History of St. Patrick School
St. Patrick School, under the pastorship of
Monsignor Paul Simko, opened its doors to 338 pupils on
September 7, 1954. The school began with grades one through
four and was staffed by eight School Sisters of St. Francis
from Mount Assisi Covenant, Bellevue, PA. The school
building, located on the corner of Hutchinson and Murdock
Streets, was also the temporary church for the expanding
parish, which had outgrown its smaller site on Greenside
Avenue.
As enrollment continued to increase in the 1960's, religious
and lay teachers were added to the faculty, including a
physical education teacher and a librarian. As tuition costs
rose in the 1970's, enrollment declined, but with the
addition of a kindergarten in 1976 and a preschool program
in 1977, enrollment improved. The following chart details
enrollment statistics from 1954 - 2006.
St. Patrick School Enrollment
1954 - Present
|
Year |
Grade |
Enrollment |
Year |
Grade |
Enrollment |
Year |
Grade |
Enrollment |
|
1954 |
1-4 |
338 |
1972 |
1-8 |
421 |
1990 |
Pre-8 |
198 |
|
1955 |
1-5 |
596 |
1973 |
1-8 |
378 |
1991 |
Pre-8 |
200 |
|
1956 |
1-6 |
596 |
1974 |
1-8 |
325 |
1992 |
Pre-8 |
210 |
|
1957 |
1-7 |
705 |
1975 |
1-8 |
320 |
1993 |
Pre-8 |
217 |
|
1958 |
1-8 |
812 |
1976 |
K-8 |
354 |
1994 |
Pre-8 |
205 |
|
1959 |
1-8 |
812 |
1977 |
Pre-8 |
409 |
1995 |
Pre-8 |
177 |
|
1960 |
1-8 |
814 |
1978 |
Pre-8 |
402 |
1996 |
Pre-8 |
177 |
|
1961 |
1-8 |
819 |
1979 |
Pre-8 |
409 |
1997 |
Pre-8 |
214 |
|
1962 |
1-8 |
776 |
1980 |
Pre-8 |
330 |
1998 |
Pre-8 |
198 |
|
1963 |
1-8 |
772 |
1981 |
Pre-8 |
302 |
1999 |
Pre-8 |
217 |
|
1964 |
1-8 |
754 |
1982 |
Pre-8 |
262 |
2000 |
Pre-8 |
215 |
|
1965 |
1-8 |
719 |
1983 |
1-8 |
87 |
2001 |
Pre-8 |
212 |
|
1966 |
1-8 |
680 |
1984 |
1-6 |
66 |
2002 |
Pre-8 |
214 |
|
1967 |
1-8 |
680 |
1985 |
K-7 |
122 |
2003 |
Pre-8 |
210 |
|
1968 |
1-8 |
620 |
1986 |
K-8 |
142 |
2004 |
Pre-8 |
181 |
|
1969 |
1-8 |
573 |
1987 |
Pre-8 |
165 |
2005 |
Pre-8 |
192 |
|
1970 |
1-8 |
499 |
1988 |
Pre-8 |
177 |
2006 |
Pre-8 |
215 |
|
1971 |
1-8 |
471 |
1989 |
Pre-8 |
175 |
2007 |
pre-8 |
183 |
In the early 1980's, residents of Canonsburg living near the
former Vitro Chemical Company plant in Strabane, discovered radioactive
materials from uranium were possibly contaminating the area. Since the school
building was near the plant site, as a precaution, the Diocese of Pittsburgh and
the Sisters of St. Francis, along with the pastor, decided to relocate the
school to Upper St. Clair while the government conducted studies and cleanup of
the radioactive site.
Due to concerns about the school's future, enrollment dropped to sixty-six
students. Happily, the school reopened in Canonsburg in 1985, families returned
and enrollment climbed back up to over two hundred students.
St. Patrick School is now under the leadership of Principal, Stanley Mozina and
is completely staffed by lay teachers. The Parish recognizes its indebtedness to
the Sisters of St. Francis who served with great dedication in both the CCD
program and in our school from 1952 until 1994.
St. Patrick School also recognizes its former Principals who saw their position
as a ministry to the faith community of Canonsburg. The following chart lists
the individuals who have served as Principal.
Principals of St. Patrick School
1954 - Present
|
Principal |
Dates of Service |
|
Sister Ladeslaus |
1954 - 1960 |
|
Sister Rosemary |
1960 - 1962 |
|
Sister Eynard |
1962 - 1967 |
|
Sister Grace |
1967 - 1973 |
|
Sister Mary David |
1973 - 1978 |
|
Sister Elaine Hromulak |
1978 - 1983 |
|
Sister Marian Sgriccia |
1983 - 1990 |
|
Mrs. Jennifer Duval |
November, 1990 - August, 1991 |
|
Sister Bernaette Giba |
1991 - 1992 |
|
Sister Kevin Berdis |
1992 - 1994 |
|
Mrs. Jennifer Brunner |
1994 - 1998 |
|
Mr. Stanley Mozina |
1998 - Present |
|
