About St. Joseph Catholic School
Our Mission
The mission of St. Joseph Catholic School in Athens, GA is to assist each student to encounter Christ through the pursuit of academic excellence, social consciousness, emotional growth, religious formation, and physical development- all within a caring community.
The History of St. Joseph Catholic School 1949-2006
The history of St. Joseph Catholic School is a living testament to the dedicated men and women who shared the vision of Catholic education in Athens, Georgia. Bishop Gross of Savannah purchased the site of St. Joseph Church on the corner of Prince and Pulaski streets in 1873. At that time, there were only ten Catholic families living in Athens.
In 1910, after years of service from traveling priests, St. Joseph Church got its first resident priest, and with him came visions of a future that includes us all. Father Harry Clark came to Athens with enthusiasm and foresight. In 1913, a large church building and rectory were completed. This would house a school one day. The dream of Catholic education in Athens was on its way to becoming a reality. In 1944, 28 years after the construction of the first rectory, parishioners voiced interest in establishing a Catholic school.
In the fall of 1949, under the careful direction of Father Walter J. Donovan, St. Joseph Church began their school with 35 students in grades 1 through 6 on the bottom floor of the rectory. The people of St. Joseph Parish worked together to enlarge the basement of the rectory/school building in order to provide space for a cafeteria and meeting room for parishioners. The faculty consisted of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus whose community so lovingly ran St. Mary's Hospital. The first principal was Sister Maria. The dream of Catholic education continued throughout the 1950s as the Athens community grew along with the number of families joining St. Joseph Church. Five years after the first academic year the student population had increased fourfold from 35 to 170. In 1953, Father Donovan received permission to expand the current school to include grade seven.
The Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart withdrew from St. Joseph School in 1968. The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, took over the administration of St. Joseph Catholic School.
Three hundred students celebrated the twentieth anniversary of St. Joseph Catholic School with renewed dedication to Catholic education and a need for a larger facility. Having secured permission from the Archdiocese to build a new school, Father Calhoun appointed a special building committee. In 1984, four hundred students were welcomed into the new building.
Again, in 2000, the school saw the need for additional facilities; in 2001, modular buildings were purchased to house the middle school - grades 6-8. The new facility added six additional classrooms to the school along with more office space.
Two important milestones in the history of St. Joseph Catholic School were celebrated in the 1999-2000 school year:
St. Joseph Catholic School celebrated fifty years of providing excellence in education and religious instruction to the Athens community.
Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of providing educational leadership at St. Joseph Catholic School.
The dream of Catholic education in Athens continues to be fulfilled by the hard work, determination, and dedication of the fine men and women of St. Joseph Parish and the Athens community. Ninety-five years have passed since Father Clark first dreamed of a Catholic school in Athens. St. Joseph Catholic School is a testament to his vision.
The administration of the school changed as of July 1, 2005, as the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary withdrew due to the diminishing numbers of teaching Sisters. The new administration assumed responsibility in July of 2005.
In 2004, under the direction of Father David McGuinness, the Saint Joseph Community was asked to begin serious study of how to accomodate growth. As a result, many people gathered and analyzed information on all areas of need. It was decided to explore the feasibility of acquiring new property that could eventually house all our current needs and provide for future growth. In the Fall of 2006, St. Joseph Parish began Phase I of its Capital Campaign to raise money for future facilities. In February of 2007, the Archdiocese of Atlanta and St. Joseph Parish purchased thirty acres on Epps Bridge Parkway on the Clarke/Oconee line. Phase I of the Campaign will be for the construction of athletic fields and a multi-purpose building on the property. A master plan for the site also includes a school, church, parish center and rectory.
School Facts
Saint Joseph Catholic School is part of the Educational Mission of Saint Joseph Catholic Parish and the Archdiocese of Atlanta. As such, the tenets of the Catholic faith are incorporated into the religious instruction and practices.
Maximum enrollment is 400 and the maximum class size is 24. School hours are 8:00-3:00, except Wed. at 2:00. We provide an Extended Day Program for children of working parents until 6:00 p.m. each school day.
The student body is comprised of 80% Catholic and 20% non-Catholic. Non-Catholic dominations represented: AME, Anglican, Anglican Catholic, Baptist, Buddhist, Christian, Episcopalian, Hindu, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Southern Baptist.
All students are brought to school by car and required to wear daily uniforms. Additionally, parental involvement is of paramount importance in the Saint Joseph community. Parents serve as members of the Home and School Association , School Advisory Board, Development Committee, and chair various committees for fund-raising.