Sacred Heart Catholic School celebrates 100th anniversary

     Sacred Heart Catholic School in Monticello is celebrating and honoring the school’s 100^th anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 19, during their annual Holiday Gala.

   Festivities actually begin Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. with an informal meet and greet at the Monticello Golf Club. Then, on Nov. 19 there will be an open house at the school from 3 to 3:45 p.m. Mass will begin ay 4 p.m. at the church.

   The Gala begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Berndes Center.

   Sacred Heart School opened its doors on Sept. 4, 1922. They had an enrollment of 108 students.

   Until this point, children of the Sacred Heart Church attended rural country schools or the public school.

   In the beginning, four Sisters of Charity of Mount Carmel in Dubuque made up the teaching staff for grades 1-12. In 1924, a complete high school curriculum was introduced. The school received its state accreditation in 1925. (It wasn’t until 1935 when a kindergarten class was added.)

   The first class to graduate from Sacred Heart was in 1926; there were seven graduates.

   The two-story school building was intended to include seven classrooms, an office for the principal, and a full-sized chapel and gym. During the summer of 1948, the school underwent extensive remodeling, providing for three extra classrooms. As enrollment grew, the chapel within the school could no longer hold all of the students and members of the parish who wanted to attend Mass. So services were moved to the church.

   In the 1950s, property near the church was purchased, allowing for a new school to be built in 1959.

   Similar to the staff and teacher shortages schools are facing today, Sacred Heart experienced the same in the early 1960s. According to the Monticello sesquicentennial book, “a shortage of teachers and difficulties with finances,” the high school grades at Sacred Heart were discontinued.

   The final graduating class at Sacred Heart in 1969 was comprised of 31 students, “the largest in the history of the school,” noted a Feb. 13, 1969 Express article.

   In the fall of 1969, 111 students enrolled at Monticello High School.

   Monticello Superintendent Boyd Shannon wrote a friendly welcome to the student of Sacred Heart in the Express.

   “I expend a warm welcome… We pledge our sincere cooperation in making this transition as smooth as possible and well extend ourselves in every way to make you feel at home.”

   The following week, Rev. J. Joseph Kirk of Scared Heart responded to Shannon’s letter in the Express: “Relations between our schools have been most cordial and cooperative, in the best spirit of our community.”

   In 1970, students in seventh and eighth grades were also transferred to the public school.

   Today, Sacred Heart School maintains a before- and after-school program, preschool, preK, and grades K-6.

   The hot lunch/food program is still in operation today, having started in 1953. Lunch is served in the basement of the church, Newman Hall.

   Another strong tradition of the school is the use of teachers associates (or aides). Associates were hired during the 1960-61 school year and remain a part of the school’s staff today.

   Sacred Heart School was also known for its winning girls and boys basketball teams. Girls basketball was introduced during the 1933-34 school year. In 1942, Robert Mullen became coach of the girls’ team, a role he held for 27 years. The girls went to State twice: 1946 and 1954.

   Mullen also coached the boys’ team for 17 years. A boys’ team started in 1925.

   The final Sacred Heart girls’ game was held on Feb. 12, 1969. The ended the season undefeated, a first in the school’s history.

   When Sacred Heart high schoolers transferred to the public school, Mullen continued to coach the girls basketball team there as well.

   Throughout the early years of the school, Donald Burrichter wrote a weekly column in the Monticello Express known as “Sacred Heart School Notes.” He shared yearly enrollment, which was 157 at the start of the 1928-29 school year. Also that year, there were 29 new students.

   In the summer of 1929, the first Sacred Heart High School alumni banquet was held. According to the June 13, 1929 Express, 30 former students were present. President of the alumni that first year was Virginia Schneider.

   The Sacred Heart Alumni Association held annual banquet in May 1969. They honored the Class of 1969, the school’s 40^th and last graduating class.

   The final graduation ceremony took place on May 30, 1969. The high school closed its doors on June 5.

   The old Sacred Heart Catholic School was demolished in the fall of 1987.