Don Bosco Preparatory High School history

Immaculate Conception High School had its beginning in 1943 with the addition of the ninth grade.

Four Franciscan Sisters from Wheaton, Illinois, Sister Mary Marian Strevler, principal, Sister Mary Elaine Gregor, Sister Mary Pauline Langfield, and Sister Mary Bartholomew Spellman opened St Joseph School on September 3, 1950, with eighty pupils.

In 1952 the high school equipment was moved to first floor of the school, and grade classes were conducted on second floor.

The planning for a new high school first began in 1955 with the appointment of Rev.

In 1956, the school celebrated its first high school graduation.

Since 1957 about seventy-six percent of the students finishing grade school at St Joseph attended Don Bosco High School at Gilbertville.

Ability grouping was introduced in the upper grades, and classes were departmentalized in 1962.

At the Immaculate Conception Center in Gilbertville, the Immaculate Conception School building built in 1963 used the upper floor for the intermediate (third-fifth) grade unit and had a music room and a large library.

A twenty-five room addition was built in 1964 providing new areas for a library, science labs, band, home economics, and additional classrooms.

In the spring of 1969, the schools of Immaculate Conception in Gilbertville and St Joseph in Raymond joined to form the consolidated school, Immaculate Conception-St Joseph School with centers in both Gilbertville and Raymond.

After the St Joseph Church was destroyed by fire in 1973, the lower level of the brick building at Raymond was renovated to become the parish church.

In 1984 a kindergarten program began with students in session every other day.

In 1990 all of the classrooms and interiors of the buildings were painted and new double pane windows with screens added energy efficiency.

In 1995, a middle school program was begun for students in grades six through eight.

The three year plan was written, and implementation was begun in the fall of 1999 with the hiring of a K-12 development director as a shared position with Don Bosco High School.