OUR STORY

South Side Catholic High School first created access to high quality education in 1931 for German immigrants who settled in the area. It was and continues to be a comprehensive Catholic high school, grades nine through twelve. Our school exists to serve families who might not otherwise have a means to afford a high-quality education for their sons. Our diverse brotherhood reflects the diversity of our city… the inclusion each young man experiences is uniquely ours.

Christian Brothers were teaching for the first 2 years. The first classrooms were small wooden structures located on the property of St. Joseph’s Orphanage. Marianists became the sponsor in 1933 when we had 275 students. Our classes were thriving, and our first graduating class had 62 men in it. Enrollment and faculty grew steadily from 1933, reaching a peak in 1946 with 1,100 students. In 1947 the name of the school changed to St. Mary’s High School.

In 1964, a new building, located north of the old school site, was completed, and opened with 883 students. In 2008, St. Mary’s purchased the rundown apartments located on the west side of campus to expand and make room for athletics facilities. In 2011 our campus was renamed St. Mary’s High School - Frank J. Bommarito Campus in honor of the generous support of our 1952 alumnus.

St. Mary's received extraordinary recognition in the 2021 review and an Index of Education Quality (IEQ) score significantly higher than the average Cognia Improvement Network (CIN) institutions evaluated for accreditation over the last 5 years.

In October 2022 President, Mike England and Principal, Valerie Todd were called to a meeting with the Archdiocese and told that St. Mary’s would finish their final semesters and close June 30, 2023. President England responded with courage, strength, and God’s will to inform the church leadership that St. Mary’s would indeed continue as a school separate from the financial and leadership support of the Archdiocese. 

On July 1, 2023, marked the beginning of our new entity St. Mary’s South Side Catholic School. Our school remains rooted in the mission, values, and beliefs we’ve upheld over the past 90+ years. We remain committed to our families, Dutchtown, and our faith.