On September 4, 1900, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School was opened by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and under the leadership of the current parish priest, Fr. Chrystosom Lochschmidt, OSB (pastor from 1889-1902).
The first school building was a two-story frame rectory that the Benedictines had built at 14th and Mapleton in 1891. The parish purchased the building for $3,500 and remodeled it as a coeducational elementary school.
In 1918, the parish built a three-story, sleek, limestone and manganese white brick school and convent at 13th and Mapleton. At the dedication of the building, the president of the University of Colorado was asked to be the guest speaker. An orator priest from Denver added that Sacred Heart of Jesus graduates should go to the University of Colorado, which “would become the greatest institution of public education in the nation.”
This large school served the parish well after the postwar boom when Boulder’s population soared from 20,000 in 1950 to 77,000 in 1980. The school was overflowing with students.
Plans to expand Sacred Heart of Jesus School began with Fr. Paul Fife, OSB (pastor from 1943 to 1957). The school was demolished and replaced in 1959. During the 1960’s, attendance was at a record-breaking level with over 700 students enrolled annually. The junior high school building, a contemporary design by Rogers-Nagel-Langhart, opened in September 1967.
In 1983, due to the decline of the number of nuns, the convent on 14th and Mapleton was closed. Today the building is used as the parish center. The school continues to be a ministry that is of vital importance to Sacred Heart of Jesus parish.