Mercy McAuley High School formed from the 2018 merger of Mother of Mercy High School and McAuley High School. Mother of Mercy, the older of the two, had been founded in 1915.
The McAuley High School tradition, which began in Ireland in 1831, is rooted in the ideals of the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley, who believed in the importance of the education of women. In 1958, Archbishop Karl J. Alter chose the Sisters of Mercy to establish a new high school in College Hill. The Archbishop donated 15 acres of land and handed over the responsibility of constructing the school to the Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters of Mercy broke ground on August 28, 1958, and in 1960 the school opened with an enrollment of 200 young women (freshmen only).[5] A class was added in each of the next three years. The first graduating class was in 1964.[6] The original building still stands today. In 2002, seven new science labs, a fitness room, two music rooms, a conference room, and an expanded gymnasium and cafeteria were added to better accommodate the growing needs of the students. In 2008, the school completed a renovation of the original 1,000-seat auditorium.[7] On March 2, 2017, it was announced that in 2018, McAuley would merge with Mother of Mercy High School due to lacking enrollment numbers.[8] McAuley held a closing mass on May 27, 2018. In August that same year, the merged school, Mercy McAuley High School, opened at McAuley's original campus.[5]
Academics
In compliance with the State of Ohio Minimum Standards, 24 credits are required for graduation. The credit requirements for graduation include 4 Theology, 4 English, 3.5 Social Studies, 3 Science, 0.5 Physical Education, 0.5 Health, 1 Fine Arts, 4 Mathematics, 0.5 Computer Literacy, and 2 Foreign Language. Students must take a minimum of six credits per year and be scheduled for at least six courses per semester. The school year is divided into 2 semesters and exams are administered at the end of each semester (before Christmas break and before summer break).[7]
McAuley High School
Mercy McAuley utilizes a progressive schedule that allows for longer class time. The schedule is based on a four-day rotation. Each day, a student will have two 80-minute classes and four 50-minute classes. Each student will have a total of eight scheduled classes with only six classes occurring each day. Out of a four-day rotation, each one of a student's classes will meet three out of four days. On day five, the four-day rotation begins again.[9]
CIBA cited as one of the best by Education DepartmentArchived August 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
