History

Incarnation Catholic School opened in September, 1961, under the direction of Father Joseph Daley, pastor of Incarnation from 1958 to 1962.  The school consisted of grades one through four, accommodating 121 students.  Father John Lima was pastor at the dedication of the school in February, 1962.  In September, 1962, the fifth and sixth grades were added, bringing the student population to approximately 220 students.

The seventh and eighth grades were added in 1963, and the school was staffed entirely by lay personnel, headed by Ms. Nellie Banks, as office administrator.  In 1964, four Sisters of St. Francis from the Chicago Province were added to the faculty, with Sister Donna Jean as principal and another sister assumed the office of religious coordinator.  There were 269 pupils in the school in 1965.
In 1965, Sister Gaudens was named as principal and Father Cornelius Dougherty became pastor in 1966.  He served as pastor until his death in December of 1975.  Sister Helen Murphy (Sister Ricardo at the time) was named principal in 1967.  Additional lay educators were added to the staff yearly.

In 1975, the school was again returned to a total lay faculty, with Mrs. Lorainne Hill as principal.  The portables were added for more classroom space in 1974.

Father Gerard Finegan was named administrator of the parish at the time of Father Dougherty’s death.  In 1976, Father Finegan was appointed pastor of Incarnation Parish.
The total enrollment for 1977-1978 was 282 pupils.  A second seventh grade was added in 1978, and additional teachers were added for a more varied curriculum, much of it focusing on cultural enrichment.  There were 302 pupils in the school in June, 1979.  In 1979, this double class of seventh graders then advanced to two eighth grades, which accommodated sixty students.  A kindergarten was added in August of 1981 with an additional teacher and aide.

In 1989, Sister Monica Paul Fraser, O.P., was named principal.  Two Sisters of Notre Dame were subsequently added to the faculty, on a part-time basis.  After an extensive fund-raising campaign, a major expansion project was begun and completed in 1993.  The two portables were replaced with a permanent building which houses grades 3, 4, 5, the computer lab and the art room.  An addition was made to the original building and housed an administration office, secretary/bookkeeper office, clinic and library/media center.  The former library was converted into a faculty lounge.
In 1995-1996, the playground was redesigned and extensive equipment was added.  The major building project was completed in the summer of 1996 with the refurbishing of the lunchroom.  Two Sisters of Mercy joined the staff in 2001.

In the summer of 2003, additional playground equipment was added and classroom furniture was refurbished.  The school had a population of 300 students served by thirty-six members of the faculty and staff.  At this time, the Incarnation School faculty was made up of 33 lay and three religious educators.

ActivBoards were installed in every classroom in 2007.  New desks were purchased for the middle school grades.  The lunchroom was updated by the installation of new cabinets and improvements to the kitchen area.

In 2007, a security system with sixteen cameras was installed to monitor the campus 24 hours a day.  Additionally, the fencing around the campus was updated and replaced.  New landscaping was planted to beautify the school.

In 2008, Incarnation Catholic School was recognized as a No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

In 2009, Sister Monica Paul Fraser, O.P., retired as principal.  The Venice Diocese conducted a search for a new principal. Mrs. Regina Housel was named principal.  Mrs. Housel had previously served as principal of a Catholic school in Maryland.  Presently, there are two Sisters of Mercy and one Sister of St. Dominic on the faculty.  Father Gerard Finegan was re-assigned and left Incarnation Parish as pastor in June, 2007.  In February, 2008, Father Bernard Evanofski came to Incarnation as parish administrator.

In August, 2009, Incarnation Catholic School added a preschool with a pre-K-4 year-old class.  A modular building was placed on site to house the preschool.  The school has a present population of 203 students served by thirty-three members of faculty and staff.