ST. JOSEPH HIGH SCHOOL: Reaching New Heights

The idea of a new high school at St. Joseph School was long in the making. It’s planning stretched more than 15 years and touched the tenure of three different principals.

But it was during the pandemic in 2020 that things really began to move forward. A capital campaign committee had begun the silentask portion of the process earlier in the year, but when the pandemic struck and everyone was homebound, committee members decided to work the phone to try and raise the money for a new high school.

“Much to our surprise, pledges were coming in,” St. Joseph High School Principal Matt Tucker said.

By May, St. Joseph School — a parish school — had raised enough money to receive approval from the Diocese of Little Rock to move forward.

“It is evidence of the commitment that our families have to education in our parish,” Tucker said. “We are such a generational parish, a generational school. We have students that their parents went here, their grandparents went here, aunts and uncles went here, great-grandparents went here.

“To see that commitment that those families still have, and that they believe in the type of student we are putting out, it is reassuring,” he said.

The new, 39,000 square-foot, two-story school opened in fall 2022. In addition to the typical features of a school, the high school boasts a student union, a family consumer science room, a black box theatre, labs for biology, chemistry and computer, as well as a dedicated area for a student-run Cyber Café and Spirit Store.

For a school that has been discussed for so long, seeing the faces of alumni walk through the doors for the first time at an open house was an exciting moment, Tucker said.

“It’s reassuring to me that I feel like we delivered on what we promised, and just to see their faces walk was a great moment,” he said.

The fact the school was constructed by Nabholz Corporation — run by a family synonymous with St. Joseph Catholic Church — and designed by H+N Architects — co-owned by an alumna — was icing on the cake, said Tucker.

“I have to believe every i was dotted and every t was crossed twice,” he said.

Built for the Future

The new high school sits on what was a parking lot for the old campus along College Avenue. The building was constructed there with an eye toward the future and the possibility of a new kindergarten through sixth grade building. There are no concrete plans for that building right now.

“There was a simple rendering that showed how this building would look like and how a potential K-6 building would tie into it,” Tucker said.

Currently, St. Joseph School is divided into three campuses, divided by Harkrider Avenue. The new high school and middle school — which houses grades 4-6 — are located on the west side of Harkrider, while the elementary school — housing preschool through third grade — is located across Harkrider in what is the old Ellen Smith Elementary building.

New Offerings

In addition to the new offerings made possible through a new high school, St. Joseph has also partnered with Conway Public Schools to take advantage of the Conway Area Career Center. It has also begun a partnership with the South Conway County School District to enroll students in Virtual Arkansas courses.

Students are enrolled in a variety of courses including photography, criminal justice, Spanish, German, and agricultural business.

“It’s an option for us to offer courses we normally wouldn’t be able to do,” Tucker said. “We’re having success so far, so I’d like to think we would expand to even more course offerings next year.”

The new high school features an industrial technology class Tucker said he hopes to take advantage of next year to provide students with an introduction to tools and safety in a hands-on environment.

Saying Goodbye

The old high school campus was constructed in the 1950s. It had been added onto multiple times throughout the years to accommodate more students and classroom space.

It originally served grades 9-12, but eventually added seventh and eighth grades when more room was needed in the old Spiritan Hall building.

“It served its purpose for many years,” Tucker said.