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The present campus
of St. Mary's High School was opened on September 6, 1956. St.
Mary's High School dates back to 1876, having been located at
several places in the city of Stockton, and having served the
community well. A larger school which could provide for the growing
student population had long been recognized as a pressing need.
In the opening year
of the present St. Mary's, which is located on a 25 acre lot, the
campus included the administration building, four wings of
classrooms, a cafeteria, and ample playing fields. The
administrative staff of the school included Father Xavier Harris,
O.F.M., principal, and Sister M. Colette, O.P., vice-principal, four
Franciscan priests, ten Dominican Sisters and seven lay teachers.
The student enrollment was 496. An academic and commercial
curriculum was supplemented with classes in art, music appreciation
and glee club, in order to provide a cultural and liberal arts
education for the students. Auxiliary Bishop Hugh A. Donohue of San
Francisco presided at the formal dedication of the new St. Mary's on
May 19, 1957.
By the Fall of
1957, the enrollment of the school had increased to 530 students.
Plans were made during this year for the erection of the Field
House, Bonaventure Hall, and for the equipping of the football field
with nightlights. These two projects were completed for the opening
of school, 1958.
The event of
greatest importance for St. Mary's in its fourth year was the
graduation of 171 seniors on June 15, 1960. Since the enrollment had
risen to 705, permission was granted in May of 1960 to continue with
the expansion of the school plant. The following buildings were
contemplated: a gym/ auditorium, a student chapel, a Friary and a
Convent. Under the supervision of Father Everette Chandler, O.F.M.,
these additions were successfully completed and dedicated on May 7,
1961, by Auxiliary Bishop Merlin J. Guilfoyle of San Francisco.
Father Chandler was succeeded by Father Emery Tang who served as
principal until 1964. The Diocese of Stockton was established in
February, 1962, and in the spring of that year, St. Mary's, after
months of preparation, was granted an accreditation of 5 years from
a Visiting Team of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Father Tang was succeeded in turn by Father Neil Scott in 1964 and
Father Barnabus Hughes in 1966. At the conclusion of the school year
1967, the Franciscan priests withdrew from St. Mary's High School
because of a shortage of teaching personnel, Monsignor James DeGroot,
the treasurer and assistant superintendent of schools, was appointed
principal.
In the Fall of
1970, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales were invited by Bishop
Merlin J. Guilfoyle to administer St. Mary's High School. Father
Thomas P. O'Neill, O.S.F.S., became principal; Sister Gene McNally,
O.P. was appointed vice principal. The staff included six Oblate
priests, one Oblate brother, one Franciscan priest, one Diocesan
priest, nine Dominican sisters and twenty-one lay men and women. The
student enrollment for the year was 700. In February,
1972, St. Mary's was visited by a team from WASC and given an
accreditation of full approval for five years.
During March, 1977,
St. Mary's was again visited by a team of evaluators from WASC, and
as a result of this visitation, St. Mary's was granted full
accreditation for the next five years. In the school year 1977-78,
Sister Emilie Schenone, O.P., replaced Sister Gene as
vice-principal, and Father John Fallon, O.S.F.S., replaced Father
O'Neill as principal. During the 1970's the enrollment at St. Mary's
steadily increased until it reached capacity of 1,050 in 1980. A
Computer Center was established and located in what had been the
Library Reading Room. In March of 1983, St. Mary's was once again
visited by WASC and received a full term of accreditation for six
years.
In order to serve
the Stockton community with quality Catholic education and to insure
a viable future, St. Mary's undertook a two-year study of all of its
programs and publics. This study was conducted under the direction
of McManis Associates of Washington, D.C., a management consultant
firm. The study showed that St. Mary's is a strong, visible and
viable institution. In July 1986, the school administration was
restructured and Mrs. Mary Devincenzi was appointed Academic Dean
and Father John Foley appointed Curriculum Coordinator.
Following the
successful completion of a WASC visit in 1989 and the granting of a
full term of six years by the accrediting agency, St. Mary's
undertook a major restructuring. The President-Principal model of
governance was adopted with Father John Fallon serving as President
and Mr. Peter Morelli serving as Principal. Mrs. Karen Gherardi
became Academic Dean. In order to provide for the ongoing
improvement of instruction and the development of curriculum, a
Curriculum Coordinator was appointed. St. Mary's has two Dean of
Students.
In 1995, St. Mary's
received a six-year WASC accreditation. A six-year term of
accreditation was granted St. Mary's in 2007 by WASC. The term will
expire on June 30, 2013. The action was taken after a careful study
of the Visiting Committee Report, which noted many laudable aspects
of the school, citing the quality of instruction being offered. The
projected enrollment for the 2007-08 schoolyear is 1163.
In the summer of
2004, site construction improvement began in preparation for the
Academic Services Building. New water lines, fire sprinkler lines,
wiring, permits, and a new parking area were installed.
In the summer of
2005, St. Mary's undertook the most significant growth in the
school's history since the opening of the campus. The process of
building the Lagorio Family Academic Building, a 23,000 square foot
building containing a library, counseling services, administrative
and business offices, faculty areas and classrooms. The necessity
for our school to improve its academic buildings and other
structures is paramount for the future of our high school. This
building was completed and became operational for the 2006-07 school
year.
In March of 2007
the school began construction on a swimming pool complex. |
