THE HISTORY OF LAKE MICHIGAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS 

The blessings of a superior Catholic education which are the hallmarks of Lake Michigan Catholic Schools trace their roots to the fine tradition of St. John’s and St. Joseph Catholic Schools.   

Events of St. John’s early days can be remembered through a News-Palladium article dated September 2, 1915:  

“NEW $20,000 PAROCHIAL SCHOOL WILL OPEN TUESDAY MORNING’  ‘Everybody knows that school has started at the high school, in the grades and the kindergartens and that the college opens next Tuesday after Labor Day.  But there is still another school that is going to swing open its doors to the lads and lassies of Benton Harbor, a new school the only one of a kind in the city, St. John’s School of Music, corner of Columbus and Catalpa Avenues.” 

The article continues with a description of this “imposing” building which cost $20,000, contained four classrooms, a gymnasium and an auditorium and would hold 150 or more students.  Tuition was 50 cents per month for children of parishioners and $1.00 a month for those outside the church.  Instructors were sisters from St. Mary’s Convent, Monroe, Michigan. 

The beginnings of St. Joseph Catholic School were chronicled in A Century of Faith, a history of the St. Joseph Catholic Church from 1865 to 1965.  According to the volume, St. Joseph Catholic School opened October 12, 1909.  The building held 127 students and was staffed by five Sisters of the Order of St. Dominic from Adrian, Michigan.  Tuition for the eight elementary grades was $1.00 per month and $2.00 per month for the two-year commercial course offered. 

In 1969, St. John’s Parish School, St. Joseph Parish School and St. Bernard parish merged to form Lake Michigan Catholic Schools with grades 1-12.  Preschool and kindergarten classes were later added.  The LMC system is under the direction of the pastors from these parishes and the Catholic Community Education Commission made up of members from each parish.  The system is supported by student tuition, parish assessment, various fund-raising activities and by the Twin-City Area Catholic School Fund.  

For over 100 years, Catholic education has thrived in the Twin City area.  The traditions treasured by alumni of St. John’s Catholic and St. Joseph Catholic are the roots that support Lake Michigan Catholic Schools.  In November 1991, a new elementary school was completed on Washington Avenue in St. Joseph, Michigan.  An additional wing that houses 6 classrooms, a gymnasium, stage and locker rooms was completed in the spring of 2002.  That summer, major renovations were also completed at the middle/high school building.  Classrooms, restrooms, and science labs were just some of the major upgrades that were completed in the summer of 2002. 

Despite these changes in names and locations, Lake Michigan Catholic remains committed to its founding principle-a quality education within a Catholic environment.

THE PROFILE OF LAKE MICHIGAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS 

The merger of St. John and St. Joseph Catholic Schools in 1969 marked the new beginning of Lake Michigan Catholic Schools.  Since then, LMC has been a PS-12 district serving Southwestern Michigan in the Catholic education tradition.  We are grateful to SS. John & Bernard and St. Joseph parishes and the Twin-City Area Catholic School Fund, Inc. for their generous financial support.

LMC schools are a part of the educational system established by the Diocese of Kalamazoo and are subject to the policies of the Diocesan Office of Schools.  We are accredited by the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools (MNSAA, www.m-a-n-s.org).

In accordance with Title IX compliance, Lake Michigan Catholic Schools do not discriminate on the basis of sex, religious affiliation, race, color, physical challenges, or national origin in admissions or employment opportunities.