St. Francis Central Coast Catholic High School
about st. francis high | admissions | academics | student life | for parents | contact us
about
history
|
|
St. Francis Central Coast Catholic High School has roots all the way back to 1869! St. Francis' rich history on East Lake Avenue (Highway 152) began as an orphanage in the 1800's; it then became an elementary and high school for boarders, a seminary, a junior high school, and then a youth center! In 1995 a movement for a new Catholic high school in the Diocese of Monterey took off with the support of Bishop Sylvester Ryan and the Salesians of Don Bosco. The involvement of people in the area was invigorating, and donations were even received from across the state and around the country! From 1998 to 2001, funds were raised, plans made and perfected, students recruited, teachers hired, and construction begun.
In 2001, the school opened with 35 freshmen and sophomores at a temporary location in Santa Cruz. That first year was certainly challenging as students, teachers, staff members, and administrators commuted to Holy Cross Parish Hall for classes, while construction was underway on the new classrooms being built at the Watsonville site.
During the summer months the students and their families pitched in as the school moved from Santa Cruz into our new facilities. Everything was fresh, new, and not quite finished. Sod was put down just in time for our dedication services on August 25, 2002, and classes started the next day.
We began the 2002-2003 school year with 64 students from all over Santa Cruz County, and a few from farther away: Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Salinas, Aromas. Through the year we grew comfortable with our lockers and computer networks, we watched the playfields go in, and grew to love our new campus. The architecture is beautiful, stimulating, and practical. The students, teachers and staff members are very proud of St. Francis.
On January 31, 2003 (the Feast of St. John Bosco), the campaign to build a sports complex was begun. The efforts to raise six million dollars to build a gym, locker rooms, weight room, and other athletic facilities was jump-started with a two million dollar donation from the Borina Foundation. The school board's energetic involvement ensures that the campaign will be a strong community effort, and that it will be rapidly successful.
St. Francis has been many things over the years, but it always has had young people at its heart. This continues today as St. Francis Central Coast Catholic High School takes root and grows into a Catholic high school for the new century.