History of BT
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Archbishop John Francis Donoghue broke ground on January 29, 1999, for the construction of Blessed Trinity. The architects for the school were Hussey, Gay, Bell and DeYoung International, Inc. of Savannah, and the general contractor was Batson-Cook Co. of Atlanta. Allen Kronenberger of Catholic Construction Services was the project manager. The founding principal was Frank Moore.
The school opened in August 2000 with a 3-year initial accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and with an enrollment of 164 freshmen and 55 sophomores. The initial faculty and staff consisted of 35 employees.
The 2001-2002 school year began with 465 students in the 9th, 10th and 11th grades. The faculty and staff grew to 58. The number of course offerings more than doubled to 76, including the first AP courses – English Language, World History, United States History, and Chemistry. Band was added to the fine arts offerings of visual art, vocal music and dance. Wrestling and swimming were added to the athletic offerings.
For the 2002-2003 school year, the student population grew to 680 and the faculty and staff to 83. Courses offered grew to 115 and five AP courses were added – English Literature, Psychology, Calculus AB, Spanish Language, and Studio Art. Drama was added to fine arts, and all athletic teams competed at the varsity level in Classification AA. The school completed its first self-study in April 2003 and was awarded a 5-year full accreditation by SACS. In May 2003, the girls' golf team won the school's first state championship. The first graduation took place on May 24, 2003, in the school theater.
The 2003-2004 school year opened with 850 students and a faculty and staff of 100. The course catalog grew to over 130 courses and AP courses were added in Government, Macroeconomics, Biology and French Language. Lights were erected on the soccer field, and the wall separating two small weight rooms next to the auxiliary gym was removed and the space converted into a wrestling room and training room. In October 2003, the boys' cross country team brought home the first state championship in a boys sport. In the spring of 2004, the girls' golf, tennis, and soccer teams all won state championships. Blessed Trinity's athletic program was awarded the Georgia Athletic Directors Association Director's Cup as the most successful overall AA program in the state.
With the student population and employee base having leveled off, the school opened the 2004-2005 year in Classification AAA and prepared to do its first strategic long range plan. A 25-person committee supervised the surveying of parents, faculty, and students. The course offerings increased to over 140 and AP Statistics was added to the Advanced Placement offerings. Lights were added to the baseball field, and a lacrosse field was created next to the football stadium. Boys and girls lacrosse and competition cheerleading were added to the varsity athletic program, bringing the total number of varsity teams to 22.
In 2005-2006, the strategic long range plan was completed in December. The number of course offerings reached 149. AP Calculus BC and AP Art History were added to the AP lineup. The girls' cross country, girls' soccer, and baseball teams all brought home state championships.
In 2006-2007, the AP program grew once again to include AP Environmental Science and AP Computer Science. The school began the process to earn dual accreditation with SACS and the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS). Visitors' bleachers were added to the football stadium. The volleyball and girls' cross country teams won state championships.