La Salle Institute or LSI of Troy, New York is a private Catholic school for males. It is a college preparatory educational institution run by the Brothers of the Christian Schools. The school welcomes students from grades 6 to 12.

La Salle Institute is an independent, Catholic college preparatory school serving young men in grades six through twelve. La Salle affords students the opportunity to realize their whole potential and inspires them to lead as responsible members of their community with a commitment to truth, honor and duty.

La Salle accomplishes this by educating students in a small, supportive environment and by imparting Christian values in the tradition of our Founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle. This commitment is shared by all members of the Lasallian family and propels students toward excellence.

School Size and Other Facts

LSI is located in Williams Road, Troy, New York. Currently, it has a total enrollment of over 400 students and classes last about 6 hours a day. The school year consists of 180 days of classes, which is actually more than the average for the private schools in New York and in other places in the United States. Right now, the school has over 50 faculty members with a student to teacher ratio of 12:1.

The school’s slogan is “Builders of boys, makers of MEN.” LSI is in a suburb school setting under the supervision of the principal, Brother Carl Malacalza. Since the school is run by a religious organization, LSI consists of many religious activities and most of them are a part of the school’s tradition.

Military and Athletics

In 1981, the first ever cadet battalion of the school was formed. Today, the high school students are required to join the Army JROTC program. The main goal here is to motivate the students to become better citizens instead of focusing on becoming a soldier or recruiting new members of the US Army.

JROTC program at the school has received the “Honor Unit with Distinction” from the US Department of Army.

Thus, the LSI is viewed as a prestigious member of the educational assembly particularly in the private catholic college preparatory school group.

When it comes to athletics, the student body is actively participating in the interscholastic baseball, cross country, basketball, golf, and bowling among others. They also have teams of ice hockey, football, lacrosse, tennis, and track. The school boasts a team of champions including the varsity basketball which was a part of the Big 10 Class AA. LSI is represented by blue and white colors with their mascot, Cadets.

Academics and Other Activities

The LSI offers a library for the students. They are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and are an independent member of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. The school offers a variety of general learning courses as well as for the accelerated, honors level, and advanced students. LSI is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

One of the most popular departments in this school is the music department, which is headed by John Russell. They have their annual Christmas concert and have received some awards, including the Gold Award at the Oneida Jazz Festival in 2008. The school also features the Debate Club, the Drama Club, and the Rifle Club. The school has its own paper named The Cadet.