List of schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans

Contents

This is a list of schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans. They are not all operated by the archdiocese. There are 5 universities or colleges and over 20 high schools within the archdiocese.

As per a 2013 strategic plan the New Orleans Archdiocese allows affiliated schools to either be grade PK-7 combined elementary and middle schools (similar to a K-8 school), grade 8-12 senior high schools, or full K-12 schools. As per the plan the standalone middle schools and combined middle and high schools were to reconfigure themselves.[1] The new configurations were to be effective for the 2015-2016 school year. 37 schools were to be affected by the grade reconfiguration. The archdiocese planned to end affiliation with any school that did not comply with the grade configuration regime.[2]

Universities and colleges

K-12 schools

All Female

  • Academy of the Sacred Heart - Uptown
  • Saint Mary's Academy - New Orleans East - Has separate PK -7 girls' school, grade 4-7 boys' school - and 8-12 girls' school
  • St. Thérèse Academy for Exceptional Learners - Gentilly - Established 2019, replacing Holy Rosary School and Our Lady of Divine Providence School. It occupied the site of OLDP, then moved a few miles down the road to the former building of St. Mary Magdalene.Current location is Gentilly. [8]
  • Ursuline Academy - Uptown - all-female

All Male

  • Holy Cross School - Gentilly; former location in Lower 9th Ward - relocated due to heavy damages from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

High schools (Grades 8th - 12th)

New Orleans (Orleans Parish)

All Male

All-Female

Co-Ed

  • De La Salle High School - originally all-male, became co-ed in 1992 after accepting female students from the nearby and recently closed Mercy Academy

Jefferson Parish

Marrero

Metairie

St. John the Baptist Parish

  • St. Charles Catholic High School - LaPlace - co-ed

St. Tammany Parish

Covington

Slidell

K-7 schools

8th Grade

Sometime in the 1980's, Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese slowly began adding 8th grade to their curriculum. Over the years, other high schools within the Archdiocese also began to add 8th grade as more students and parents became interested in the idea of their child effectively starting high school early. This practice became so popular that many grammar schools began to suffer a significant decrease in enrollment amongst their 8th-grade classes. In 2014, the office of Catholic schools decided to restructure their schools and ordered all Catholic high schools to add 8th grade. In addition, all grammar schools were required to drop their 8th-grade programs and add pre-kindergarten programs. All stand-alone Catholic middle schools, such as Christian Brothers and Stuart Hall, and schools that started in grades 5th, 6th, or 7th - like Holy Cross (5th-12th), St Augustine (7th-12th), and Brother Martin (7th-12th), were required to either add lower grades or begin in 8th grade like the other high schools. K-12 schools were able to keep their established grades. This change became effective by the start of the 2015-2016 school year. [9]

Brother Martin and St. Augustine agreed to drop their 7th-grade programs, while Holy Cross decided to become a PK-12 school.

Many schools and parents were hesitant about this new plan, as some thought it was just a money grab, and also feared the possible fate of many schools.

New Orleans

  • Christian Brothers School[10]
  • Good Shepherd Nativity Mission
  • Holy Name of Jesus School
  • Resurrection of Our Lord School
  • St. Alphonsus School
  • St. Andrew the Apostle School
  • St. Benedict the Moor School
  • St. Dominic School
  • St. Joan of Arc School

Jefferson Parish

Plaquemines Parish

Belle Chasse

  • Our Lady of Perpetual Help School - In 2018 it was establishing a program for students with moderate disabilities.[11]

St. Bernard Parish

Chalmette

  • Our Lady Of Prompt Succor School

St. Charles Parish

Destrehan

St. John the Baptist Parish

Laplace

  • Ascension of Our Lord School
  • St. Joan of Arc School

Reserve

  • St. Peter School

St. Tammany Parish

Covington

  • St. Peter Catholic School

Mandeville

  • Mary Queen of Peace School
  • Our Lady of the Lake School

Slidell

Washington Parish

Bogalusa

  • Annunciation School

Others

  • St. Michael's Special School - school for special populations

Head Start Programs [12]

