This year, St. Francis School is celebrating 75 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. 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. Nearly all of the pupils of the Parish were enrolled in the school with 114 present on the first day. Since then, over 1,500 students have walked the halls of our school. We are proud of our rich history in Ellsworth and the network of alumni who have gone out into the world to share their gifts, guided by the values of their faith that were instilled in them at St. Francis School.  

We invite you to join us on April 22, 2023 to celebrate St. Francis School’s 75th anniversary during our “School of Rock” Gala! The School of Rock will be in session in the St. Francis Parish Hall and "we shall teach rock...to the world" with dueling pianos featuring Piano Men Trey Grimm and Dan Satterburg. Doors will open at 5 pm for an evening of live music, dining, raffles and games, silent and live auctions, and a moving pledge. We encourage you dress the theme in distressed denim, leather jackets, and rock t-shirts. 

Schedule
5:00pm: Hors d'oeuvres Available
Raffles & Games Begin
6:00pm - 7:00pm: Buffet Catered by Ready Randy's & Dessert Bar 
7:00pm: Silent Auction Ends
Raffles & Game Winners Announced
7:30pm: Program, Live Auction & Pledge Drive
8:30pm: Dueling Pianos featuring Piano Men, Trey Grimm  & Dan Satterburg

Proceeds raised at the Gala will be used to help sustain the viability of our school. The cost to educate each student is $11,000 and the average family pays $3,500 in tuition per child. The difference is funded through generous donations from the Parish and supporters like YOU! This year our goal is to raise $100,000 for essential school updates, including continued upgrades to the HVAC in the original school building ($35,000), replacing the desks and furniture in all classrooms ($35,000), purchasing new religion, handwriting, science and math textbooks for grades K-5 ($16,000), and establishing a fund for marketing costs ($10,000).

Because of your generosity during our 2022 Ein Prosit Oktoberfest Gala, St. Francis School was able to make significant upgrades. The entire parking lot was repaired and resealed. Commercial vinyl flooring was installed in the basement of the original school building, including in the music room/library, STEM/computer lab, and in the commons area. Initial improvements to the HVAC in the original building began, but due to the extent of the improvements needed and rising costs we will continue to fundraise for these. Finally, updated curriculum and engineering kits were purchased for the new STEM lab. Students are enjoying STEM Fridays this year thanks to these new resources! Thank you for making these improvements possible!

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​St. Francis School is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization striving to create a strong child-centered, academic environment which prepares young people for a successful future built upon Catholic Christian virtues.