Bethlehem Central High School


Bethlehem Central High School is a public high school in Delmar, New York, just south of Albany. Located at 700 Delaware Avenue, the school serves students in grades 9–12 from the towns of Bethlehem and New Scotland. The school was ranked 366 on Newsweek's 2013 "America's Best High Schools".
WWW bethlehemschools.org/bchs

History

The school was established in 1932 at 332 Kenwood Avenue. Within 20 years, the original building was deemed too small, and the school moved to its current location in 1954.
In 2006, the school forbade students to wear hats, hoods, bandannas, and handkerchiefs, saying that these can be gang symbols. This policy was met with considerable student protest, culminating in a petition that accumulated more than 1000 signatures in one day along with the addition of a permanent gate station to the school. The issue drew coverage in the Times Union and local television news formats.
In 2024, a series of 12 phone calls threatening violence were made to Bethlehem Central High School by a teenager in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. These calls were part of coordinated swatting attempts intended to disrupt school activities.

Extracurricular activities

The school's Science Bowl team finished first in their regional competition in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 earning them trips to the national competition in Washington, DC.
Bethlehem students have also performed well in the Science Olympiad Tournaments, placing first in their regional competition and ninth at the New York States competition in 2021.
Bethlehem Central High School has produced excellent Masterminds teams that have won several championships in their league. The Bethlehem Masterminds team won the state tournament in 2006, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, making it the only team to have won states five years in a row.
Bethlehem students have also consistently performed well at the National History Bowl, having placed highly in its national championship each year since 2012. However, the History Bowl team is not funded by the school. Members of the History Bowl team have also done well at all-subject Quizbowl events, having won several in the 2014–15 school year.

Athletics

Bethlehem Central School District believes that sports foster education, and supports more than 20 sports across three seasons. The district belongs to the New York State Athletic Association and competes as a Class AA school in Section II. BC's league affiliation is with the Suburban Scholastic Council, in which it competes in the gold division.
The Eagles compete in the following sports:
  • Baseball
  • Men's and Women's Basketball
  • Men's and Women's Bowling
  • Cheerleading
  • Men's and Women's Cross Country
  • Field Hockey
  • Football
  • Gymnastics
  • Men's Golf
  • Ice Hockey
  • Men's and Women's Indoor Track
  • Men's and Women's Lacrosse
  • Men's and Women's Soccer
  • Softball
  • Men's and Women's Swimming
  • Men's and Women's Tennis
  • Men's and Women's Track and Field
  • Men's and Women's Volleyball
  • Men's Wrestling
  • Masterminds
  • Science Bowl
  • Science Olympiad
  • Ultimate Frisbee
On June 20, 2006, funds for Ice Hockey, Cheerleading, and Gymnastics were cut from the budget. Supporters held multiple fund raisers for the teams, allowing all of them to play their sports by the season. The 2007 budget restored funding for these teams.
In 2006, the boys' soccer team made the Final 4 in the state championship. Four members of the girls' swim team made the state championship as well, placing 3rd in the 200-yard Medley Relay. That same year's boys' 200 freestyle relay was ranked 2nd in New York State and named All American.
The boys' Indoor and Outdoor Track teams are recognized as one of the best in the suburban council. In 2010, the boys Indoor Track team sent five athletes to the Nike Indoor Nationals in Boston.
Bethlehem Athletics has seen a rejuvenation in recent years. In 2018 the boys ice hockey team claimed the first section 2 title in program history following it up with a second consecutive title in 2019. The ice hockey team is joined by the boys tennis team as well as girls soccer as teams to capture back to back titles for the school. The girls' tennis team has claimed two back to back sectional championships, in 2021 and 2022. In 2021, the girls' tennis team competed for a States title, but finished 3rd in New York State. In 2022, the girls' tennis team placed 2nd in New York State. In 2024, the boy's varsity tennis team won the Section 2 title, defeating Shaker in a 6-3 win.

Lab School

Founded by James Nehring in 1992, the Lab School of Bethlehem Central High School is a school-within-a-school with a total of about 111 students in grades 9 through 12. Senior students participate in an internship, which must meet various educational requirements set by the school; they keep journals of their hours and experiences and hand it in at the end of the year for a grade.
Each year, the Lab School takes several field trips. Destinations include the Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany and the Adirondack Mountains YMCA Camps Chingachgook and Silver Bay. Each spring, the school takes a trip to either Williamsburg, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Boston; or Philadelphia. Every two years, juniors and seniors take a week-long trip to the Florida Keys or Costa Rica to learn about marine biology.

Notable alumni

Hall of Fame

Alumni recognized by the school for induction into its hall of fame include:

Others