St. Henry District High School History

ST. HENRY’S MISSION

At St. Henry District High School (SHDHS), we are committed to providing a well-rounded education that prepares students for their unique post-secondary pursuits while inspiring them to live out their Catholic faith and embrace the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. As a vibrant faith community, SHDHS is grounded in our five pillars of success—Faith, Scholarship, Athletics, Arts, and Leadership—and driven by our core values of CruFaith, CruRespect, and CruGrit. 

SHDHS is Northern Kentucky’s largest Roman Catholic college-preparatory, co-educational high school and the only high school in Kentucky named a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School. SHDHS has served the Diocese of Covington since 1933 and became a district high school in 1984. SHDHS serves students in grades nine through twelve. Students come from numerous counties in Northern Kentucky, Ohio, as well as adjacent Indiana counties, and represent our district elementary schools and other faith traditions.

HISTORY FILLED WITH FAITH, COURAGE & VISION

Nearly 87 years ago, St. Henry Parish and the Benedictine Sisters courageously committed themselves to serve high school-age Catholics in Northern Kentucky.

When Fr. Edmond Corby succeeded Fr. George C. Bealer as pastor of St. Henry Parish in the spring of 1933, he had his hands full. With fewer than 325 families, he took on the challenge of starting a high school program the following fall. Meanwhile, plans were underway to build the present St. Henry Church, important not only because a new church was needed, but also because the old church was needed to accommodate the next few years of high school space requirements.

The first class began in a one-room schoolhouse with just one teacher and 20 freshmen. By 1939, the Kentucky State Accreditation Department advanced St. Henry High School to the category of a Class A school. That same year, Fr. Herbert Erbring became pastor, and Mr. Bob Ross became a coach and launched a full-fledged sports program at St. Henry. The school organized its first high school basketball team in 1936, and formed a football team in 1940. The school also had volleyball, bowling, golf, boxing, and a band. Fr. Paul Ciangetti, who came to St. Henry as assistant pastor in 1944, played an active role in building the basketball prestige St. Henry now has.

As years progressed, so did St. Henry High School, from one building to another. At one time, classes were held in four different buildings until the first dedicated high school building was completed in 1968 on Dixie Highway in Elsmere. This building, on the same campus as the elementary and middle schools, served the community for many years, but as the school grew, the need for a new, larger structure to serve the region became unavoidable.

After 16 years of dreaming, planning, organizing, fundraising, and most of all, praying, the new 75,000-square-foot St. Henry District High School, located off Donaldson Road, was dedicated in November 1998. As the student body grew over the years, so did the campus, with the addition of athletic facilities designed to meet students’ needs inside and outside the classroom. This set the stage for the successful “Building on Excellence, Guided by Faith” capital campaign and the 43,000-square-foot expansion dedicated in February 2020.

“Building on Excellence, Guided by Faith” Expansion Project

Nearly six years ago, school leadership identified the ever-increasing need for a fine arts facility. In 2014, over 65% of students participated in band, chorus, chamber choir, art, and/or drama, but the current space for these classes was limited. Anticipated growth and increased student interest in the arts led to a community study to determine stakeholder interest and the resources needed to build a new fine arts facility.

In the fall of 2014, Bishop Roger Foys approved St. Henry’s request to conduct a feasibility study to gauge how strongly the school’s constituents would support a capital campaign. Based on the positive feedback from this study, Bishop Foys approved the official launch of the $7.8 million “Building on Excellence, Guided by Faith” capital campaign in 2015. This marked the first major expansion at the high school since it opened in 1998. The Bishop’s unwavering support and dedication to Catholic education and St. Henry District High School drove this project.

A diverse group of leaders, including school administration, alumni, architects, construction managers, and more, developed, managed, and executed the campaign. They supported the project through every phase, including strategic planning, fundraising, and construction.

This campaign was about more than building a beautiful 650-seat auditorium. Over the past six years, God’s hands have been at work each and every day, demonstrating the power of teamwork and collaboration.

Ron Dressman (‘51) attended the campaign kick-off event in 2015. He very wisely pointed out that, while it’s wonderful to plan for and address the future needs of the school, we must never lose sight of why St. Henry District High School exists – to provide a well-rounded, college-preparatory education that teaches students to live the Catholic faith by embracing the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. And, with that, he proceeded to make the first major financial contribution to the campaign before sadly passing away just a few short weeks later. Mr. Dressman loved St. Henry, and his gift helped launch the project.

The steadfast leadership of campaign co-chairs, Dan (‘70) and Karen Riegler, was humbling and inspiring. They live their Catholic faith daily, dedicating their time, talent, and treasures to countless projects within the Diocese of Covington.

Once again, God’s hands were at work when Ralph and Irma Drees decided to support the campaign with a $750,000 gift. They recognized the importance of this project not only for St. Henry District High School but for the entire community and the future of Catholic education. This gift breathed new life into the campaign, inspired others to give, and, without a doubt, ensured its success. Throughout the campaign, more than 400 individuals and businesses came together to financially support the expansion project and help make the vision a reality.