History

Saint Rose Catholic School opened in 1931. It was the first Catholic elementary school in Santa Rosa.

The school served grades 1-8 and was staffed by the Ursuline Sisters. Although the faculty is now 100% lay teachers, the heritage and traditions of the Ursuline Sisters continue to influence the school. We continue to have ties to the Ursuline community through association with the sisters residing in the area. 

Originally the school building was located in downtown Santa Rosa next to Saint Rose Church. Due to Santa Rosa’s stringent earthquake safety standards, the school was moved to its present site in the Mark West / Larkfield  area in 1985. A kindergarten was added in 1986, and a preschool  was opened in 1992.   During the 2017 Tubbs Fire, the school was heavily damaged and our beautiful preschool building was completely destroyed.  Classes were held in an alternate site for three months while the school was completely renovated and the preschool was rebuilt.  Thanks to our insurance company, our excellent contractors, and generous donors, the school facilities are now state of the art and the school is in an excellent financial position.

 

Currently, the enrollment is stabilized at around 280 students.   The faculty to student ratio is 1 to 16.  The addition of our paraprofessional staff further reduces the instructional adult to student ratio to 1 to 10 students.

 

The Pastor of St. Rose Parish is very supportive of the school. He is proud of the strong Catholicity of the school and the supportive and caring environment that is offered to the students and their families. He lists as strengths the commitment of the faculty and staff, the active parent involvement, the strong academic program, and the involvement of the principal and teachers in the parish.