Xaverian High School

I graduated Xaverian in 1979 and I have to say that it was the best educational experience of my life, far better than my college degree, MBA or Law degree. What is interesting is that my relationships with people at Xaverian were great and have grown over the 35 years. Xaverian is more than a school, it built my character and outlook on life. It seems that it has grown and become a better place since I went there and I go back to the reunions feeling proud of being an alumnus.

As a parent of a recent graduate I only have good things to say about the school. My son entered the school as a shy 14 year old boy and graduated this past June as a proud and confident ‘Xaverian Man’. For him the school was a place where he felt safe, was challenged academically and had the type of «Brotherhood» from both the teachers and fellow students that he never had as an only child.
I am sure there were some minor childhood shenanigans going on that administrators may have turned a blind eye to at times. That is part of the growing process and after all it is an all boys school. However, when there were isolated incidents that were more than just childhood pranks, the administrators took swift action to correct the situation.
I attended all of the Parent/​Teacher meetings and can honestly say that his teachers all showed me that they cared about my son’s academic and social progress as well as his over all high school experience. There was never a time where I left those meetings feeling anything less than optimistic about his progress even when he was not working at his best. Yes, the tuition is higher than at other comparable Catholic private high schools in Brooklyn but they do not nickel and dime families with all those mandatory fund raisers other schools often do which cuts the gap some and they do offer financial assistance to those families who truly need it.
In the end we are pleased about the education and values that he gained from his four years there and would recommend the school to any family who is thinking of sending their son there.

I was graduated from Xaverian in 1965. Nothwithstanding my efforts to thwart the Xaverian Brothers’ hard work, the school provided me with what have always considered to be the equivalent of a liberal arts college degree. High level courses Latin, Spanish, Physics, Chemistry, Elementary Functions, Chemistry, English, History, etc. were at the core of its curriculum.
I don’t know much about today’s requirements but our Summer reading list would make ones head spin. Return of the Native; A Tale of Two Cities; Great Expectaions; Bleak House; Bulfinches Myhtology; The Catcher in the Rye; The Iliad and The Oddessy; The Hound of the Baskervilles;The Odyssey, Moby Dick, etc. I would be surprised if our contempories had such a rigorous reading agenda. I would be surprised if many of today’s college graduates would recognize the titles, let alone their contents.
My only regret is that I didn’t focus more on academics. I was far from a model student, having spent more than my fair share of time in detention. Although I felt many of the school policies were out of line with the times, I knew the rules of engagement. If you broke the rules, you paid the consequences.
There will always be situations wherein a jock or the son of an influential father will get a pass on bad behavior but I don’t believe, as an earlier commentor suggests, that it is more prevalent at Xaverian than other schools.
The performance of school should be judged on the success of it’s graduates. I think anyone would be hard pressed to find a Brooklyn high school with a larger percentange of graduates who have excelled in medicine, research, education, law, finance, business, government and military service, or law enforcement.
I think the Xaverian Brothers and lay faculty have historically done, and continue to do, an extraordinary job in the education of middle and working class Brooklyn boys. The accomplishments of Xaverian alumni are attributable, in large part, to the foundation Xaverian provided.

I am a proud Xaverian alum and I have no idea what the first reviewer (Steve D.) is talking about. I also don’t appreciate the pseudo, anti-​Italian rant that Steve D. shared with the world. More on that later.
My four years there were some of the best I’ve ever had. I formed lasting friendships and a brotherhood with my fellow classmates. Were there «jocks?» Yes — just like in every school known to man. Were they allowed to run the school? Absolutely not.
Some of my friends did not attend Xaverian (or any other private high school.) When we discuss high school, I am amazed at how much better and more complete my high school education was compared to theirs. I am not being elitist — I am just stating facts: I had a well-​rounded education that properly prepared me for the rigors of college. Is it expensive? Yes — but, it carries with it an elite education and reputation.
Xaverian is an all-​boys school. I doubt this comes as a shock to anyone as it has been all boys for 50+ years. They didn’t change the structure half-​way through Steve D’s attendance. It takes some getting used to — but, I felt that it only served to create a stronger «brotherhood.»
As for «guido, mafia» kids running the place — I take it that is a dig on the school’s overwhelming Italian population. When I attended in the early 2000s, it was estimated that 75−80% of the school was Italian. I assure you, none of the 14 year olds that I entered with were members of the Mafia.
Lastly — I have been out of the school for 10 years. I cannot tell you how many times I have met alumni (older or younger than me) with whom I instantly strike up conversation. There is a bond that exists between alumni that really doesn’t exist elsewhere. It certainly helps for future career opportunities and networking events.
In sum — excellent school, excellent staff, excellent reputation, excellent education. If you can afford it, definitely attend. But be warned: you may have to share a lunch table with a future Steve D. What can I say — no school is perfect.

Completely corrupt mess! The guido mafia kids and the jocks are allowed to rule the place and never get into trouble for anything. The sports teams are completely corrupt and allow heavy contributors sons on the team way before qualified kids. The arts and humanities are cut down more and more with each passing year along with those that taught it there. Any teacher worth his or her salt ends up leaving out of frustration with the horrible way in which this school (I use the term loosely) is ran. The tuition is way overpriced due to the fact that they have several lay people making 6 figures in their staff. The out of control guido mafia kids and jocks are allowed to rule the asylum and are never truly disciplined. To add insult to injury the school is non co-​ed thus leading to a very unhappy and unruly bunch of kids. Their reunions are very very poorly attended due to the fact that the people were miserable when they were there. I knew a kid who went there and tried talking to the guidance counselor about the problems he was having with the school and the school immediately contacted his parents and forced the child to go into therapy. He didn’t need professional help! He needed to be in a school where he was happy. Avoid at all costs!