406-449-3201 info@standrewschool.org
St. AndrewCatholic SchoolHelena, Montana

About

History of the School

St. Andrew Catholic School was started in 1996 with grades 2-8, by Mrs. Terry Rose who believed Helena, MT was ready for a Catholic, classical school. The first building to house the school was the First Christian Church, and all the classes were combined with a couple of grades in each. The boys wore white shirts and navy-blue pants, the girls, the same jumpers they wear today (they are indestructible!) with white shirts.

Twenty-five years later, we are still going strong because of the foundation that the school was started on. The Holy Spirit continues to guide us to provide a sound classical and Catholic education for students. The faculty continues to evolve, but the most important lesson we have learned over the years is that this school isn’t great because of one individual or even a team of individuals. This school is great and continues to thrive because God wants it to.

This is God’s school and He worked through Terry Rose and others to bring it into being.

As we think about the history of St. Andrew and all that has been accomplished by those before us, from starting the school, to earning accreditation in 2014, to now thinking of expansion, our mission is the same: trust in God, listen to His Word, and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance. If we do that, the Lord will make sure St. Andrew School continues the legacy that the founders hoped for.

The current school building was purchased in 1998 and has become a sanctuary for our virtuous, enthusiastic and resourceful learners. St. Andrew was and continues to be an independent Catholic school. We are not affiliated with the Diocese of Helena financially. We run the school solely on tuition and donations, and through the grace of God, we have continued to grow because of the generosity of many people throughout the country.

The school was considered a “Classical school in the Catholic tradition” because we were not a diocesan school. We do, however, have the support of our local parishes. We operate with the blessing of Bishop Austin Vetter.