History

The St. Joseph Elementary School is a ministry of the St. Joseph Basilica Catholic Chuch. The school is one of forty-six elementary schools in the Diocese of Oakland.  The school began as Notre Dame Academy in 1881, a primary and secondary all-girls school staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame.  In that same year in support of the academy, the St. Joseph Mission Church moved to its present location at San Antonio Avenue and Chestnut Street.  The church would later become St. Joseph Basilica.

In 1887, a boys’ grade school that was also staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame was built at San Antonio Avenue and Lafayette Street.  Then in 1922, a new co-ed grammar school was built which became the present day St. Joseph Elementary School.  Fr. J. Bernard Praught, the pastor of St. Joseph Church, became the first principal of this new school.

St. Joseph Elementary School currently has an enrollment of about 270 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school operates under the leadership of Father Fred Riccio and Principal Monica O’Callaghan.  Fr. Riccio became pastor of St. Joseph Basilica Catholic Church in 2008 while Ms. O’Callaghan became principal in 2006.

With the support of dedicated parents, along with the guidance of the pastor and the commitment of the principal, teachers, and staff, the school combines a rich history of tradition with a future that promises success for its students.