A Brief History of St. Francis School
St. Francis School opened its doors in 1893. It was located on the land now covered by the church parking lot. The sisters of St. Joseph were placed in charge of the school. During its first decade, the school proved viable and was ready for larger facilities.

A new school made of Clearfield brick and housing five classrooms, an auditorium, and a kitchen was built at a cost of $20,000. The weekly newspaper, The Clearfield Republican, described it as one of the most modern and comfortable school building in the county. Classes began in the new building on November 34, 1904.

In 1908, Sister Marie Francis became the school’s second principal. During her twenty- five years as principal, the school matured both academically and athletically. Full academic and commercial courses were developed and in 1919 the high school was certified by the Department of Public Instruction.

By the late 1920s, St. Francis School was ready to expand once again. More classrooms were needed, so the auditorium was sacrificed.

In 1957, a complete overhaul of the building was begun. Five new classrooms, a new library, a new kitchen, two offices, a health suite, a gymnasium/auditorium, and the familiar façade the school has today were all constructed. The necessity of the expansion was highlighted by the 1963 enrollment figures which had been the highest in St. Francis history 358 grade school students and 141 students in the high school.

In 1974, many operational and structural changes began. A school uniform was introduced, a kindergarten program was started in 1976, and as an economic necessity, St. Francis began charging a tuition fee. Structurally, the school began another major construction project. A wing on the south side of the school housed a new library and a new cafeteria.

Many changes have taken place since that day in 1893 when three sisters opened the doors to St. Francis School. There is on longer a high school, but the school houses grades pre-school through grade eight. The faculty has increased to eleven classrooms teachers plus a music, art, library, religion, and physical education teacher. With all the of the changes in faculty, facilities, and curriculum at St. Francis over the years, the factor that makes St. Francis school special has not changed since 1893. Christian Doctrine and ethics still hold a central position here.