About
Our History
A Tradition in Faith Since 1917Over a century of forming Crusaders in Lake Forest
The School of St. Mary opened in 1917 with 125 students in a single brick building beside the Church of St. Mary, which had served Lake Forest's Catholic families since 1875. More than a century later, that one schoolhouse has grown into two campuses, six buildings, and a community of more than 400 students from age two through eighth grade, but the heart of it has never changed.Today, just as in our earliest classrooms, we form students in faith, learning, and service. We teach them to think clearly, serve generously, and stand firmly in who they are as children of God.
Our Story Through the Years
Outdoor art class beside the Church of St. Mary, mid-twentieth century. The Sisters who taught generations of Crusaders shaped not only their education but their character, a tradition that continues today.
Recognized Excellence
The U.S. Department of Education named the School of St. Mary a National Blue Ribbon School in 1990, 2012, and 2020. Only 38 private schools nationwide hold that distinction. The Illinois State Board of Education also recognizes the school for full compliance with state recognition guidelines.
Mrs. Kathy Thompson, Principal
"I am now blessed to welcome the children of students I taught thirty years ago, the youngsters of former Crusaders walking through these same halls. What I see in those returning families is proof: the years our students spend here are not fleeting childhood memories, but deeply rooted foundations that shape adult lives."
Halloween 1938
Third and fourth graders in costume, Halloween 1938.
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Black-and-white photograph of third and fourth grade students at the School of St. Mary in homemade Halloween costumes, 1938.
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Black-and-white photograph of the 1951 School of St. Mary Crusader football team posed with their priest-coach.
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Football 1951
The 1951 Crusader football team and their priest-coach.
A Roman Catholic School Since 1917
To Learn, To Serve, To Lead
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