Originally built and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn as a diocesan high school, Christ the King High School began with its first freshman class starting September 1962 with its teachers at Mater Christi High School in Astoria, Queens. The first classes at the unfinished Middle Village location were held on May 6, 1963 and the school building was dedicated in April 1964.
At its start, Christ the King was organized into separate boys and girls divisions staffed by two religious orders of Marist Brothers and Daughters of Wisdom. The two divisions occupied opposite wings of the building and shared its library, cafeteria and auditorium. The top floors of the separate wings were designed and built as residential facilities to accommodate the two religious orders living areas.
The first graduation took place on June 23, 1966 with 840 graduates, exactly split between 420 boys and girls. Attendance at all of the Brooklyn Diocese operated high schools was free until September 1968 when it initiated a $300 tuition charge for the first time.
By 1970, the enormous changes underway in Catholic religious orders compelled the Sisters of Wisdom to withdraw from staffing the Girls Division and coeducational classes were started to transition into merging the two divisions. In September 1971, Mr. Hugh Kirwan became the first lay Principal of the Girl's Division. In 1972 the Marist Brothers announced they would be ending their connection with the school.
In September 1973 Mr. Kirwin was appointed to run a unified school at a time of serious discord with the rapidly expanding lay faculty that delayed opening of classes for one week. After two years of futile negotiations, no contract was signed and in October 1975 the Bishop announced that Christ the King High School would be closed and seniors would be allowed to finish there, but all other students would be transferred to other diocesan schools.
The diocese plan outraged the students and supported by their families, they went on strike and refused to vacate the building. Discussions between the school supporters and the diocese finally resulted in September 1976 becoming Christ the King Regional High School.
Academics
The school offers various honors and Advanced Placement classes. Select students have received outstanding PSAT and SAT scores. Numerous students have been accepted into prestigious schools, such as Yale, UPenn, Fordham University, Johns Hopkins University, and Macaulay Honors College and receive substantial scholarships to lesser prestigious institutions. Admission is based upon 6th, 7th, and 8th grade records, as well as the TACHS exam.
Christ the King offers a wide variety of sports including bowling, cross country fall, handball, indoor track winter and soccer. The boys-only programs are baseball, ice hockey, football and outdoor track winter. The girls-only programs are softball, cheerleading, dance, swimming, tennis and volleyball. The CK Royal Step team is co-ed. Christ the King also has a fitness center.
Clubs
Clubs include art, broadcasting (formerly Royal Vision), ceramics, computer, key club, literary & art magazine, national honor society, performing arts, portfolio Royal Times (newspaper), PDHP (Program for the Development of Human Potential) Prevention Leadership, speech & debate team, theater arts and video yearbook & yearbook,[4] rosary club, international, and freshman, sophomore, junior and senior student councils.
Controversy
In February 2018, a Year 12 student was denied a custom sweater with their name. The student bared a name with striking resemblance to civil rights activistMalcolm X.[5] As a result, the refusal was cited as being of the grounds of discrimination and racism. The student remarked in being told "not wanting to be associated with that name.",[6] and was jokingly called "the new Malcolm X."[7] Outrage from the incident would result in rallying at the school[8] intended to bring awareness of racism in education.