  • St. Mary of the Angels (Algiers)
  • St. John the Baptist (Lower Garden District)
  • St. Paul the Apostle (NO East)
  • Incarnate Word (Uptown)
  • Hope Haven Special School (Marrero)

Former Schools

In 1962 there were 153 Catholic schools.[13] In 2000 the system had 52,500 students,[14] in 106 schools.[15] The number of schools was the same in 2003.[16]

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 affected enrollment, with the system losing about 500 students annually, until the 2013, when there were 38,000 students, a 28% decline from the figure in 2000.[14] The enrollment decline from 2003 to 2013 was 25%.[16] The number of schools had declined to 84 in 2013. [15]In the period 2003-2013 22 schools had closed.[16]

In 2012 the archdiocese announced that it would consider closing grade schools with enrollments under 200 and identified 15 schools that it may close, although it did not, at the time, state which ones they were.[17] In 2014 the archdiocese chose to close three schools effective 2015. 50 employees and 507 students were affected. As of 2014 the archdiocese initiates a discussion on whether to close a Catholic grade school if the number of its students falls below 200.[15]

Former High Schools

  • Archbishop Blenk High School - merged in 2007 into The Academy of Our Lady
  • Immaculata High School - merged in 2007 into The Academy of Our Lady

Former Grammar Schools

  • Our Lady of Divine Providence School (Metairie) - Grades PK-7 - Its enrollment from 2013-2014 to 2014-2015 decreased by 20%.[18] Circa 2014 it had 211 students. In 2019 it had 167 students.[19] It closed in 2019, replaced by St. Thérèse Academy for Exceptional Learners, which occupies the former Our Lady of Divine Providence.[8]
  • St. Agnes School (Jefferson) - It was created in 1941,[20] and closed in 2015.[14] From the 2013-2014 school year to the 2014-2015 school year enrollment declined by 27%, the most severe of any Catholic school in the parish.[18] In 2014 it had 161 students,[14] and then in 2015 it had 125 students. Principal Michael Buras stated that the school community gained an acceptance that the school will close.[21] The school accepted school vouchers.[15] As of 2020 Jefferson Chamber Foundation Academy (JCFA) maintains a charter school for non-traditional students in the building.[20]
  • St. Jerome School (Kenner, LA) - closed in 1971
  • St. Lawrence the Martyr (Metairie, LA) - closed at the end of the 1999 school year [22]
  • St. Mary Magdalene (Metairie, LA) - closed in 2022 [23]

Former High Schools

  • Academy of the Holy Angels - all-female, grades 9th-12th; closed in 1992 due to declining enrollment [24]
  • Annunciation High School - The parish high school of Annunciation Church, it opened in 1932 and closed in 1971.[25]
  • Holy Rosary School - co-ed (K-12) - Closed in 2019
  • St. John Vianney Prep - closed in 1985
  • St. Joseph's Academy - all-girls, grades 9th thru 12th; merged with Sacred Heart in 1975 to form Seton Academy [26]; the school's former location was used for Redeemer-Seton and then eventually Holy Cross High School
  • Mercy Academy - grades 9-12, closed in 1992 [27]
  • Redeemer-Seton High School - co-ed (9-12) - closed in 2006 due to Hurricane Katrina; was the 2nd most damaged high school in the city, after Alfred Lawless High School; the former buildings were demolished and Holy Cross, who's original campus was also destroyed from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, relocated to rebuild on the now empty lot.[28]
  • Redemptorist High School) - all male, grades 9-12; merged with Seton Academy for form Redeemer-Seton in 1994
  • Sacred Heart - (all-female, grades 9-12) - closed in 1975; opened the next year as Seton Academy
  • Seton Academy (all-female, grades 9-12) - opened in 1976 at the former site of Sacred Heart; closed in 1994 to merge with Redemptorist High School
  • St. James Major High School (the all-girls school) officially closed its doors in 1994.
  • Xavier University Preparatory School - all-female (8th-12th) - closed in 2013, but was able to re-open as St. Katherine Drexel Prep due to strong alumni funding

Former Middle Schools

  • Marian Central School (Gentilly) - all boys, grades 6-8, closed due to Hurricane Katrina
  • Bishop Perry School (NO East) - all boys, grades 6-8, opened in 1993, closed in 2006 due to Hurricane Katrina

