Find Your Passion
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Welcome to Great Falls Central Catholic High School! We are celebrating our 20th year educating students who want academic challenges, spiritual development, and community connections. We are committed to serving all in our community, holding a special commitment to serving students who are highly motivated but need opportunity and resources. We value community and charity, living each day to serve each other in reaching God’s fullest potential.
Today’s world needs compassionate men and women who have a strong moral compass and high personal motivation. We need young people who are articulate, problem solvers, and investors in their community. We achieve that at Great Falls Central by investing time in our students during our small classes, in our hands-on curriculum, and with our principled teachers, weaving Catholic intellectual and spiritual traditions with the best practices and research in education. Our graduates are prepared for the challenges life brings.
Our students experience the full range of high school opportunities offered at a larger school. We have competitive MHSA sports teams, clubs, and traditional high school activities. We offer dual credit courses and honors courses for students looking to excel. College and career ready are not just words on a paper for our students, but part of their entire experience here.
I hope that you will explore our website, take a virtual tour of campus, make time to meet our staff, and find out why Mustangs are so tough. We look forward to bright things in the future.
Yours in Christ
Great Falls Central Catholic High School, a diocesan college preparatory school, is committed to developing academic excellence in a Christ-centered community that strengthens leadership and service to others.
Accreditation:
Western Catholic Education Association
Montana Board of Public Education
Student-Teacher Ratio: 10:1
Student Population: 65 Students
Catholic Identity: Weekly Mass, Stations of the Cross, Adoration, Rosary, Reconciliation, Retreats. All based in the Roman Catholic Tradition.
Academic Rigor: AP and Honor Classes, Dual-Credit and college courses offered at the University of Providence and at the Great Falls College-MSU.
Extra Curricular Activities: Spanish Club, DECA, Key Club, Outdoor Adventure, Art Club
Montana High School Association: Cross-Country, Volleyball, Football, Basketball, Track, Golf, Softball, Tennis, Wrestling
Sanctioned Activities: Speech & Debate, Band, Choir and Orchestra
Community Service Hours: 30 hours/year, 3,000+ hours
All Are Welcome: 60/40 Catholic/Non-Catholic
At the beginning of the 1951-1952 school year St. Mary’s High School, the Ursuline Academy for Girls and St. Thomas Home boarding school came together to form the co-educational Great Falls Central Catholic High School. Great Falls Central graduated it first class in 1952. The new school was located 2400 Central Ave. The original teaching and administrative staff consisted of Diocese priests, the Sisters of Providence , Ursuline Sisters, and the Sisters of Humility with very few lay instructors. Catholic K-8 schools in Great Falls consisting of St. Josephs, Peter and Paul, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Gerards, and Blessed Trinity, as well as the Ursuline and St. Thomas K-8 schools provided students to GFCCHS. At its peak, GFCCHS had in excess of 800 students enrolled in the four grades. After Charles M. Russell High School opened in 1965 Central experienced a gradual drop in enrollment. Also, in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s the number of priests and sisters available to teach at Central decreased. In 1973, due to financial concerns, Bishop Eldon Schuster painfully chose to close GFCCHS after graduation that year. Several years later the Diocese sold the GFCCHS building to the Great Falls Public Schools which later housed Paris Gibson Middle School and currently, the Great Falls Education Center.
In 1995, a group of parents began the discussion of reopening Great Falls Central. After several meetings, the group approached Bishop Anthony Malone about reopening the school. The process took approximately four years and in the fall of 1999, with the blessing of the Bishop, the plan to reopen GFCCHS was put into action. The University of Great Falls was approached and asked to house the new high school for the 2000-2001 school. UGF agreed to provide two classrooms in the McLaughlin Center for use by the school. In January 2000, GFCCHS hired its new principal, the initial school board was formed, the first group of teachers were hired and the recruiting of students to fill the 9th and 10th grade classes began. Great Falls Central opened its doors in August 2000 with 25 students. During the next two years the 11th and 12th grade classes were developed with the first graduating class in 2003. In the fall of 2006 approval was given by the Diocese to design and begin construction on the new GFCCHS building. Central remained at UGF until the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year when the school moved to the new GFCCHS building located at 2800 18th Ave South. Great Falls Central continues to provide a faith based, college prep secondary education that stresses a strong Catholic identity, academic rigor, a safe and structured learning environment, and service and extra-curricular opportunities. Central is accredited by the Board of Public Education of the State of Montana and the Western Catholic Education Association.