Mission, Vision & History

St. Francis High School is a Catholic, college preparatory learning community that promotes spiritual, academic, physical, and social development in the daily presence of Jesus Christ.

Our Mission

Develop students who are faith-filled participants of the Church, committed to Christian service, critical thinkers, effective and creative communicators, persons of integrity, physically fit and emotionally healthy, respectful and accepting of others, responsible citizens of the world, and self-directed and lifelong learners.

Our Vision

OUR HISTORY

On November 11, 1956, St. Francis High School supporters cheered as shovels broke ground and efforts to construct the long-awaited regional high school officially began.

Today, St. Francis High School serves the same mission its founders dreamed it would: to educate the young men and women of neighboring towns and Catholic parishes and to nurture their spiritual growth. This is the heart of Catholic education, and since classes first began in 1957, St. Francis High School has fostered student achievement and spiritual growth, all in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, our patron.

With the deep dedication of families, alumni, teachers, coaches, and staff, St. Francis High School continues to develop and thrive.

1955 – Bishop McNamara appeals to local parishes to make SFHS a reality
1956 – A groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 11
1957 – First classes were held with freshman and sophomore students, with an enrollment of 390. Faculty comprised of 3 religious orders (Christian Brothers, Franciscan and IBVM Sisters)
1958 – Cafeteria opened to students
1959 – Enrollment increased to 922
1960 – Brother Pius Kamphefner, F.S.C., athletic director, started the sports program
1963 – The East Wing was added to the school
1965 – Mascot was changed from the Knights to the Spartans
1969 – The first coeducational classes began
1974-1982 – SF Prep High (7^th & 8^th grade) was established to boost enrollment
1991 – First Kairos Retreat
2001 – Addition of Spyglass Athletic Center and Kuhn Cultural Arts Center
2009 – The Chapel was remodeled and dedicated to Saint Clare
2011 – Mary J. Feltes Science Suite and Robinson Family Learning Center wing was constructed
2013 – Kuhn Memorial Stadium and Coach Scott Nelson Memorial Track were dedicated
2015 – Lacy Family Gateway building was built to provide home to wrestling and dance teams
2017 – SFHS officially named a Microsoft Showcase School

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition and the charisms of Saint Francis of Assisi, the people of the SFHS community seek to live as disciples of Jesus Christ through the cultivation of our faith by loving God and serving others.

SFHS advances the educational ministry of the Roman Catholic Church. We are faithful to Christ, and the spiritual teachers who represent Him on earth, the Pope, and the Bishops.

SFHS exists to promote the values of the Gospel of Christ. Each member of the faculty and staff has a responsibility to foster a disciplined, caring, and Christ-filled environment.

SFHS partners with parents in the promotion of the spiritual, academic, physical, and social development of each student entrusted to the school.

SFHS strives to assist each student to achieve his or her spiritual, intellectual, and social potential.

SFHS welcomes all regardless of their race, color, sex, physical disability, national or ethnic origin, religious affiliation, or immigration status.