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Welcome
Welcome to our vibrant school community! As a proud ministry of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Albuquerque, NM, and the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, we are committed to nurturing both the minds and hearts of our students.
At our school, we offer a rigorous academic curriculum grounded in Catholic values, all within a safe, welcoming, and diverse environment. We strive to create a family-oriented atmosphere where respect, service, and compassion guide our actions. Here, students learn to embrace self-discipline, empowering them to reach their fullest potential—spiritually, academically, and personally. We're excited to partner with you in your child's journey!
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Our History
Having concluded that one Catholic school in the Heights district of Albuquerque was insufficient to accommodate the Catholic children of St. Charles Parish, Father John P. Hogan, at that time Administrator of St. Charles Parish, decided a parochial school within the parish was an absolute necessity. So Father Hogan, accompanied by a group of parishioners, consulted with His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edwin V. Byrne, D. D., Archbishop of Santa Fe. With great enthusiasm and invoking the blessing of God on this project. His Excellency gave permission to proceed with the planning of the new school.
Accordingly, in January of 1951 a meeting of all parishioners was called to convene in the Parish Hall. There, by unanimous vote, the parish heartily agreed to undertake the burden of building this school. At this meeting were elected the members of the School Building Committee, Ray C. Smelich, President, John Dwyer, Vice-President, Joe Graff, Secretary, and Father Hogan as Treasurer. Also organized at this meeting was the Construction and Ways and Means Committee composed of the following parishioners, Miss Kathleen McCant, Thomas Castonguay, T. Francis O'Rourke, and Ray C. Smelich.
On January 16, 1951, at the request of the St. Charles School Building Committee, a general meeting of all parishioners was held. At fhis meeting A. W. Boehning, Sr., was selected as architect.
After further consultation with His Excellency, it was decided to construct a junior high school—a two story building with ten classiooms on the upper level, and a lower level to be used as a Recreation Hall for the parish. Provision was made so that this Hall could be converted into eight additional classrooms in the future, with facilities for a kindergarten class.
The plans were submitted and approved and the contract for construction was awarded to the lowest bidder, Lembke-Clough and King Company, whose bid was $188,503.00. This was in addition to $27,000.00 for steel already contracted for.
With the approval of His Excellency, Father Hogan journeyed to San Francisco to petition Mother M. Olivia, Mother General of the Presentation Sisters, for Sisters to staff the school. Mother Olivia-torn between a dearth of Sisters and the desire to give glory to God by sending Sisters to instruct the little ones of the Southwest-decided it was God's will that the Presentation Sisters spread out from California into the Southwest. And so, Sister M. Cyril and Sister M. Helen were chosen to be the first members of the faculty of St. Charles Borromeo School.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new school took place on June 10, 1951, at three in the afternoon with His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edwin V. Byrne, D. D., Archbishop of Santa Fe, presiding. Distinguished guests on that day were Mother M. Olivia, and Sister M. Regina, her counselor.
Construction was started in the beginning of July. Fortunately the School Building Committee had had the foresight to obtain permission to contract for the necessary steel before restrictions were placed on that most important item. This has been the reason why construction progressed so rapidly, with no long delays.
The Sisters arrived in August of 1951 to assume their new duties, and from that date they resided in the former Rectory which was converted to a Convent to accommodate them. The Priests took up residence in the small house on the south east side of the property. The Sisters started classes for the First and Second Grade St. Charles children in the Heights Catholic School building during the construction of St. Charles School.
During construction, the 1st and 2nd-grade classes were held at the Heights Catholic School. On February 25, 1952, the school officially opened with 150 students, and by September of that year, enrollment had surged to 250 students in grades K-5.
This is how the opening of St. Charles was described in a local newspaper:
"The year 1952 is an eventful year in the history of St. Charles Borromeo parish. A dream of many years has finally been realized in the imposing two story structure that is dedicated to the Catholic education of children.
Following closely the exterior details of St. Charles Church and rectory, the new addition blends gracefully with the contour of the land. Its length of nearly 250 feet and width of 60 feet give many square feet of useful space. The structure is entirely fireproof of reinforced concrete and masonry. The roof of vermiculite concrete, covered with asphalt and asphalt felts, is topped with permanently stained red marble.
To the east of the beautiful main entrance is a suite of offices; to the west a three room clinic; and to the south a library with a connecting stack room. Ten large, spacious classrooms on the main floor are completely finished. It has been the desire of the committee to plan for the child, not the adult, consequently the heights of the blackboards and furniture have been adapted to the ages of the children. All classroom ceilings are of acoustical plaster; the concrete floors covered with asphalt tile together with a ceramic tile base blend harmoniously with the decorative scheme and the selective stained birch hardwood doors.
