Sacred Heart Parish - Sacramento, CA

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At a Glance

856 - 39th Street Sacramento, CA 95816
Voice:	(916) 456-1576
Fax:	(916) 456-4773
Grades:	K - 8
Principal:	Theresa Sparks
Pastor:	Reverend Robert Walton
Office:	8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

SHP School > About SHPS > School History

School History

In the spring of 1934, plans for a parish school were discussed and agreed upon at Sacred Heart Parish. That summer, the Parish Hall was divided into three rooms using folding partitions. In September, the school opened its doors to 68 students in grades 1 through 4. The Sisters of Mercy of Auburn provided the fledgling school with two teachers: Sister Mary Vincent, who taught 1st and 2nd grades, and Sister Mary Mercy, who taught 3rd and 4th and also served as principal.

By 1945, the school had outgrown the Parish Hall and moved to its present location at 3933 I Street. The cornerstone outside the school office is inscribed "1945", because the class of 1945-6 was the first to occupy the new school.

The baby boom of the 1940s caused a dramatic increase in student enrollment. In 1955, enrollment numbered 502, the greatest number in its history. Over the next 30 years, enrollment leveled off to about 300.

More than 18 principals, 65 Sisters of Mercy, and 50 lay teachers have served at Sacred Heart.

With more than 2,000 graduates of Sacred Heart, the Alumni Association was formed in 1983. In 1984, the Sacred Heart School Foundation was established to provide a perpetual fund to underwrite the ever-increasing costs of a Catholic school education. That year, Sacred Heart also celebrated its 50th Jubilee.

Within the last 12 years, Sacred Heart has added an Extended Day Student Program for before and after-school care, computer instruction, music, drama and Japanese, and student counseling. In 1998 Sacred Heart constructed a science lab and multipurpose room.