The Regis School of The Sacred Heart - History

History

For several years, parents of girls attending nearby all-girl Duchesne Academy had longed for a similar school for their sons. In 1990, a group of Duchesne families founded The Regis School with the goal of being accepted into the Network of Sacred Heart Schools. The school was scheduled to open in August 1991. In August, 1991, the school opened with 38 students in facilities leased from Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Since these temporary facilities were inadequate, a search was started for a more permanent solution. The current Milestones and Administration building was purchased and renovated, and classes began there in August 1992. The school was searching for a permanent site within 2 miles (3.2 km) of Duchesne.

Between the school's first year of operation and its second year of operation, the student body increased by 83%. In January 1993 the school had 60 students in grades preschool through six. It planned to expand to the eighth grade and increase its student body to 320. Ninfa Laurenzo, the founder of the Ninfa's restaurant chain and a grandmother of a student at Regis, was honored at the annual "The Regis Merci" celebration on Wednesday April 13, 1994. The celebration honors individuals who were instrumental to the school's operations. Houston Mayor Bob Lanier declared that day "Ninfa Laurenzo Day" and presented this proclamation to her at the celebration.

In 1995, The Regis School earned accreditation from the Texas Catholic Conference Educational Department. In April of the same year, The Network of Sacred Heart Schools accepted The Regis School as a provisional member. Full membership was granted in 1998.

Over the years, growth of the school necessitated the installation of three temporary classroom buildings to house the upper grades. Through a capital campaign, the purchase of adjoining properties paved the way for expansion. In 2001, construction began on a new schooling building and several additional improvements, including a regulation sports field. In 2002, lower and middle school classes began the school year in the new building.

In 2005, Anne Storey Carty, the founding headmistress, announced that she would be retiring after the 2006 school year, the 15th anniversary of the school's founding. After a thorough search, Dr. Nancy Taylor was selected as the second headmistress of the school.

On November 8, 2007, Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry and New York Times bestseller Ridley Pearson visited the school in the afternoon.

In late 2010, construction began for a new student center with the demolition of the former pavilion. The project that is currently in progress will result in a new gymnasium, auditorium, and cafeteria. This was set to be completed in time for autumn of the 2012-13 school year. On November 22, 2011, Regis honored veterans at its annual Veteran's Day celebration, with the students displaying posters on the school gates. On January 30, 2012, the school held its first ever career day, where students had the opportunity to hear about a variety of jobs from professional workers. The school held its first large event in the new Student Life Center in a liturgy of Grandparents Day on October 19, 2012. Regis officially opened the Student Life Center for daily use on November 6, 2012, with its liturgy for the dedication of the new building.