An additional feature of the classrooms are the architecturally projected windows along the corridor side, which help to provide uniform light in all classrooms and corridors together with controlled ventilation. Tile walls and ceramic floors set the scheme for the well-planned rest rooms. The principles of safety have prevailed throughout the design of this structure and one cannot leave without observing that if emergencies should arise, there are exits in all four directions.
The functional relationship between the main floor and the ground floor is such that one may be entirely closed off from the other, giving almost two separate buildings under the one roof. On the ground floor, which has the same dimensions as the main floor, one will find a kitchen, heavy storage room, completed restrooms and a heat room with the most modern boiler facilities. Yet one is almost lost in the space that remains. Space, which in the future will be a kindergarten and eight additional classrooms to match those on the main foor. Until then many parish activities will be centered in this monument of the future."
In 1955, we broke ground for our gymnasium, and by 1956, St. Pius X High School began using the lower-level classrooms. The Ursuline Sisters took charge of the school in 1969, ushering in a new chapter in our history. In 1988, the kindergarten and library moved to the convent, and in 1999, part of the gym was converted into a music room. The main building and convent were upgraded with evaporative coolers to keep students comfortable year-round.
In the late 90s and early 2000s, the school underwent significant improvements, including a complete renovation of the playground, the bathrooms, and the installation of a new boiler for winter heating. In the summers of 2014 and 2015, the convent was remodeled to accommodate our growing preschool program.
We celebrated the 70th anniversary of our school in February 2022, and we are proud to continue this rich tradition of academic excellence and Catholic values. Our story is one of growth, dedication, and a deep commitment to nurturing the minds and hearts of our students. We're excited to welcome you to be part of our next chapter!
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Our Diverse and Vibrant School Community
St. Charles Borromeo School is a vibrant reflection of our dedicated parish community, and we're proud of the diversity and hard-working spirit that defines us. Like our parish, the majority of our students come from middle-class, Catholic families committed to their faith and to supporting one another. Over 90% of our students are from Hispanic backgrounds, primarily residing in the western and southwestern parts of Albuquerque. Many parents work in local government, law enforcement, small businesses, hospitals, or as students themselves at community colleges and universities.
Our school is inclusive and offers support to all families—this year, about 14% of our students are eligible for the federal free and reduced lunch program, with the number occasionally reaching 20%. Our school is also supported by a dedicated group of elderly parishioners, some of whom generously help fund their grandchildren’s education. Additionally, our Vietnamese community is an important part of our parish, and we look forward to welcoming even more families from this vibrant group.
We are conveniently located with easy access off the interstate, making it easy for working parents to drop their children off on the way to local businesses or Sandia National Laboratories. To better serve families, we offer both before-care and after-care programs, accommodating the busy schedules of our parents.
While the local neighborhood around St. Charles has changed over the years, our community remains strong, with the University of New Mexico and local hospitals nearby. Our school continues to attract families from all walks of life, and we are grateful for the continued support from our community.
In recent years, about 50% of our 8th-grade graduates have gone on to attend St. Pius X and Chesterton Catholic High School, with all being successfully accepted and thriving there. The rest of our graduates attend a variety of other public and private high schools, but all carry forward the strong leadership qualities and Catholic values instilled here. St. Charles Borromeo has a proud legacy of shaping leaders in our community, and we are excited to welcome your family to join us on this incredible journey.
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Our Parish
Founded in 1934, St. Charles Borromeo Church holds the distinction of being the first parish on Albuquerque's southeast side. Serving as the spiritual heart of the community, it quickly became the "mother parish" for the entire east side of town.
For over 78 years, St. Charles has proudly embraced a rich, multicultural community, welcoming families of Italian, Hispanic, and Vietnamese heritage. With a deep and meaningful religious history, St. Charles is excited to continue its mission as a vibrant center of education, culture, and faith—serving as a source of inspiration and support for families across New Mexico for generations to come.
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Accreditation
We are accredited through the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA). The Western Catholic Educational Association is a private educational accrediting agency for Catholic elementary and secondary schools in ten western United States and the US Territory of Guam.
From the WCEA website:
" The mission of WCEA is to promote quality Catholic education for students in our member elementary and secondary schools through an accrediting process that assures the primacy of faith formation and educational excellence.The specific purpose of WCEA is to coordinate the accreditation process by assisting schools in their self-evaluative programs, to establish general standards for excellence in Catholic schools, to grant WCEA Accreditation, and to cooperate formally with regional accrediting organizations as determined by the WCEA Board of Directors. Currently WCEA co-accredits schools with ACS-WASC and AdvancED.
WCEA was originally formed in California under the auspices of the Bishops of the Catholic Arch/Dioceses of California. Although the membership now includes Catholic Arch/Dioceses in nine other states and Guam, the Bishops of the Catholic Arch/Dioceses of California retain reserved powers as the Members of the Corporation and appoint one of their member Bishops to serve as the WCEA President."
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