The History of St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School
St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School was founded in September of 1956 as a ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso, Texas. The Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help from St. Louis, Missouri, came to Alamogordo and began what would be thirty-nine years of service at the school, originally named Immaculate Conception, taking the name of the parish to which it was affiliated.
In 1982, when the Diocese of Las Cruces was established, the school was designated as inter-parochial, serving children from all the surrounding parishes, including Alamogordo, Holloman Air Force Base, Tularosa and La Luz. Records indicate the name of the school was changed to Reverend James B. Hay School, following the death of the pastor. In 1996, the school came under lay leadership, with the School Board becoming a “juridic person,” directly under the authority of the Bishop of the Diocese of Las Cruces. That same year the school was dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Jesus and Queen of Peace. In 1993, the legal status was changed from a parochial school to lay board with independent incorporation directly under the Office of Catholic Instruction of the Diocese of Las Cruces. In addition, the legal name became Fr. James B. Hay School, Inc.
In November of 2018, our school's name was officially changed from Father James B. Hay School to St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School.
St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School has enjoyed New Mexico State Accreditation since 1975, and received an outstanding review and additional accreditation from the North Central Association Commission on Schools in March of 2000. In 2016, St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School changed their accrediting agency from AdvancED to Western Catholic Education Association who accredits all Catholic schools in New Mexico as well as schools in the western portion of the US, to include Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, Washington, etc.