Our History

Celebrating 77 years of educational excellence inspired by the Catholic faith.

Through the untiring efforts of Father Georges Mathieu, the cornerstone of St. Francis School was laid on June 20, 1948. Delays in the building plans prevented the scheduled opening of the school in September 1948. Benedictine Sisters from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, who for several summers had given religious instruction, were engaged to staff the school. On January 31, 1949, Sister Ellen Stevens (principal and grades 6, 7 & 8), Sister Attraeta Casey (grades 3, 4 & 5), and Sister Heroldine Malinowski (grades 1 & 2) opened the school. Despite some concern on the part of parents about the wisdom of changing their child’s school in the middle of the year, nearly all of the pupils of the Parish were enrolled with 114 present on the first day.

Since Ellsworth has a rather stable population, student enrollment remained fairly steady during the first 25 years, averaging between 120 and 170 with a peak enrollment of 183 in 1959. Crowded conditions in 1964 and 1965 necessitated the closing of first grade. The expensive equipment needed in junior high school for science and sports programs caused the administration to discontinue the seventh and eighth grade classes and re-introduce the first grade. The seventh and eighth graders went to the Ellsworth Junior High School daily for science classes for one year prior to moving over. This release agreement was made in order that the students of St. Francis would fit into their science program when the change was made.

Prior to 1970, there were two grades in each of the four classrooms on the main floor of the original building. The two small rooms at the ends of the main floor held the school office and library. The lunchroom was located in the basement and provided a government hot lunch program. When additional classrooms were added in the basement, each of the classrooms held one class. In 1970 the lunchroom was partitioned off and created another classroom and library section. The lunchroom moved into the newly built St. Francis Parish Hall upon its completion in 1978.  

Rising enrollment and long-time cramped conditions led to the need for another addition in 2002. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 14, 2002, to launch a St. Francis School expansion project. The addition, which was built on the east side of the Parish Hall, provided four new classrooms, additional restrooms, and storage space.