Our History – Providence St. Mel School

OUR HISTORY

A timeline of past events that has shaped our present and our future

1929

The Sisters of Providence lay the cornerstone for a new Providence High School, an all-girls Catholic school.

1969

Providence High School combines with St. Mel High School, an all-boys school operated by the Christian Brothers, becoming Providence St. Mel School.

1971

Paul J. Adams III begins his tenure at Providence St. Mel as the Director of Guidance.

1972

Mr. Adams is named principal and begins the mission and vision of Providence St. Mel, first by enacting strict rules that make gang association, drugs, gambling, graffiti, stealing, and fighting grounds for expulsion.

1978

The Archdiocese decides to close Providence St. Mel, but Mr. Adams' commitment and a national campaign allow for Providence St. Mel to remain open as an independent college preparatory school. Sister Loretta Schafer and the Sisters of Providence sell the school building to Mr. Adams.

1980

Providence St. Mel expands by creating Grade 7 and Grade 8.

1982

Providence St. Mel is featured on an inspiring story by NBC’s Mike Leonard.

1982

President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan are so moved by the story of Providence St. Mel, they visit the school for the first time.

1983

President Ronald Reagan returns to Providence St. Mel and proclaims it a “shining light” and a model for the nation to follow.

1985

The varsity boys’ basketball team wins the IHSA State Championship (Class A), finishing their season with a 31-3 record.

1987

Providence St. Mel expands further to include Grade 5 and Grade 6.

1990

The Summer Opportunity of A Lifetime (SOAL) program begins, offering students enrichment experiences all over the world.

1993

Providence St. Mel expands to Grade 1 through Grade 4, offering a foundational college-prep education to a wide range of students. Providence St. Mel is now Grade 1-12.

1996

Jeanette Butala (DiBella) begins her tenure at Providence St. Mel and increases test scores by 35% in less than three years.

1999

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The Academic Intervention Model (AIM) program is established to offer additional tutoring to students after school and on Saturdays.

2000

Ms. Butala is named principal, and Mr. Adams is named president.

2000

Providence St. Mel’s lower school expands further to include Kindergarten, setting high standards at an early age.

2003

Providence St. Mel is transformed with a new fine arts center and science labs, central air conditioning, bathroom renovations, a new elevator, and new lighting.

2004

The Michigan State University study is released in the Journal of Educational Psychology and names Providence St. Mel as a “Model for Urban Education”.

2005

The CURL study finds that 72% of our alumni graduate from college in four years.

2008

Providence St. Mel’s commitment to setting high standards at an early age continues with the addition of pre-Kindergarten classes.

2009

The Providence Effect, a documentary celebrating Providence St. Mel’s academic accomplishments, is released in theaters across the country.

2010

Dr. Samuel C. Carter, a renowned education researcher, selects Providence St. Mel as one of the nation’s finest schools in his book, On Purpose.

2014

Ms. Butala becomes the Chief Educational Officer of the Jay Pritzker Academy in Cambodia, which follows the Providence St. Mel instructional model.

2015

For the first time in school history, 100% of Providence St. Mel graduates are accepted to Tier One colleges and universities.

2016

The Ohio State University alumni study is conducted. “Find a way or make one” is a life model with graduates exceeding norms in all educational expectations.

2016

Providence St. Mel is majorly renovated. Classrooms and hallways are refreshed, and the cafeteria – including a senior/parent lounge, front office, and admissions areas are transformed.

2019

The 2019 Varsity Knights win the 2019 State Championship for the first time since 1985. Mr. Tim Ervin is also nominated Coach of the Year by the Illinois Basketball Coach Association.

2019

Sam H., Class of 2019, wins the IHSA 1A Boys Track & Field State Championship in the 400m Dash with a time of 48.16 seconds.

2019

100% of the Class of 2019 earn scholarships to the colleges and universities they will be attending. In total, they are awarded with nearly $5 million in scholarships.

CONSISTENT WITH THE ORGANIZATION’S MISSION, PROVIDENCE ST. MEL SCHOOL ABIDES BY ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LAWS WHICH PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, RELIGION, SEX, AGE OR HANDICAP IN ADMISSIONS, EMPLOYMENT OR PROVISION OF SERVICES OR GOODS. WHERE EDITORIALLY REASONABLE TO DO SO, PROVIDENCE ST. MEL INCLUDES A STATEMENT OF NO DISCRIMINATION IN STUDENT HANDBOOKS, BULLETINS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS AND ON APPROPRIATE ORGANIZATION WEBSITES.

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PROVIDENCE ST. MEL HAS NO AFFILIATION OR RELATIONSHIP WITH PROVIDENCE ENGLEWOOD CHARTER SCHOOL