About Us

History of St. Boniface School

St. Boniface School first opened in 1874. It soon closed, but was reopened in 1886, only to close again in 1895.

On August 11, 1919 work started on a new St. Boniface School building. The school was opened on September 19, 1919 by three Ursuline Sisters who had arrived on September 15^th. The enrollment at opening was 58 students. Due to parish debts and low enrollment the school again closed in 1928.

In 1963 efforts began to raise money for a new school building. Construction on the new building began in July 1964 and the school reopened in 1966. It has remained open since that time.

In the 50 years that St. Boniface School has been open, enrollment and money have always been an issue. In 2004, a church meeting was held to decide the fate of the school. The cost of running the school was prohibitive and the parish needed to make a decision on the viability of the school. At that time a group of concerned parents and parishioners joined to form the St. Boniface Support Group (SBSG).

The SBSG pledged to raise 1/3 of the yearly funds necessary to keep the school open. The remaining two-thirds were to come from tuition and parish support. For the fiscal year 2009 the SBSG raised over $46,000 towards keeping the school open (a short fall just shy of 50% of what is needed). Despite efforts in various fundraisers including Bingo, Fall Festival, Parish Fish Frys, Annual Fund, Bulletin Advertising among others, the SBSG was still in need of financial support. For the 2009 school year both the SBSG and the parish fell short of funding goals and the threat of closing the school became a reality.

In January, 2012 the School Advisory Council was informed that the school would close at the end of the 2012 school year. Families banded together once again and committed to raise $100,000 in six weeks. The Finance Council gave the SBSG the opportunity, and with a flurry of activity, a dedicated staff and family, the school met its goal and raised $102,000 by March 2012.

Since that time, the school has made huge strides in assuring that finances do not become an issue again. The school has right-sized itself by becoming implementing a multi-age program. The school has cut back on unnecessary spending, while not cutting back on educational integrity.

The SBSG believes strongly in the mission of St. Boniface School. It believes that parents should have a choice when educating their children, and St. Boniface School offers that choice. We believe that the parents should play an integral role in the functioning of the school from year to year and WE DO. Each child is a child of God and their parents have an obligation to raise them to become caring, responsible and productive members of their community. Parents chose St. Boniface to provide academic excellence in a faith-based environment. This is an investment made for their children’s future that no one else can take away. It is the school’s responsibility and desire to nurture each child and broaden their individual potential for all aspects of life through elementary education.

The SBSG stands firmly behind the Toledo Diocese Catholic School credo:

We believe our Catholic School is not only a school, but a community of Faith;

We believe those entrusted to us are not only students, but children of God;

We believe we are not only educators, but Ministers of the Gospel;

We believe the values we teach are not only character development, but a call to Holiness;

We believe our courses of study are not only academic pursuits, but a search for Truth;

We believe the purpose of education is not only for personal gain and the development of society, but for the Transformation of the world.