Established 1890
Sacred Heart Elementary School has been educating boys and girls since Mother M. Pia Backes, O.P. and the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose opened Sacred Heart School on September 1, 1890, with an enrollment of sixty-two children ages four to nineteen. By October 22, enrollment had nearly doubled to one hundred fifteen students. In 1894, the first boarders were received. The practice of residents continued until 1948 when the residence section was declared unsafe and boarders were no longer accepted.
In December 1893, talk began of enlarging the school building due to the overcrowded classrooms. It was not until 1902 that a three-story frame building was erected and connected to the original 1890 schoolhouse. In 1913 work began on another addition, at which time, the school became known as Sacred Heart Academy, a name it retained until 1923 when the parish paid for and built a new red brick building. The school then became known as Sacred Heart Parish School.
In the 1952-1953, school year enrollment reached its peak with six hundred seventy-one students, ten sisters, and two lay teachers. Enrollment remained high until the 1970’s when combination grades were eliminated and class size was reduced due to Archdiocesan Policy. The closing of the combination grades provided room for a library, Religious Education Office for the parish, Kindergarten classroom, and Computer Lab.
In 2002 a shaded lunch area was completed; in 2006 a marquee was placed in front of the school and in 2008 a mural was painted that depicts the history of Lincoln Heights and Sacred Heart parish and school.
During the summer of 2009, the Shea, Doheny and Ahmanson Foundation provided funds for air conditioning in the classrooms, meeting room, library, and computer lab. The bathrooms were renovated, lighting fixtures in all classrooms and meeting room were upgraded to be energy efficient, and a new P. A. system was installed.