Mission & History

St. Michael Catholic School supports parents in the education of the whole child by instilling Catholic teachings, nourishing faith in Jesus Christ, and strengthening individual commitment to holiness and academic excellence.

Living for Christ: Believing that Christ is the heart of our educational enterprise, we begin each week by gathering together to worship God, welcome one another and celebrate our community.  We celebrate a weekly all-school Mass together where students play an active role in planning and carrying out various roles in the Mass . This spiritual foundation sets the stage for greater learning and helps our students grow spiritually, intellectually, and morally both individually and communally.

Learning for Life: Fully accredited by the Minnesota Non-Public Schools Accrediting Association (MNSAA), our school offers a curriculum that emphasizes formation in faith, rigorous academics, and fosters a love of learning which brings out the best in every student. 

St. Michael has an unbroken legacy of Catholic education stretching back more than 140 years. The first Catholic school was completed in the summer of 1876. It was two and-a-half stories: The first floor was classroom space, and the upper floors served as a convent for three School Sisters of Notre Dame and as boarding rooms for female students. That fall the school welcomed 15 students; during the winter, when farm work was less, enrollment jumped to 120 students. Tuition was $7.50 a month with room and board, and a dollar a month without.
  

 A second Catholic school building was constructed and used from 1899 to 1940, with the original building serving as an expanded convent. The current building was completed in 1940 and included public education spaces and community-wide facilities such as a multipurpose gymnasium/ auditorium and a bowling alley. In 1950, the school added 9th grade while plans were developed to build a Catholic high school. Construction of the new high school (now the community education building behind the historic church) was completed in fall of 1953. In 1958, the parish built a new convent next to the Catholic primary school, and in 1962, added a wing to the 1940 school to provide a cafeteria and more classroom space.

 Eighty years later, these facilities are still in use—and St. Michael Catholic School continues to provide a great education rooted in Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. The last Catholic high school class graduated in 1968 and for a number of years, the school only went through grade 6, but in the past decade it is again growing, adding grades 7 and 8 in the main building and a preschool nearby. The 1958 convent has been remodeled to serve as offices and connected to the school with a handicap-accessible, secure main entrance. St. Michael Catholic School remains one of the most important ministries of the parish today. 

A History of StMCS Video