Written by: Bill Paulino

On September 1949, St. Francis School in Yona opened its doors for the first time to students of Guam with an enrollment of 301. It was first established as an elementary school upon the arrival of the first seven School Sister of Notre Dame. It is interesting to note here that St. Francis School planned to add all of the high school grades, but Typhoon Karen changed this idea in 1962. Fr. Cyril Lanheim, O.F.M., Capuchin administered the school. Sr. Mary Eucharita, SSND was the first school principal followed by many others from the same religious order. The school was a Quonset hut structure and was located in the heart of the village of Yona by the old ball field or sat to the Westside of now known Jose B. Sudo Street.

The mission of the school is to provide academic learning in a Christian environment. The charisma of Blessed Mother Theresa Gerhardinger, who was the founder of the School Sisters of Notre Dame and St. Francis of Assisi are integrated into the school curriculum.

Student enrollment grew so fast in a short time. The school was not able to accomodate new admissions. Expansion of the school or a new school house was then inevitable. Fr. Alvin La Feir, O.F.M. Cap., Fr. Canice Carmell, O.F.M., and the new people of Yona plunged into a huge project of building a new schoolhouse that was valued at $600,000 but was built at $40,000. This new schoolhouse was dedicated on August 10, 1958. It stood just behind St. Francis Church and overlooked one of the most beutiful ocean views on Guam.

As a result of the increased enrollment and having a brand new school, more teachers had to be recruited. Twenty more School Sisters of Notre Dame staffed the classroom by school year 1958-59.

Financial and material resources to build this new schoolhouse came from many generous people. The parishoners of Yona gave everything they could from money to building materials and of course, their unselfish, free labor to the project.

On December 16, 1997, Typhoon Paka completely destroyed this schoolhouse except for the Administration building, which was gutted by fire in November of 1999. Throguh FEMA a temporary school was funded at a temporary school site, and at the same time approved for a permanent building.

In April 1999, less than two months before summer vacation, students had to relocate back to Yona where the original school was built in 1949. FEMA, again funded a temporary school site, which cost more than one million dollars. The school paid more than $100,000 as its cost share.

Originally, FEMA funded in 1998 for a permanent school buildings a figure under $4,000,000. This figure rose to almost $6,000,000 now!

The new schoolhouse, now complete, has a mulitpurpose building, a state of the art cafeteria, a performance stage, computer lab, science laboratory, administrative offices, pre-kindergarden classrooms, and classes suited for elementary and middle school. Additionally, the school has tow gigantic buildings which will be used for the Music Department and a Library.