Briarwood Christian School
Briarwood Christian School is a private school in Birmingham, Alabama. It was founded by Briarwood Presbyterian Church in 1965 as a segregation academy. In 1970, when integration of the public schools was mandated by the federal government, the IRS began revoking the tax exempt status of segregation academies. During this time the school added a non-discrimination policy, although no black students were admitted. Academics. Briarwood Christian School employs 205 faculty members and offers a college preparatory curriculum. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1. Briarwood offers 39 advanced placement classes, as well as dual enrollment classes  at levels beyond AP in Math, Science, History, and English. Accreditation. Briarwood Christian School is an ACSI-accredited K-12 school with over 1600 students. It operates in four sections: Early Childhood, Elementary, Junior High, and High School. Enrollment. Briarwood currently enrolls K4-12th grade students across both campuses with 593 High School Students, 279 Middle School Students, 471 Elementary Students, and  331 Early Childhood students. The school does not report data to the National Center for Education Statistics. Rankings. Briarwood was recognized as the top three private high school in the state of Alabama In Niche's 2021 High School  Rankings. Athletics. Briarwood High School has won 34 AHSAA State Athletic Championships since 1990. Athletic State Championships. Men's Basketball won the State Championship title in 1977 and 1978. Women's Basketball won the State Championship title in 1981. Men's Cross Country won the State Championship title in 1998,1999, and 2000. Women's Cross Country won the State Championship title in 1999. Football won the State Championship title in 1977, 1978, 1982, 1998, 1999, and 2003. Men's Golf won the State Championship title in 2006 and 2007.  Men's Soccer won the State Championship title in 2001, 2004 , 2007, 2013, and 2019. Women's Soccer won the State Championship title in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2010, and 2017. Women's Outdoor Track won the State Championship title in 1997, 1998, and 1999. Women's Indoor Track won the State Championship title in 1990, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Women's Tennis won the State Championship title in 2001, 2013, and 2016. Men's Tennis won the State Championship title in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Women's Volleyball won the State Championship title in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. Varsity Sports. Briarwood offers the  following Varsity and Club Sports: Baseball, Softball, Basketball, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, Cross Country, Track, Volleyball, Bass Fishing, Swimming, Lacrosse. Football. The Briarwood football team has won four state titles and is currently coached by Mathew Forester. Former head coach Fred Yancey is second on the list of all-time winningest Alabama high school head coaches. His staff includes fellow former Alabama players David Hannah, Chris Donnelly, and Ernest Carroll. Former Alabama teammates under Bear Bryant, Jeremiah Castille (Super Bowl competitor) and Joey Jones (current University of South Alabama head coach) as well as former Alabama defensive back Sam Shade have  also served as assistant coaches at the school. Former Briarwood players include NFL players Tim and Simeon Castille, as well as Barrett Trotter, former Auburn starting quarterback and former St. Louis Rams football operations assistant. Former Briarwood quarterback and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock is currently on the football coaching staff at University of Arkansas football. Craddock serves as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Razorbacks. Discipline. Until 2018, the school's website included a page called "school philosophy" which said that it "believes the Bible teaches the use of corporal punishment in the discipline of young people. Staff  are instructed to use the paddle whenever necessary", however, this is a rare happening. That page has now gone, but the application form for international high-school students still requires parents to agree that "Briarwood Christian School has full discretion in the discipline of students while at the School, including paddling". In 2017, the school's sponsor, the Briarwood Presbyterian Church, petitioned the state of Alabama to charter its own police force.“After the shooting at Sandy Hook and in the wake of similar assaults at churches and schools, Briarwood recognized the need to provide qualified first responders to coordinate  with local law enforcement." Matt Moore, church administratorThat year, the bill died in the legislature, but in 2019, HB 309 passed and was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey. Narcotics Scandal. In 2015, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office raided the high school campus after receiving multiple tips about student involvement in a local drug ring. Several students were expelled and one was arrested. The school was criticized in the press for its lack of transparency in responding to the events.