Former Grammar Schools

  • Immaculate Heart of Mary School
  • Annunciation Elementary School - Opened in 1894.[25]
  • Cathedral Academy, originally St. Louis Cathedral School - In the French Quarter[29] It opened in 1914,[30] and had a building separate from that of its parish.[31] In 2012 the archdiocese decided to close the school. It had 156 students in 2012, and the archdiocese's criterion for optimal enrollment in a K-7 was 200. St. Stephen offered places to St. Louis Cathedral students.[32] Cathedral Academy parents stated opposition against the closure.[30]
  • Holy Ghost School (Uptown) - It was a part of the Katharine Drexel Parish,[14] and accepted school vouchers.[15] It closed in 2015; it had 166 students that year.[14]
  • Our Lady of Lourdes School
  • Our Lady of the Rosary School - The building has a capacity of 500. It housed the Morris Jeff Community School, and after that one moved out in 2015, Bricolage Academy of New Orleans.[33] Bricolage moved down Esplanade Avenue to the former John McDonogh High School campus in the fall of 2018. New Harmony High School is now housed in the former Our Lady of the Rosary school buildings.
  • St. Francis of Assisi School - The building was later leased by the charter school Milestone SABIS Academy. In November 2011 St. Francis of Assisi Church agreed to lease its school building to another charter school, Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans.[34] The Milestone SABIS school leadership learned of the change through the media.[35]
  • St. Anthony of Padua School - merging with Christian Brothers in the 2016-2017 school year
  • St. Cecilia School - now a DePaul Community Health Center
  • St. Peter Claver School - It was in Tremé. It was established in 1921, and closed in 2019. In its final year it had 147 students, while the archdiocese's expected enrollment was 200. At the time its budget shortfall was $83,000. Its tuition usually ranged from $5,400 to $5,900 during the 2017-2018 school year.[16]
  • St. Matthias School - Opened in 1921 closed in 1979. The school building was affected by Hurricane Katrina.[36]
  • St. Monica School - Master P attended this school. In 1999 it had 125 students. That year the archdiocese leadership stated that it was considering closing the school and merging it into Our Lady of Lourdes. Master P sent $250,000 to the school so it could remain in operation.[37] Hurricane Katrina damaged the school and its affiliated church in 2005; by 2011 the archdiocese sold the property for the buildings to be razed.[38]
  • St. Paul the Apostle School
  • St. Philip the Apostle School[36]
  • St. Raphael - merged with St. James Major to form St. Joseph Central School [39]
  • St. Raymond School
  • St. Rose of Lima School - In 1962 the school desegregated, which resulted in anti-integration protests. In 1978 the congregation ended the school.[36]
  • St. Simon Peter School
  • St. James Major Elementary School - merged with St. Raphael at the beginning of the 1999-2000 school year; officially closed as a standalone parish school in 2005 due to the catastrophic flooding and damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.
  • Our Lady of Good Harbor School (Buras) - grades PK-8; It was the first school that the archdiocese ordered desegregated circa the 1960s. As a result, area white families boycotted the school. In August 1963 a vandal bombed the school. Hurricane Camille in 1969 damaged the school.[36]
  • Our Lady of Grace School (Reserve) - Closed in 2015; it had 171 students remaining, with about 51 having taken advantage of a Louisiana school voucher regime. There were two graduating classes in 2015.[14]

