St. Mary Central High School is a private

Private school

Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...

, Roman Catholic high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 in Neenah, Wisconsin

Neenah, Wisconsin

Neenah is a city on Lake Winnebago in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 24,507 at the 2000 census. The city is bordered by, but is politically independent of, the Town of Neenah. Neenah is the southwestern-most of the Fox Cities of Northeast Wisconsin...

. It operates within the Diocese of Green Bay

Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay was established on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX. It covers the city of Green Bay as well as Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Forest, Kewaunee, Langlade, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, and Winnebago counties,...

. It is the only high school in the Twin City Catholic Educational System, which also operates three elementary schools and one middle school.

History

Although there was a school associated with St. Mary Catholic Church in the 1800s, the first high school was opened in 1928. A three-story building, it had a gymnasium, cafeteria, and all the other typical amenities associated with a high school of the day. The wings of the building also housed an elementary school. There were additions to the building in 1952 and 1962. The school stayed open until the spring of 1997 when a new building was erected. Parts of the old high school were torn down to make way for additions to the grade school. The new building opened in the fall of 1997. It included a classroom-size chapel, three computer work labs, one distance learning lab, several traditional classrooms, a cafeteria with a stage (the cafeteria could be used for plays, with seats replacing the lunch tables) and a significantly larger gymnasium. A few external facilities were added to the school, including the EEEC Energy Center; Jane's Woods, a two-acre wildlife sanctuary; and Zephyr Fields, a new football/soccer stadium, which is now used instead of Nathan Calder Field in Menasha

Menasha, Wisconsin

Menasha is a city in Calumet and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 16,331 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly in the Town of Menasha in Winnebago County; only a small portion is in the Town of Harrison in Calumet County. Doty Island is located...

 (which is also used by Menasha High School).

Sports

The school won several championships during the its association with WISAA (Wisconsin Independent School Athletic Association). However, in the early 2000s WISAA dissolved and the school entered the Olympian Conference in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association

Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is the regulatory body for all high school sports in Wisconsin. Its history dates to 1895, making it the first high school athletic organization in the country...

 (WIAA).

Since their entrance in the WIAA

Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is the regulatory body for all high school sports in Wisconsin. Its history dates to 1895, making it the first high school athletic organization in the country...

, the school has won the following state titles:

• Division 3 Women's Tennis Singles State Championship (3 times)
• Division 3 Men's Tennis Singles State Championship
• Division 3 Men's Soccer State Championship(Runner-up)
• Division 3 Women's Soccer State Championship
• Division 3 Men's Baseball State Championship(Runner-up) (3 times)
• Division 4 Women's Basketball State Championship

TCCES

The school belongs to the Twin City Catholic Education System, a school system comprising three grade schools, one middle school, and one high school in Neenah/Menasha:

• St. Mary Elementary School
• St. Margaret Mary Elementary School
• St. Gabriel Elementary School
• Seton Catholic Middle School

School facts

• The schools mascot is the "Zephyr".
• The school colors are Columbia blue and gold.
• The yearbook is the Renard, French for fox.
• The gymnasium's name is the "Ralph 'Cyclone' McClone" gymnasium.
• Until the new building was constructed, the school conducted its graduations in St. Mary's Church.