La Salle High School of Yakima is a Catholic Lasallian college preparatory high school, based on the teachings of the Lasallian schools' founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle, who founded the first Lasallian school in Reims, France in 1685. It opened in 1998 to replace Carroll High School, which had closed in the late 1980s. The School is sponsored and administered by the De La Salle Christian Brothers and is a member of the Brothers' District of San Francisco New Orleans headquartered at Mont La Salle in Napa, California. La Salle was the dream of a group of committed Catholic parents and the former Bishop of Yakima, Cardinal Francis George. The continued growth of school enrollment and campus facilities is a testament to a great deal of zeal and hard work by those who founded the school and those who continue its important mission.
Academics
All students at La Salle take a college preparatory course of studies. La Salle partners with the University of Washington and Grand Canyon University to offer Dual Enrollment courses in several academic departments. Additionally,a number of AP and Honors courses are offered. Students earn SAT and ACT scores well above the national average. The class of 2017 numbered 61 and received scholarship and aid offers totaling 5.5 million dollars. 100% of our graduating seniors have been accepted to a college or university for the 10th consecutive year.
Faith
La Salle is a Catholic High School in the Lasallian tradition. The association of Lasallian schools spans around the globe to over 80 countries and one million students. Students gather regularly for prayer and Mass, and are encouraged to participate in campus ministry activities. All students participate in the four-year religious studies curriculum. A hallmark of La Salle is the mandate to put Gospel values to the service of those in need in the community. Students have an opportunity to participate in weekly service projects to those in need in the area. Those interested in participating in expanded service opportunities while learning about social justice issues are invited to participate in one of four service immersion trips. Annually students serve the homeless in Seattle, children on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana, the urban poor of Rochester, New York, impoverished residents of the Yakama Nation who are in need of home repair and improvement and to Mexico in the summer to serve marginalized children.
Athletics
Since the school was founded in 1998, La Salle has won four team State Championships and many tennis, golf, and track individual State Championships. Home to the La Salle Lightning, the school offers cheer, football, soccer, volleyball, cross country, basketball, track, tennis, golf, baseball, boys soccer and softball teams. In 2010 La Salle opted up to the 1A classification and currently competes in the SCAC athletic league. In the 2018-2019 school year, La Salle won both the 1A Girl’s Soccer State Championship and the 1A Girl’s Basketball State Championship.
Student life
La Salle has a very involved student body. The school's goal of developing the whole person: mind, body and spirit is evident in its promotion of a strong co-curricular program.
ASB
La Salle student leaders and moderators ensure there is a full complement of activities for students to participate in throughout the year. Dances, Homecoming, Prom, weekly video announcements, lunchtime intramurals, and rallies are examples of just some of the work of students organize yearly.
Campus Ministry
Alongside the Director of Campus Ministry and adult chaperones, student campus ministers organize a myriad of activities to nurture and promote the spiritual development of each and every student. After school community service, extended service immersion trips, class retreats, all school prayer services and masses and justice education activities are but a few of the programs led by Campus Ministry.
Campus
La Salle has been developing its master plan since moving to the Union Gap campus in 2000. The academic buildings include Roy Hall, Lightning Hall, the Gamache Science Center and several temporary classrooms where future buildings will be built. At the center of campus is the Gamache Chapel of Saint John Baptist de La Salle. On the back of a chapel is a beautiful stage which opens up to a large outdoor amphitheater which holds many of the school's celebrations including graduation. The forty acre campus includes, a soccer, baseball, fastpitch, practice football field and large gymnasium, as well as a number of tennis courts and a weight lifting facility. On far end of campus near the Ahtanum Creek, La Salle has built a full service fish hatchery in cooperation with the Yakama Nation. The hatchery is completely managed by La Salle students and teachers and is helping to re-establish important Salmon runs on this area of the watershed. Nearby the hatchery students operate beehives that produce Lightning Honey each year and serve as an invaluable resource for scientific study. Recently the school's student center and gymnasium have been completed. Additional building plans include a classroom building, auditorium, media tech center, administration building and football stadium.
