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Profiles Help-About the Data". www.profiles.doe.mass.edu. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Athletics | Belmont". belmont.k12.ma.us. Belmont High School. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  36. ↑ "Club History". Belmont High School Rugby. Archived from the original on June 29, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  37. ↑ Tucker, Franklin (June 11, 2017). "STATE CHAMPS! Belmont Takes Girls' Rugby Title Over Algonquin". The Belmontonian. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  38. ↑ Tucker, Franklin. "Sweet 6! Belmont Girls' Rugby Romps To Sixth Consecutive State Title Over Weymouth". www.belmontonian.com. The Belmontonian. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  39. ↑ "Activities and Clubs". Belmont Public Schools. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  40. ↑ "BHS Club List 2024-2025". Google Sheets. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  41. ↑ Marquard, Bryan (October 20, 2014). "John F. Bok, 84; behind the scenes, he helped preserve Boston's history and shape development". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  42. ↑ Official Website Archived December 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine www.emilycook.com, accessed 2007
  43. ↑ Men of Mystery Archived December 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , www.providencephoenix.com, accessed 2007
  44. ↑ "Musician Michael Bivins receives honorary degree from Belmont High School".
  45. ↑ BHS Class of '81 Website Archived August 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , bhsclass81.net, accessed 2007.
  46. ↑ SABR Biography of Mike Palm
  47. ↑ Blank, Nikki (February 16, 2016). "Belmont Woman Runs 7 Marathons In 7 Days, On 7 Continents". WGBH . Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  48. ↑ "Patty Shea". Sports Reference (Archive). Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  49. ↑ Goode, Jon. "An iron man with local roots". www.boston.com. Boston.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  50. ↑ "Another astronaut has MIT tie-in". MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
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