Riverdale Baptist School

Riverdale Baptist School
Address
1133 Largo Road Upper Marlboro , Maryland United States
Coordinates	38°52′23″N76°47′20″W / 38.87306°N 76.78889°W / 38.87306; -76.78889
Information
Type	Private Christian
Religious affiliation(s)	Independent Baptist
Established	1971
Founder	Rev. R. Herbert Fitzpatrick
Grades	K4-12
Enrollment	averaging 300 total (co-ed)
Average class size	15
Color(s)	Navy blue, gold
Athletics	www.rbsathletics.org
Accreditation	MSACS
Website	www.rbschool.org

Riverdale Baptist School (RBS) is a private Christian school located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, serving students from Pre-K to 12. It is located in Prince George's County, Maryland, and is accredited through Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools ^[1]

History

Riverdale Baptist School was founded in 1971 as a daughter ministry of Riverdale Baptist Church under the leadership of Reverend Fitzpatrick. In its first year, RBS had an enrollment of 188 students in kindergarten through sixth grade and was renting facilities from a local Catholic school. The school expanded by purchasing 156 acres of land on Largo Road in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, in 1974. The 70,000 square feet (1.6 acres) educational building opened in 1975 with the 2,100 seat church sanctuary following shortly thereafter. Over the years, RBS has added a basketball and volleyball gymnasium featuring a weight room and film room, baseball, and softball diamonds. ^[2]

Notable alumni

• Shakira Austin, WNBA Player, basketball center for the Israeli Elitzur Ramla
• Michael Beasley, Professional Basketball Player^{[ citation needed ]}
• Tariq Castro-Fields, ^[3] NFL Super Bowl Champion
• Christian Darrisaw, ^[4] Professional Football Player
• Olandis Gary, Professional Football Player; Head Coach, RBS Football
• Tianna Hawkins, WNBA Player ^[5]
• John Hightower (American football) , Professional Football Player
• Zion Johnson, ^{[6] [7]} Professional Football Player
• Jonquel Jones, WNBA Player & 2021 MVP, current power forward/center for New York Liberty ^{[8] [9]}
• Zech McPhearson, ^[10] Professional Football Player
• Chinanu Onuaku, Basketball player ^[11]
• Nolan Smith, ^[12] Professional Basketball Player
• Wanisha Smith, WNBA Player ^[13]
• Devin Sweetney, Professional Basketball Player ^[14]

References

1. "About RBS". RBSchool.org: About Riverdale. Riverdale Baptist School. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
2. "About RBS". RBSchool.org: About RBS. Riverdale Baptist School. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
3. "Tariq Castro-Fields, 2017 Safety, Penn State". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
4. "Christian Darrisaw, 2017 Offensive Tackle, Virginia Tech". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
5. "Tianna Hawkins' basketball journey leads back to where it started in D.C." Athletes Unlimited. February 17, 2022.
6. Garnett, Carla (August 5, 2022). "Former Intern Graduates to Pro Gridiron Career". NIH Record . Retrieved August 27, 2022.
7. Thompson, Rich (October 29, 2019). "Guard Zion Johnson making an impact on Boston College's offensive line". Boston Herald . Retrieved December 12, 2021.
8. "Jonquel Jones on Basketball in The Bahamas, Connecticut Sun and More". May 11, 2017.
9. "Jonquel Jones, from the Bahamas to a home with Riverdale Baptist basketball - The Washington Post". The Washington Post .
10. "Zech McPhearson - Football". Texas Tech Red Raiders. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
11. "Chinanu Onuaku, 2014 Center, Louisville State". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
12. "Nolan Smith, 2007 Shooting Guard, Duke State". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
13. "Wanisha Smith - Assistant Coach - Women's Basketball Coaches - Duke University". goduke.com. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
14. Driver, David (July 13, 2011). "Former Largo Resident Has European Adventure". Patch.com . Retrieved October 12, 2016.