Our History
Originally established and staffed in 1949 by two Benedictine sisters, Our Lady of Fatima School has continued to serve the Catholic needs of the faith community of Our Lady of Fatima Parish for sixty years.

The present school building was opened in September 1955. At that time, eight teaching sisters served 450 students. The first and second grades held a total of 180 students. In June 1957, twenty-six students graduated to the newly established Our Lady of Fatima High School. Parish funds, however, were unable to maintain the high school, and it closed two years later, in 1959.

By 1961, with the first grade population numbering over 100 students, it was decided to establish a second first grade classroom. The Benedictines were unable to furnish the school with an additional religious, thus putting the parish in the position of hiring its first lay faculty member. By 1964 the school had grown considerably, creating double classes in many grades. Plans were made to put a second floor addition onto the existing school building. In the meantime, little red schoolhouses appeared on the property to handle the overflow of children. The new addition was completed in December 1966.

Over the next few years, fewer religious were assigned to the school, and the number of lay teachers increased. This factor, together with declining enrollment reflective of the economic times, led in 1971 to a study to determine whether or not to keep the school open. The financial status of the school was at its all time low. Parental support, along with a carefully prepared school budget, enabled the parish to reach the decision in September 1971 to continue to maintain the school.

By 1973, only five Benedictine Sisters remained to staff the school, along with thirteen lay faculty. A decision was made by the Benedictine Order in 1976 to remove the religious sisters and their support from the school. In September 1976, Our Lady of Fatima School opened its doors with a completely lay staff, the first in the diocese. The tuition for the 1976-77 school year also increased.

September 1977 saw the opening of two half-day sessions of kindergarten with a total of fifty students. This addition to the school program helped to maintain the total school population of 617. A full-day session of kindergarten was added in 1984, with an addition of twenty-five students.

A marked increase in tuition for the 1983-1984 school year caused a decline in the school population. The lessening fears of desegregation, along with the parental need to save for the rising costs of private Catholic high school, were additional factors in this decline. The school population continued to decline during the 1984-1985 school year. A number of reasons, including increases in tuition, poor community relations, a lack of religious identification, combined with an unstable faculty and change in administration, contributed to this decline. A Latchkey Program, begun in September 1985, helped to rebuild the school population, especially in the lower grades. In response to parish needs, a Preschool Program for four-year olds was begun in September 1990. In September 1992, the kindergarten program was revamped to include two full-day and one half-day sessions. The Preschool Program proved to be a legitimate parish need, and in September 1993 a second session was added.

Opportunities during the 1995-1996 school year allowed for the inclusion of a volunteer part-time foreign-language teacher for grades seven and eight. A reading-resource teacher was hired to help students with learning disabilities.

During the 1996-1997 school year, the foreign-language teacher expanded her time to include the 6th grade. The reading-resource teacher continues to develop her role in the school in looking at ways to best utilize her talents. The role of the computer-education teacher has expanded to a full-time position that includes instruction in grades 1 through 8。