Welcome To

For 125 years, St. Mary’s Catholic Schools (previously St. Mary’s Academy) has been committed to forming young men and women in a foundation of academic excellence.  As we form the future of our society, be they doctors, farmers, nurses, veterinarians, lawyers, teachers or priests, we recognize the responsibility we have to our families to ensure that their children are prepared to face a world that constantly changes.  Thus, our school looks beyond the years our students will be present here, to their future.  

St. Mary’s embodies a holistic model of education: academics, spiritual life, social life, emotional maturity and physical well being.  The faculty and administration work together to meet each student’s unique leaning needs.  We are also the only parochial high school in Holt County to offer college preparatory courses.  

St. Mary’s is dedicated to challenging our students to grow beyond their own perceived abilities.  We want our students to be more than good—we want our Cardinals to be great!  Students who graduate from St. Mary’s can count on being prepared to enter into and succeed in post-secondary education.  

At St. Mary’s, we know that leadership is exhibited in many ways, in and out of the spotlight.  Leadership is more than being “top dog” - it is a mentality rooted in service of other above self.  St. Mary’s prepares our students, regardless of status or position, to be leaders. In that regard, the structure of our school shows them the importance of making a difference through their actions and the example they are to others.  

In this vein, St. Mary’s was the first school in the Archdiocese of Omaha to implement a “house system.”  At St. Mary’s Junior High and High School students are divided into houses, each led by a faculty member, and each dedicated to the patronage of a saint whose way of life the house strives to embody.  Within the house, each student is encouraged to find opportunities for service and leadership throughout the school year. The upperclassmen become essentially mentors for the younger students, preparing them in the future to assume the roles of leadership.   

Beyond service within the walls of our school, the generosity of St. Mary’s student spills over to our community and beyond.   Community service projects, service to the parish of St. Patrick’s, visiting the sick and homebound at The Evergreen, assisting with the Food Pantry, service to the O’Neill Fire Department, St. Anthony’s Hospital, the VFW Post, and Christmas Closet, and leadership in service to the Team Jack Foundation and American Heart Association are just some of the ways in which St. Mary’s students distinguish themselves by their good deeds.