Immaculate Heart High School
Encyclopedia
Immaculate Heart High School is a co-ed Catholic school
in Oro Valley, Arizona
(a suburb of Tucson). It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
. The high school is part of a larger campus that includes an elementary and middle school. However, the high school is governed by a Board of Managers consisting of community leaders and businessmen along with a president and principal. The elementary and middle schools are governed by a different president and principal and are independentof the IHHS Board of Managers. All three campuses are the focus and mission of Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
.
The school bills itself as a small, close-knit campus with a focus on college preparatory curriculum. Historically, it has been viewed as more conservative than other Catholic schools in the area.
In 1930, the sisters established Immaculate Heart Academy at 35 E. 15th St. near downtown Tucson. It was a private boarding school for girls, built of stone harvested from "A" Mountain
— a peak that sits on the outskirts of the city. In 1962, the high school portion - to this day, the oldest continuously running Catholic high school in Tucson - moved to its present site in what is today Oro Valley in northwest Tucson.
The former downtown academy on 15th Street was sold in the early 2000s and in 2006 it was being converted into condominiums.
The school is not directly governed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
so for a long time the school's biggest source of income came from boarding, which continued well into the 1990s. In 1973, the school went co-ed. Fourteen years later, the grade school moved to the Northwest as well, and in 1994 the sisters built the middle school nearby. All three campuses, walking distance from one another, are now known collectively as Immaculate Heart Schools. The high school was named Suffolk Hills Catholic High School from 1971 to 1990. The mascot, now a Knight, used to be a Rebel, but was changed over concern from some that it did not portray the values that Catholic students should hold.
In late 2005, Immaculate Heart made known that it was in the process of developing a strategic plan to try to revive the high school campus. The sisters were successful in raising money for the school through various fundraising and capital improvement campaigns. A new school gymnasium was dedicated in November 2006. A month later, a local citizen donated $1 million to the school.
In 2007, the high school has initiated a strategic plan to increase enrollment to 250 in 3 to 5 years (enrollment in August, 2007 was 64). The high school initiated a 3-5 year capital campaign, which includes an increase in staffing to help increase enrollment, along with investing in cutting edge curriculum including Astrobiology and Virtual High School Netcourse - which open over 200 elective courses to IHHS students.
In 2005, the Academic Decathlon team won the 1A Arizona State Championship. The team would also win state championships in 2007 and 2008.
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
in Oro Valley, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
(a suburb of Tucson). It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southwestern region of the United States. It comprises nine counties of the state of Arizona, making it the fifth largest diocese in the continental United States in terms of area...
. The high school is part of a larger campus that includes an elementary and middle school. However, the high school is governed by a Board of Managers consisting of community leaders and businessmen along with a president and principal. The elementary and middle schools are governed by a different president and principal and are independentof the IHHS Board of Managers. All three campuses are the focus and mission of Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary are a Catholic teaching order for women...
.
The school bills itself as a small, close-knit campus with a focus on college preparatory curriculum. Historically, it has been viewed as more conservative than other Catholic schools in the area.
Structure
In July 2006, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary approved a new model of management. This model is structured with a Board of Managers, a President and a Principal - to provide a business and strategic oversight. With the approval of this management structure, the president would focus on development, recruitment, marketing and strategic planning. The president also reports directly to the Board of Managers, and sits on the executive committee of the board along with several other committees including the Buildings and Grounds and Recruitment.History
The Immaculate Heart first sent sisters to Tucson in 1917. In 2002, the order reported having 27 nuns living in Tucson, most of them at Immaculate Heart Lodge (located near the school), and at St. Ann's Convent.In 1930, the sisters established Immaculate Heart Academy at 35 E. 15th St. near downtown Tucson. It was a private boarding school for girls, built of stone harvested from "A" Mountain
Sentinel Peak (Arizona)
Sentinel Peak, more commonly known as "A" Mountain, is a prominent ridgein the Tucson Mountains west of Tucson, Arizona.Sentinel Peak rises 2,897 feet into the air to the west of the Santa Cruz River. The underground ridge of rock, running to the east, once forced groundwater to the surface...
— a peak that sits on the outskirts of the city. In 1962, the high school portion - to this day, the oldest continuously running Catholic high school in Tucson - moved to its present site in what is today Oro Valley in northwest Tucson.
The former downtown academy on 15th Street was sold in the early 2000s and in 2006 it was being converted into condominiums.
The school is not directly governed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southwestern region of the United States. It comprises nine counties of the state of Arizona, making it the fifth largest diocese in the continental United States in terms of area...
so for a long time the school's biggest source of income came from boarding, which continued well into the 1990s. In 1973, the school went co-ed. Fourteen years later, the grade school moved to the Northwest as well, and in 1994 the sisters built the middle school nearby. All three campuses, walking distance from one another, are now known collectively as Immaculate Heart Schools. The high school was named Suffolk Hills Catholic High School from 1971 to 1990. The mascot, now a Knight, used to be a Rebel, but was changed over concern from some that it did not portray the values that Catholic students should hold.
In late 2005, Immaculate Heart made known that it was in the process of developing a strategic plan to try to revive the high school campus. The sisters were successful in raising money for the school through various fundraising and capital improvement campaigns. A new school gymnasium was dedicated in November 2006. A month later, a local citizen donated $1 million to the school.
In 2007, the high school has initiated a strategic plan to increase enrollment to 250 in 3 to 5 years (enrollment in August, 2007 was 64). The high school initiated a 3-5 year capital campaign, which includes an increase in staffing to help increase enrollment, along with investing in cutting edge curriculum including Astrobiology and Virtual High School Netcourse - which open over 200 elective courses to IHHS students.
In 2005, the Academic Decathlon team won the 1A Arizona State Championship. The team would also win state championships in 2007 and 2008.