References

  1. 1."Christian Brothers, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic schools to merge". The Times Picayune. August 12, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  2. 2.Tan, Sarah (January 24, 2014). "37 Catholic schools must add or drop grades, or lose their Catholic identity". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  3. 3.Loyola University New Orleans
  4. 4.Notre Dame Seminary
  5. 5."Our Lady of Holy Cross College". Archived from the original on August 23, 2002. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
  6. 6.Xavier University of Louisiana
  7. 7.Saint Joseph Seminary College
  8. 8.[8.2]Williams, Jessica (January 16, 2019). "Divine Providence, Holy Rosary schools to close; new campus for special-needs students to open". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  9. 9.https://www.wdsu.com/article/8th-grade-moving-into-new-orleans-catholic-high-schools/2838323
  10. 10.Owned by Christian Brothers of the New Orleans-Santa Fe Province "Frequently Asked Questions" Archived January 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Christian Brothers School. September 23, 2009.
  11. 11."As New Orleans Catholic schools expand special-needs programs, a closer look at push for inclusion". The Times Picayune. December 26, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  12. 12.https://www.ccano.org/head-start-program/
  13. 13.Nolan, Bruce (November 15, 2010). "New Orleans area Catholic schools integrated 2 years after the city's public schools". The Times Picayune. Archived from the original on November 16, 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  14. 14.[14.2][14.3][14.4][14.5][14.6][14.7]"Closing of 3 New Orleans-area schools to displace hundreds of students in 2015". The Times Picayune. October 27, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  15. 15.[15.2][15.3][15.4][15.5]Williams, Jessica (October 24, 2014). "Much discussion around New Orleans-area Catholic school closures, but some parents say not with them". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  16. 16.[16.2][16.3][16.4]Broach, Drew (January 10, 2019). "St. Peter Claver School in Treme closing; more Catholic school changes coming in New Orleans area". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  17. 17.Nolan, Bruce (April 30, 2012). "15 Catholic elementary schools are struggling to survive". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  18. 18.[18.2]Williams, Jessica (April 2, 2015). "Private school enrollment down 4% in Jefferson Parish". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  19. 19.LaRose, Greg (January 17, 2019). "Two Catholic schools in Metairie, New Orleans to close; new one to emerge with new mission". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  20. 20.[20.2]"School". Jefferson, Louisiana: St. Agnes Church. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  21. 21.Williams, Jessica (May 14, 2015). "St. Agnes School at peace with closure, principal tells newspaper". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  22. 22.https://www.thecatholicnewsarchive.org/?a=d&d=cher19990204-01.2.19&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------
  23. 23.https://stmarymagdalenchurch.com/about-us
  24. 24.https://clarionherald.org/news/175-years-legacy-of-the-holy-cross
  25. 25.[25.2]Daffin, Melinda (March 10, 2017). "10 more closed Catholic churches of New Orleans: Vintage photos". The Times Picayune.
  26. 26.https://www.nola.com/news/education/6-more-closed-high-schools-of-new-orleans-vintage-photos/article_95845686-e39b-5c35-8c3b-df37a6738e61.html
  27. 27.https://clarionherald.org/news/mercy-legacy-lives-on-after-academy-torn-down
  28. 28.https://www.nola.com/news/education/holy-cross-school-community-feels-move-to-gentilly-saved-institution/article_0ab1cae3-171f-5f69-844e-26850b5e140f.html
  29. 29."Home". Cathedral Academy. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  30. 30.[30.2]Tan, Sarah (December 6, 2012). "Archdiocese of New Orleans to close Cathedral Academy". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  31. 31.Harden, Kari Dequine (December 10, 2012). "School's shuttering saddens parents". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 29, 2020. [...]and is in the French Quarter just a few blocks from its affiliated church, St. Louis Cathedral.
  32. 32.Tan, Sarah (December 6, 2012). "Archdiocese of New Orleans to close Cathedral Academy". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  33. 33.Morris, Robert (January 29, 2015). "Bricolage Academy to move into Our Lady of the Rosary campus on Esplanade". Mid-City Messenger. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  34. 34.Morris, Robert (November 21, 2011). "Lycée Français announces St. Francis of Assisi school at State and Patton as new campus". Uptown Messenger. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  35. 35.Vanacore, Andrew (November 23, 2011). "Charter school mystified after St. Francis of Assisi leases building out from under it". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  36. 36.[36.2][36.3][36.4]Daffin, Melinda (March 7, 2017). "24 closed Catholic churches of New Orleans: vintage photos from The Times-Picayune". The Times Picayune. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  37. 37."Master P Donates $500,000 To Keep His Old School Open". MTV. March 25, 1999. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  38. 38."Updates on archdiocesan plans, proposals". The Clarion Herald. July 22, 2011. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  39. 39.https://www.thecatholicnewsarchive.org/?a=d&d=cher19990204-01.2.19&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------