Cathedral Christian School

Cathedral Christian School
Active	1976–2009
School type	private
District	N/A
Grades	K-12
Colors	Blue & Gold
Mascot	Saints
Location	1401 Huffman Road, (map) Birmingham

Cathedral Christian School ("CCS") was a private school founded in 1976 by Huffman Assembly of God. It operated as a K-12 school until 1998, and continued to offer grades K through 8 until its closure in 2009.

History

In December 1974, Huffman Assembly of God embarked on a ambitious, long-range expansion program that included the construction of a new, Christian primary and secondary school. Prompted in part by a large scale shift in the secular curriculum of public schools, Huffman Assembly developed a parochial approach to restore "the civilizing effects of Christianity" to education. (Bradford, p. 159.) In 1974, church board members secured a sixteen-acre site situated between Huffman Road and Parkway East for $565,000.

The school opened in the fall of 1976, initially operating on the campus of Huffman Assembly while the new school building was being constructed. The school consisted of an accredited faculty that oversaw a student body of over 100 students, an athletic program, and a host of student activity offerings. The "Saints" was selected as the school mascot. The school colors were initially a Miami Dolphins-inspired aqua green & orange scheme, however they were changed to blue and gold after the first year to distinguish the program from the green & orange colors of nearby Huffman High School. The new CCS campus was open by the fall of 1978, featuring some twenty classrooms, a modern gymnasium/auditorium, and full-service cafeteria.

In 1986, Huffman Assembly completed construction on a new, $9 million church home, which would adjoin the back of the existing CCS building. The new church building, which ushered in the change of the church name from Huffman Assembly to "Cathedral of the Cross," also provided a considerable expansion to the school campus, including a modern science lab, home economics department, music room, library, a dedicated auditorium, and additional classrooms.

The 1980s saw a tremendous growth for CCS, as enrollment grew to over 400 at times, the school expanded both its educational courses and its athletic program. Enrollment began to decline by the mid 1990s, and in 1998, the school ceased offering grades 9-12, in favor of continuing with its kindergarten through junior high classes. Ultimately, the decline in enrollment resulted in CCS's closure in 2009.

Athletics

CCS offered a full-range of varsity and junior varsity athletic programs for its junior and high school classes, including football, track & field, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, women's volleyball, men's soccer, golf, and cheerleading. In certain years, CCS also provided athletic programs for elementary students through its "Little Saints" football, basketball, and cheerleading programs.

CCS competed in a variety of private school athletic leagues, including the National Fellowship of Christian Schools, the Central Alabama Christian Athletic Association ("CACAA"), and the Alabama Independent School Association ("AISA").

Acheivements

• 1989 CACAA Football State Champs
• 1990 CACAA Football State Runner-up

Principals

• Claude Johnson, 1976-?
• Elwyn McSwain
• Howard Drewitz, 1982-1984
• Kathy Cottingham, 1984-1988
• Arthur Cyphers, 1988-1992
• Frank Battles, 1992-1993
• Roy Hornsby, 1993-1996
• David Sheram, 1996-1998
• Mark Correll, 1998-2000
• Greg Wooten, 2000-2004
• Dianne Johnson, 2007-2009

Notable Alumni

• David Lamb, local Birmingham television news anchor and radio personality

Gallery

• 

  CCS Saints Mascot

• 

  CCS Coat of Arms

References

• The Epistle, vv. I-XXXIV; archived on the Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections at [1].
• Huie, William Bradford (1979) It's Me, O Lord. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson. ISBN 9780840751416
• Dan Ronsisvalle Obituary (November 16, 2003), The Birmingham News
• "Daniel Ronsisvalle," Prabook.com: the World Biographical Encyclopedia, [2]