Welcome to Sacred Heart Area School
Over 100 Years of Service
On September 8, 1914 Sacred Heart School opened its doors to one
hundred thirty-five students. The first school was housed in the newly
renovated church. The church was located in the basement and the four
room school was located on the first level. In August of 1914, six
sisters of the Order of St. Benedict from St. Joseph, MN began the
ministry of Benedictine Sisters in Staples.
In 1923, the school proved to be too small for the growing parish. In
the spring of 1924, a meeting was held and the decision was made to
construct a new school. Action was taken immediately. The old school
was taken down and the new brick building was completed in a few
months. The first floor of the new school was designed with a large
auditorium in the center with six classrooms, each with their
individual entrance to the outside
The school was near closing in 1933 due to debts of the church. The
number of classrooms and teachers were reduced instead.
In 1948, the parish began to operate their own school bus, the first
in Minnesota. This made it possible for children who lived in the
country to attend Sacred Heart School. This brought the average
enrollment of the school to 250 students. The kitchen, moved to the
church basement, and the KC room were turned into classrooms to
accommodate the large amount of students.
For the first 52 years, students were enrolled in grades one through
eight. In 1966 grades seven and eight were dropped.
Due to efforts of Father Lauren Germann, a kindergarten program was
begun and in 1997 a building was purchased and renovated for the first
preschool for the parish.
Written by RoAnn Trout - Longtime student and retired teacher at SHAS
Calendar of Events
Check out the school calendar to see a list of upcoming events.
Announcements
Important announcements sent out via email will also be listed here.
Enroll Today
Strong education, devoted staff, and a Christ-first mentality. Come see what makes us great!
Academics
Curriculum align with MN State standards
Activities
Summer Academy, Adventure Club, and more!
Alumni
Our extended SHAS family members, a vital piece of our success.
Our Mission
At Sacred Heart Area School, we are dedicated to nurturing the whole person by integrating our Catholic faith in Christ into every aspect of our students' lives. We strive to foster both spiritual and academic growth within a compassionate and supportive environment. Through our commitment to love and respect for all, we aim to inspire each student to achieve their fullest potential and to live out the Gospel values in service to others.
A WORD FROM OUR PARENTS AND ALUMNI…
“The friends I made at Sacred Heart have lasted a lifetime. The core values instilled in us continue to provide guidance to this day.”
— SHAS 1996 Graduate
“My husband and I didn't grow up in this area and when our jobs brought us to Staples, we made the decision to enroll our children in the preschool at Sacred Heart.
We were welcomed with such kindness and sense of family it felt like we had been living here for years. We then made the decision to send our girls to Sacred Heart for the remainder of their elementary school career. It is really a wonderful community and school to be a part of!”
— SHAS Parent
“Moving to the small town of Staples nearly 7 years ago has been a wonderful experience. The level of community we have seen in this town has been doubled if not tripled by our recent experience with Sacred Heart. We are excited to continue growing in faith and stewardship through Sacred Heart and its members. There is a legacy this school is known for and as a family we are proud to be a part of it.”
— SHAS Parent
“Sacred Heart Area School is distinguished by excellence in academics, character development, interpersonal, and leadership skills. It is a place where doctrine and knowledge have aligned with the Church’s mission to create a foundation in education and beliefs that will follow our children for a lifetime. Sacred Heart Area School is a place where faith, hope, and love grow with the children and our community. I am proud to send my children to this school.
— SHAS Parent
“The reason we chose Sacred Heart is for the personal, faith based & nurturing educational setting. Our kids are genuinely excited to go to school and participate in mass! They are encouraged and supported in their growth of knowledge not only educationally but spiritually! The staff at SHAS are second to none!”
— SHAS Parent
My husband and I actually chose to raise our family back in our hometown based upon the opportunity for our children to attend Sacred Heart. Being an Alumni myself, I recognized the advantages of the strong foundation this school provides its students and their families. Small class sizes, accountability, lessons in stewardship, and above all a deep respect, love, and knowledge of the Lord. Given the societal climate our children are being brought up in and some day will face head on, we felt compelled to provide them with the best start we could. Sacred Heart is that start! We are blessed to have it right here in Central Minnesota!
— SHAS Parent
