Fast Facts

List of 5 items.

• Where did Edmund Burke School get its name?

  
  In a 1961 speech to the Canadian Parliament, President John F. Kennedy said,
  
  "At the conference table and in the minds of men, the Free World's cause is strengthened because it is just. But it is strengthened even more by the dedicated efforts of free men and free nations. As the great parliamentarian Edmund Burke said, 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' And that in essence is why I am here today."
  
  Our school's founders also drew inspiration from that saying and built a school committed to civic engagement and action. While often attributed directly to Edmund Burke, the phrase likely derives from his writings in April 1770: "When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle."

• Does Burke have a large campus?

  Our campus is a great size (and in a great location) for us. The school consists of three connected buildings, extending down Upton Street from Connecticut Avenue NW.
  
  The four-story building directly on Connecticut mainly houses the middle school, plus an underground parking garage. A pedestrian bridge (aka: "Albert's Alley") connects to the Library and Atrium spaces, which are an extension of the original school building at 2955 Upton Street. That building mainly houses the high school and the Gym (renovated in 2021-22). Our athletic teams use Howard Field, which is just down the block, as well as the UDC Pool.
  

• What is Burke's mascot?

  We somehow wound up with two. Our official athletic mascot is the Burke Bengal Tiger. (Did you know adult bengals can grow to 10.5 feet long and 650 pounds?) However, we also have Little Ned, a dancing 6th grader in a powdered wig, who makes an appearance at Homecoming annually. 

• Does Burke have a football team?

  The Bengals remain undefeated on the football field since 1968.
  
  (... We don't have a football team.)

• What are Burke's "entry years?"

  Everyone is new in 6th grade, and the grade generally grows by 20-25% in 7th grade and then doubles in 9th grade – so there are numerous opportunities to make new friends. We also welcome several new students in 8th, 10th, and 11th annually.