History

Few know that St. Patrick's, Ascension, and more than a dozen neighboring parishes were all one parish until the 1900's, when population exploded on Cleveland's west side, and the territory was divided to better serve the growing flock.

St. Patrick's humble first four-room school was built in 1916. That building was rebuilt and enlarged on the same location in 1930, where it still stands today. A second building was added to the school as families, each with many children, densely packed West Park in the late 1950's. The area's gradual cultural diversification and our airport's expansion in the 1990's moderated the demands on that school.

West Park's baby boom fueled the need for Ascension School to open in 1949. It expanded twice before the number of students peaked in 1963. Both schools, right down the street from each other, were still bursting.

Annunciation school, which was at its peak in the 1950's, was staffed for many years by the Sisters of Charity, The Sisters of the Incarnate Word, and the Sisters of Saint Joseph. The school averaged a yearly attendance of 600 students during this peak period. However, enrollment declined for many years until the decision was made to close the school at the conclusion of the 1993-1994 school year.

St. Patrick School was similarly affected by the airport expansion, and Ascension School by construction of I-71.

The Cleveland Catholic Diocese's Vibrant Parish Life initiative, aiming to strengthen the bonds among similar parishes, planted a seed of anticipation about the schools eventually merging. However, its formation was driven even more by the proactive visions of the leadership of Ascension and St. Patrick parishes. Both parishes enjoyed strong schools, and aimed to keep quality Catholic education available in the West Park neighborhood.

In Fall 2007, the leadership of both parishes agreed to merge their schools to form a more vibrant one. Bishop Richard Lennon approved their proposal on November 19, 2007. About 100 school parents, staff, parishioners, and others began working just a couple weeks later to form the new, independent school.

The new school opened for instruction in Fall 2008.