St. Paul Catholic School in San Pablo is a K-8 parish school founded in 1952 and serves the diverse cultural community in West Contra Costa County by assisting parents with their responsibility as the primary educators of their children.
St. Paul School is part of St. Paul Parish church. However, before the church had their parochial school, parents who were members of the Parish sent their children to local public schools. There were, however, Catechism classes available at the church every Tuesday to teach the fundamentals of the Catholic faith.
In the late 1940s, the women of the parish, the Catholic Ladies' Aid Society and later other parish groups got together and coordinated and held numerous events to raise funds to build a parochial school for their parish. The first fundraiser was a BBQ held in September 1947. There were many, many "whist" parties, picnics and other events until the money was raised (whist is a social event where people play progressive trick-taking card games of whist at multiple tables).
**Ties to Historic Pioneers of St. Paul Parish in San Pablo**
The Parish is one of the oldest in the State of California, dating back to the days of the Spanish Dons who came to this area with the Anza expedition. The future school was to be built on property originally given to the parish by former Governor Alvarado and his wife, Martina Castro de Alvarado c1863. Martina was the daughter of Francisco María Castro of Rancho San Pablo who had died in 1831. So, Martina inherited more than half of the almost 16,000-acre Rancho San Pablo when her mother Doña Gabriela Castro died in 1851. Between two to four acres were donated to Archbishop Alemany of the Diocese in preparation to build a parish and on August 24th, 1864, a church edifice was erected where Alvarado previously had a great cross placed. St. Paul’s was the oldest Roman Catholic Church and Cemetery in West Contra Costa County.
The new parish school opened for the fall semester in 1952. It consisted of first through fourth grades with a new grade to be added each year until a full eight-year elementary course was completed. It was staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame of Cleveland. This well-known teaching order gained national reputation in the field of education and were selected to bring those skills to San Pablo. At the same time a convent was being built to house the staff of nine Notre Dame sisters.
For the safety of the influx of students attending this new school, police Chief Walter Pedretti placed crossing guards at St Paul's school. The first PTA for St. Paul School was organized in November of 1952.
Authorities on construction of school buildings agreed that St. Paul's school occupied a high position in the planning, architecture, materials and subsequent educational services.
Although the Notre Dame nuns left the area in 1979, they were replaced by lay professionals who filled the administrative and faculty positions, and the school, now approaching its 73rd year is still providing educational services to children from grades 1 to 8.