School Info

The St. Joseph School Community is dedicated to a Catholic environment where we realize our unique potentials, while we learn, live and model Christ's teachings, preparing academically and spiritually for this life and the next.

To grow as disciples of Jesus - To make disciples for Jesus, who is the reason for our Schools, the ever present Teacher in its classes, the Model of our faculty and the inspiration of Our Students.

St. Joseph School is situated in the Northeast corner of Johnson County in Shawnee, Kansas. As one of forty-two schools in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, the school is part of St. Joseph Parish, one of the largest in the Archdiocese. The present enrollment is nearly 400 students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade, with an average class size of 22 students. The grade school is part of a complex of buildings that, in addition to the school, includes the church, the Parish Services Center (PSC), Early Education Center (EEC) and stadium.

To understand our school today, it is important to look back at its place in the history of the city of Shawnee. In 1857, when the city was founded, Shawnee was a small frontier town. St. Joseph Parish built a school in 1873 only five years after its founding by Belgian immigrants who settled in the area. The school still enrolls descendants of many of those immigrants, along with many other families who have moved to the expanding metropolitan area.

St. Joseph Parish has an exemplary history of support for Catholic education. Completed in 2003, our current, state-of-the-art, Education Center, is the fourth constructed on the parish site and testifies to the commitment shown to the school.

Also associated with the parish is the Early Education Center (EEC). Located near the school, the EEC provides families with services that include infant, toddler and day care as well as pre-school classes. Founded in 1988, the EEC utilizes space that resulted when Aquinas High School (Formerly St. Joseph High School) relocated to Overland Park as St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

Fr. Scott Wallisch is currently the pastor. Also serving St. Joseph Parish is Msgr. Michael Mullen, senior associate pastor, and Fr. Mark Ostrowski, Associate Pastor. The Parish Council, School Council, School Principal, Facilities Manager and the Early Education Director serve Fr. Scott. Assisting the principal is a full staff of licensed, highly qualified teachers, school nurse, counselor, aides, office, accounting, custodial, and other support staff.

St. Joseph Catholic School opens its doors for the 150th year in August 2024 and remains dedicated to passing on our Catholic faith while helping its students grow spiritually, academically and socially. This is achieved by honoring our core values of Faith, Academic Excellence, Service, Community and Tradition.