History of St. John the Baptist Catholic School

St. John School was opened in 1916 by the Sister Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary order from Monroe.  It is an integral part of the parish and has been educating the students of St. John the Baptist Parish continuously for nearly 90 years.  It has been under lay leadership and has had a lay staff for many years.  While the parish was established to serve the needs of English-speaking Catholics in Monroe, primarily Irish, with the present school population is culturally and racially diversified.

Over the years, St. John School has continued to grow, adding a computer lab, after school latchkey program, and Shared Time Program with Monroe Public Schools.  Students are able to participate in a number of enrichment activities, sporting events, academic opportunities, and various community service events.  The majority of our students continue their educaton at St. Mary Catholic Central High School after graduating from eighth grade.

St. John School can be proud of its commitment to provide a learing environment that teaches the doctrines of the Catholic faith, which helps form a strong moral foundation for its students.

Community

The City of Monroe has a rich history, being settled in the 1700's by predominately French immigrants.  Settlers here were interested in water fronts, lake and river, as well as the richness of the soil for crops and livestock.

The city contains four Catholic churches (originally established by French, German, Irish and Italian parishioners separately).  The city and county of Monroe support a number of churches, and a large number of non-public schools.

The city is the county seat and thus enjoys a number of the legal and professional inhabitants found in such cities.  La-Z-Boy Incorporated World Headquarters, Tenneco Automotive World Headquarters, Detroit Edison Fermi II plant, and Visteon Automotive Industries as well as a very diverse mixture of other business and industries are located in the Monroe area.

The county surrounding Monroe is heavily agricultural with 562 square miles, which are still home to over 1,000 active farms.  The area offers a pleasant mix of urban and rural surroundings with transportation systems making it ideal for economic growth.

Our close proximity to the three major metropolitan centers of Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Toledo positions Monroe just 30 minutes away from world-class cultural, entertainment, and sporting events.  Monroe County is known for its "small town" atmosphere with easy access to the aforementioned metropolitan markets.