School History and Today's Snapshot

Groundbreaking ceremonies for St. John Vianney Parish School were held November 7, 1955. On April 31, 1956, the cornerstone for the school was laid. That year, the first portion of the school building was completed consisting of 14 rooms, a gymnasium, offices, and a full kitchen. September 5, 1956 marked the first day of school for 140 students in the first through fourth grades. The parish school planned to add one classroom each year up to eighth grade.

In September of 1957, the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters arrived at St. John Vianney to staff the school. In 1960, an addition of four classrooms, a library, and an audio-visual room was made to the school. This increased the size of the school to eighth grade and brought student enrollment to 380.

In 1961, 38 students made up the first graduating class from St. John Vianney parish school.

In 1962, the school library was opened. Hot Dog Day profits were used to purchase library books. In February of 1964, St. John Vianney held its first school book fair. The book fair allowed parish families to purchase and donate books to the parish school library.

Half-day kindergarten was added to the school in 1979 and extended to full days in 1996. Also in 1979, the Catholic Saints Band was formed giving students a new extracurricular opportunity. In 1987, the hot lunch program began. Preschool was added to St. John Vianney school in September of 1993.

In 2002, a church expansion project connected the church to the school, added additional rooms and offices, and created a new, larger lunch room.

Since its founding more than 60 years ago, St. John Vianney School has been home to thousands of children and has produced graduates who have excelled academically and professionally, served the church, the community and the world generously, and lived lives of holiness modeled after their Lord, Jesus Christ.

• Average annual enrollment: 225 students in grades 3K-8 
• Class size: 20 for 3K preschool with two instructors
  • 22 for 4K preschool with two instructors
  • two kindergarten, first, and second grade classrooms
• St. John Vianney School is fully accredited by the Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Association of the State of Wisconsin 
• Doors open for extended care beginning at 7:00 a.m. At 7:40 children wait indoors with supervision until the first bell rings at 7:55 a.m. Classes begin at 8:00 a.m. and students are dismissed at 3:00 p.m. 
• All students wear uniforms (red/black/white shirts with tan pants/skirt/jumpers). Five days’ worth of uniforms can be purchased for less than $150
• Hot lunch program prepared on-site by dedicated cook. $2.85 per day
• Extracurricular activities include cross country, basketball, volleyball, track, choir, instrument lessons, band, Lego League, yearbook, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and more
• All students in grades 5-8 are given Chromebooks
• Classroom technology includes Clevertouch interactive panels, chromebooks, and iPads
• Tuition assistance available
• Before- and after-school care available
• Classes in art, music, Spanish, computers, and library
• Physical education in a full-sized gym
• “Buddy System” pairing younger and older students