Saint Ignatius Of Antioch Parish

St. Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School was established in 1904, two years after the church parish was established. In 1917 it was decided to build a school, now known as the Boulevard School. This building was completed the same year. From the beginning, the Sisters of St. Joseph, CSJ, staffed the parish school and formed an important part of the parish’s educational life. The new school was completed in the 1950’s, with over 1,000 students and continues to serve the present diverse population of 370 students. In the 1960’s the construction of Interstate 90 cut through the west side community and divided the neighborhood. Many families left the area and relocated in the suburbs. This loss of parishioners coupled with court ordered busing proved very challenging for the neighborhood and school. Today the parish and school strive to meet the social and educational goals of peace and justice. The school is quite diverse serving Catholics- 65%, non- Catholics, Muslims, Baptist, and all nationalities. The lasting presence of the Sisters of St. Joseph still guides the classes although there are no teaching nuns at this time in the school. Our poverty level of families is 62 percent. We participate in the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program. (Voucher Program) We have 227 students on Scholarships. We also participate in the Diocesan Tuition assistance program. 70 percent of our graduates go on to Catholic High Schools. Overall attendance rate is 90 percent.