Established 1916
Saint Cecilia School opened on September 11, 1916, with 200 students in grades one through eight, just seven years after the adjacent parish had been established by Bishop Thomas Conaty. The school was led and staffed by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, who continued to have an active presence in the school until 1998.
Unfortunately, the original three-story brick building was condemned in the 1950’s because it did not meet newer earthquake standards. The current school structure was opened in 1959. Ten years later, Holy Cross Middle School opened, and the seventh and eighth grade classes from Saint Cecilia School and several other neighboring Catholic schools were incorporated into their student body. Saint Cecilia School added a kindergarten class in 1975.
In 1998, Holy Cross Middle School closed and a seventh grade was added to Saint Cecilia School and an eighth grade in 1999.