LOURDES CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN NOGALES, AZ

Formerly Sacred Heart School (1934-97), Lourdes Academy (1940-97), Our Lady of Lourdes High School (1986-98).

Lourdes Catholic School (LCS) is a bilingual/bicultural, private, international Catholic Pre-kindergarten through 12th grade school in the Diocese of Tucson. School year 2009-2010 marked the 75th year of service to the families of Santa Cruz County, Arizona, and Sonora, Mexico.

LCS reflects the diverse and unique flavor of its bicultural surroundings. The school traces its roots to Sacred Heart School, a parochial school. In 1934, the Minim Daughters of Mary Immaculate were asked to administer Sacred Heart School. From the beginning, the school exemplified a definite missionary spirit, with the Sisters organizing several catechetical centers in the city, as well as the outlying communities of Patagonia, Tubac, Carmen, and others. The Minims also established Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in 1940, where grades 4, 5, and 6 of Sacred Heart School were transferred to better meet the needs of the local communities. This marked the beginning of an intertwined history of the two sister schools. Grades were moved between both campuses as the needs dictated.

Our Lady of Lourdes High School was founded in August 1986, as an answer to concerned parents who wanted their children to continue their education in a Catholic school in their own community. A grade was added during the following three years and their first Senior Class graduated in 1990.

As a result of 1998 negotiations with the Diocese of Tucson to privatize Sacred Heart School, the two sister schools were merged into Lourdes Catholic School. In 2001, with the completion of the Elementary school building, grades Pre-kinder through 5 left the Sacred Heart School campus and moved to the present site. The merging of the Elementary level with the Middle School and High School levels on one campus was a major undertaking and an accomplishment for the entire school community. It bolstered the school's community spirit by providing the sense of being "one family". The "one campus" orientation also facilitated better articulation and alignment of curricular and co-curricular programs.

As in the past, the Lourdes Catholic School community — Minim Daughters of Mary Immaculate, staff, students, parents, and boards — look for ways to adapt to better meet the needs of the local communities who want quality Catholic education for their children. Lourdes Catholic School continues in the Minim tradition of dedicated service. LCS is the first regional, international school in the Diocese of Tucson and the State of Arizona. It is accredited by both WCEA and NCA.