Founded in 1940, this year marks the school’s 80th year of serving the children of Christ the King/St. Anthony Parish and the greater Burlington area and from the start, the parish and school were intertwined, and that close bond continues today.  For 80 years we have focused on providing a high quality, values based, rigorous and rewarding learning experience for our students and living out our mission:  The mission of Christ the King School is to provide an excellent education in a Catholic community of love and care; to foster respect for self and others; and to nourish a life-long devotion to God and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

“With wonderful foresight of Burlington’s future development, land was acquired about 1927 for a new parish at the southern end of Burlington.  On December 17, 1939, there took place the dedication of the new church, followed by the first Mass to be celebrated in it.  Both church and school were attended from the Cathedral until official establishment of the new parish – on September 2, 1940 – with Rev. Charles A. Town as first resident pastor.  The first rectory, purchased in 1940, was replaced by a new rector, bordering the parish property, purchased n June, 1944.  The church and school were built in one unit.  The school, with the Sisters of Mercy in charge, opened in January, 1940.”  – From “The Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vermont: A Century of Achievement for God and Country”.

In 1961 the new wing was built to handle the extraordinary growth of the school, doubling the size of the building.  In the 1970s and 1980s Christ the King became much more than a neighborhood school, attracting students from outlying towns.

The Sisters of Mercy staffed the school for many years with the last Sister retiring in 2002.  Together with the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, the Sisters of Mercy helped to grow our school and were integral to our early and continued success.  We are, and will remain, always grateful for the love, care, and dedication shared with our community by the many religious who served and taught the children of the Christ the King School.

Much has changed in 80 years, including the transition to a faculty and staff made up entirely of lay people, but much has remained the same.  We continue to offer an excellent education and remain faithful to the teaching and mission of our Catholic faith while also welcoming those who share other faiths.  Today our diverse student body hails from over twenty towns and six of Vermont’s fourteen counties.

Throughout the school’s 80 year history, Christ the King families have been valued partners in educating the students. Parents, relatives, and parishioners volunteer in the classrooms, read in the library, serve lunches, coach sports, organize events and fundraisers, chaperone field trips, and give of their time, talents, and treasure to provide rich learning experiences for the children.

Christ the King students learn the rich traditions of our faith by participating in daily prayers, weekly masses, stations of the cross during lent, school wide rosaries, May crowning of Mary, student retreats, sacrament preparation, opportunities for reconciliation, service projects, blessing of the animals on St. Francis Day, advent traditions, our Christmas concert, and special observances on holy days. They are encouraged to be active participants in the practices of our faith, and in loving service to others.

Blessed with a dedicated pastor, principal, and faculty as well as unwavering support from both the school and parish communities, Christ the King School’s collaborative mission of the school continues to guide the administration, faculty, parents, and students as they strive for academic excellence and ever deepening fidelity to their Catholic Christian commitment.