Joplin Area Catholic Schools Celebrate 140 Years

By Heather Reynolds

This October marks the 140th anniversary of the founding of the Joplin Area Catholic Schools (JACS) we know today. These schools have played an important role in the history of Joplin’s Catholic community and continue to do so in 2025.

In 1885, the 13 Sisters of Mercy traveled from Louisville, Kentucky, to Joplin, Missouri, where they founded what was then the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy Oct. 4, 1885. The school was run by the nuns who were considered a novelty in the small town of Joplin. By 1912, St. Peter’s grade school was opened. Two decades later, plans were made for St. Peter’s High School, a four-year co-ed high school, which was founded in 1935.  

Originally each of these schools was separate and a part of the parishes, then in 1972, the JACS system was formed and they joined forces, giving the schools a connection and a stronger system of support. After the Joplin tornado destroyed St. Mary’s Parish and School in 2011, the parish moved to Central City Road west of Joplin. St. Peters and McAuley schools are located in their original locations, where they have been since 1885.  

The newest addition to the JACS system is St. Ann’s Catholic School in Carthage, Missouri, which joined the system July 1, 2025. Adding this school to the Joplin Area Catholic School system brought the total number of schools to four. Those schools include St. Mary’s, St. Peter’s, McAuley, and now St. Ann’s.  

In the past, all the classes were taught by the Sisters of Mercy, but now classes are taught by non-secular faculty members.  

Director of Schools Jess Sickman is excited to celebrate the 140th anniversary this year. Sickman has a background in marketing and business and was hired as the director in 2024. JACS has goals to better market to the community in order to see growth in the coming years.  

Sickman is the mother of two Catholic school students in the JACS system. She and her family moved to the Joplin area 4 years ago. Born and raised Catholic, she has had a connection to Catholic schools for many years.  

“My mom was a principal at a Catholic school when I was growing up,” she said. Although not a former Catholic school student, her life was formed by her faith. “My faith was a huge part of my upbringing.”  

The Catholic school system in Joplin has seen a lot of changes over the years and lots of growth since its inception in 1885.  

“It’s really cool that we have multiple church and parish communities, and together as a school, we see all those families coming together and sharing our faith and growing as a Catholic community,” said Sickman.  

One of the ways Catholic schools stand out from traditional public schools is obviously the connection to their faith.  

“We encourage prayer, and no matter what we are going through, we know God is with us,” she said. The mission is to put God and Jesus first in everything they do.

The students are all connected as a whole and go to Mass once a week as a student body. Around 16% of the student body is non-Catholic.  

“It has been a great experience to see the non-Catholic students be a part of worshiping and to be joined in faith with their peers, knowing that we are all there together for our faith. It is beautiful and encouraging,” Sickman said.  

All of the JACS schools are active in the community.  

“Something I wanted to make sure we are doing more of is providing service to our community,” said Sickman. The schools partnered with Mercy Hospital and cleaned at Mercy Park, and they always have groups looking for opportunities to serve the community.  

“We have a great relationship with Wildwood nursing home, which is across the street from St. Mary’s Elementary,” she said.  

All of the schools host charity dress days. Once a month, they choose a charity students can pay a few dollars to in order to wear non-uniform attire for that day. The school system also partners with charities like Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States and Lafayette House. Representatives from these charities come to the schools to explain how the students’ donations help those charities and partners.  

“Instilling that in the children even at a young age is important, and they are starting to understand how that works,” Sickman continued.  

The school system also has a program called Mercy Meals. The schools received a grant to have students in the culinary arts program in the middle school and high school prepare meals and have them delivered to people in the community who are in need.  

“We have someone in our community that just recently had a knee replacement, so we are able to provide them with meals as needed,” she said.  

Currently all four of the schools have a total of 314 students with the addition of St. Ann’s in Carthage. Although that number may seem small, it’s a great accomplishment for the schools and also a positive when it comes to the ability to have small class sizes.

“At times, attendance has dropped, such as after the tornado or during hard times. But we are seeing a turn for the better and an uptick in numbers,” Sickman said.  

On Sept. 24, students will celebrate Mercy Day, and the entire school community will celebrate Mass together. They will worship and pray and the students will spend time together as an entire system. They will also have alumni on hand to celebrate.  

“There are some fun plans in the works, but we are also working to have more things planned.”    

This year, the Catholic school system created the Legacy of Faith Endowment, which was a $17 million donation from donors who believe in the schools’ mission. Families are awarded tuition assistance through the endowment.

“A lot of our families are now paying very minimal tuition for their students to be able to attend here,” Sickman said. The Legacy of Faith Endowment has also allowed the system to hire a new position that is focused on campus ministry and service. This position will help in finding ways to allow the schools’ Catholic identity to shine through.  

St. Mary’s Elementary is also welcoming Joseph Beachner, a new principal. “We are very excited to have him coming on board and excited to see where he leads the elementary school.”    

The schools have plenty of learning and leadership opportunities for the students that help prepare them for their future and college careers.  

“The opportunities we offer our high school students really does help prepare for their college experience,” said Sickman. Her son was able to graduate with college credits and is now more prepared for college.  

JACS also has a few corporate sponsorships with local businesses to help provide tuition assistance that helps support the mission. When the sponsors partner with the school system, the schools are able to provide a discount for their employees’ children.  

“We are grateful we have Mercy Hospital and Freeman Health System, among others, that help support our mission,” Sickman said.

As a nonprofit organization, corporate sponsorships are vital to the school system’s growth.

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