History

During the 1850s the Sisters of Charity sent religious sisters to the Cumminsville area to begin a school. Anticipating the opening of the new church, the sisters started St. Boniface School in 1862 in their convent until the church was opened in November, 1863. Students attended school in the parsonage and by 1867 it was decided that there was no longer adequate space at the parsonage to accommodate the steady increase in pupils. The parish purchased additional property adjacent to the church. By 1870, an ornate, solidly constructed, two-story brick building consisting of four school rooms was erected on Blue Rock Street at a cost of $7,800.

By 1885, however, it was necessary to build an addition consisting of two rooms on the second floor as well as a chapel and meeting room on the ground floor. In the early 1900’s, another larger addition was made to the school and a residence was built on Lakeman Street for the Sisters of Charity who taught at the school. The parishes of St. Clare (College Hill) and St. Pius (South Cumminsville) branched off, yet the parish and school continued to grow. By 1913, St. Boniface School had 600 pupils.

The new church was built at our current location in 1927 and the new school opened in 1933. In 1979, the parish school became a combined school with St. Boniface and St. Leo participating.

The Sisters of Charity faithfully provided Catholic education to our children until 1999.

The school now provides an education for about 200 pupils, kindergarten through eighth grade. Many come from low-income families and receive Education Choice vouchers to help pay for their education. These vouchers as well as the generosity of the Sisters of Mercy, the Catholic Inner-City School Education (CISE) fund, parishioners, parish staff, and very kind donors, work together to provide a quality education for St. Boniface students.