In September 1881, with the arrival of five Sisters of Charity B.V.M. the first Catholic school in Sioux City, St. Mary's, was opened. By 1889, the need for a larger facility was evident. The cornerstone for Cathedral school, located at 10th and Pearl Streets, was laid in 1889. This facility met the needs of the young women of Siouxland from 1890 until the opening of the long anticipated new coed high school, Heelan High School in 1949.
Trinity High School, founded in 1908, served as a junior college, pre-seminary and high school for young men until the opening of Heelan. The Catholic schools of Sioux City first unified in fundraising efforts in the 1958 capital campaign to construct new elementary sites and the CYO Center at Heelan..
These deep roots in Sioux City are the foundation for today's Catholic Schools of Sioux City. In an effort to ensure the best possible education for all students in our community, the eight individually operated parish schools joined with Heelan High School in 1998 to form Catholic Schools of Sioux City.
Today each campus remains unique in their efforts to share the Gospel values of faith, knowledge, values and service. These campuses also realize the full potential of a unified system of long-range strategic planning, fiscal accountability and constant curriculum development. Placing the best possible learning tools and educators in each classroom for every student continues to be the driving force and the mission of the Catholic Schools of Sioux City.
For more information on the history of our individual campuses, please click here.
