School History

Established: Between 1990 and 1994, first high school class in 1995

Principals: Molly Ranken, followed by Dr. Ray John, Carl Koestner, Leslie Trujillo, and Karl J. Hanf

Location: Palo Cedro, CA

The Story:

Sharing a picturesque, 40-acre campus in Palo Cedro, St. Francis Middle School and Bishop Quinn High School are relative newcomers to the ranks of Catholic educational institutions. In 1994, after a feasibility study demonstrated an urgent need for more Catholic schools in Shasta County, the Diocese of Sacramento bought the campus of a private school that had recently closed. In August of that year, it established the county's first Catholic middle school, St. Francis, with two classes each of sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Bishop Quinn High School opened one year later with a freshman class of 26 students.

The schools' first five years were exciting and eventful. The entire plant was renovated, adding chemistry and art labs, an administrative building, a student union, athletic fields and new middle school building. Both schools were accredited- and commended- by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in 1996, and the Bishop Francis Quinn Endowment Fund was established the next year, providing funds for grants, curriculum development and capital improvements IN 1999 two additional milestones were reached: the endowment fund received a $1.6 million bequest and the high school graduated is first senior class.
The schools are named in honor of two extraordinary men: Bishop Francis A. Quinn and his patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi. Revered for his compassion and dedication, Bishop Quinn has been a strong supporter of the schools, not only by modeling a legacy of love, but also as the author of their motto: "Love God, Love One Another."

With an average class size of 25, enrollment has risen steadily since the 1997-1998 school year, reaching approximately 200 students in 1999. Starting with only one class of 26 freshmen in 1995, the student population of Bishop Quinn High School has grown dramatically to more than five times that number in the 1999-2000 school year.

(Information taken from the book, "Where the Valley Meets the Mountains," an outline of the history of Redding and Shasta Co. by Al M Rocca.)

Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in 2006.
Accredited by Western Catholic Educational Association in 2006.
Affiliated with National Catholic Educational Association